July 8, 2022
At the Riley household, the kids are in full summer mode. This means amid friends, swimming, and a bunch of noise, we try to get them to read a bit.
Samuel, our youngest, recently picked out the children’s fantasy classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I am pumped. I can’t wait for him to experience the wonder of Narnia, meet Aslan and the Pevensie’s.
And it got me thinking about Galatians — and how Narnia’s creative retelling of the gospel.
In particular, I am reminded of climactic scene in the story when Edmund Pevensie, a rascally, cheeky, boy is in deep trouble.
For those unfamiliar with Narnia, let me break it down for you:
[SPOILER ALERT!] Out of spite, young Edmund had aligned himself with the wicked White Witch. At first, he enjoyed the Turkish Delight candy she gave him. He was enthralled with her promise of power and pleasure and revenge. He even betrays his siblings and Aslan in order to please her and keep the flow of Turkish Delight coming.
But as the story goes on, Edmund realizes he should not have trusted her. He has made a terrible choice and now Edmund’s life is in danger. He sees no way out and he knows he does not deserve a way out.
Just as the Witch is about to kill Edmund, a rescue party sent by Aslan (the Jesus-like lion) intervenes and saves his life.
The morning after the rescue, Aslan and Edmund have a long talk. It’s clear Edmund’s heart has changed. He apologizes and Aslan tells his siblings that there is no need to talk about the past.
Unfortunately, in betraying Aslan and his siblings, Edmund has given his life over to the Witch. According to the laws of Narnia, she has claim to his life.
But Aslan heroically intervenes and decides to give up his life in exchange for Edmund’s. The Witch is delighted by this and Aslan is killed by the White Witch upon the Stone Table. The good creatures of Narnia fear all is lost.
The big surprise of the story is that there was a “deeper magic from the dawn of time” at work in Aslan’s death. This magic states:
“there is a magic deeper still which she did not know: Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”
Aslan, is resurrected from the dead, the Table is cracked, curse is broken, and death has been defeated. The witch will soon be vanquished as well.
It’s a great story of heroic, redeeming love– and actually it is OUR STORY too in Jesus Christ.
This week, in Galatians 3, we are learning about how Jesus became the curse for us — that we ourselves might be set free from the curse of sin and death.
Not only that, “death is working backwards” as we live in the New Creation Jesus has started through the Spirit.
Like Aslan’s sacrifice for Edmund, Jesus’ death for us is a work of pure grace. We don’t deserve, we can’t earn it. Who could have imagined something so good?
Our only response of God’s gracious action is to receive it through faith. What a gift.
This Sunday, let’s be re-enchanted by the amazing grace of God in Jesus Christ!
