Scripture:  Luke 24:44-49

The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of children's books by C.S. Lewis, has many Biblical parallels in its characters.  In the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Pevins children, Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan, discover Narnia, a magical land where the animals talk and humans are referred to as “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.”  The White Witch, evil Queen of Narnia, who rules with her magic and terror, serves as Narnia's Satan.  Aslan the Lion, Son of the Emperor over the Sea, is an obvious Christ-figure.  He is good, yet fearsome with his power.  He is wise, and gathers a crowd wherever he stops.  Like Jesus, the Narnian prophecies foretell of his coming; also Christ-like, he possesses the power of resurrection of the dead.

When the White Witch meets Edmund, she puts a spell on him that will make him tell her when his brother and sisters come into Narnia.  Like Judas Iscariot, he betrays his siblings, leaving them at the first opportunity to tell her where to find them.  He realizes too late how evil she is, and that she intends to kill the children.  When he is rescued by Aslan's soldiers, the Witch demands a conference with Aslan.  She lays claim to all traitors, and demands Edmund's blood, to appease the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time.  Aslan does not dispute this, yet has a private conversation with the White Witch, and afterwards, tells his followers that Edmund's situation is resolved; the White Witch leaves extremely pleased with the agreement, while Aslan senses doom.

Aslan agrees to die in Edmund's place, in order to appease the Deep Magic; since the Witch hates and fears Aslan, she readily agrees to trade Edmund's death for that of the lion.  The sisters, Lucy and Susan, learn of this agreement when they witness Aslan's execution from a hiding place.  Before his death, the Witch's followers mock and humiliate him by cutting his mane off.  After they leave, only Lucy and Susan remain, and they are distraught.  After they try to take care of Aslan's body for a burial with dignity, they walk away.  When they hear a great noise, they find that Aslan's body is missing; when they hear a great voice, they turn around to discover Aslan, alive and well, even having grown his mane back. He tells of the Deeper Magic, unknown to the Witch, from before the Dawn of Time; included is an incantation that states when a willing victim who has done no wrong dies in a traitor's place, death starts working backwards.

Aslan and Jesus went through many of the same things at their deaths.  When Jesus knew He was going to die, He did not look forward to it; he prayed in Mark 14:36 to be delivered from his impending martyrdom.  Just before He was put on the cross, Roman soldiers made fun of Him and tormented Him.  They committed indignities upon Him by taking His clothes and dividing them among themselves.  The gospels tell of how Mary Magdalene discovers that His tomb is empty; shortly after that, she is the first to see the resurrected Jesus.  After His resurrection,  Jesus tells the disciples in Luke 24 that what is written about Him must be fulfilled.

One important difference between Jesus and Aslan:  whom they died for.  Aslan's death was brought about by trading his life for one traitor:  Edmund.  Jesus died for an uncountable number of traitors:  all who have sinned, past, present, and the future.  Those traitors include us.  Every time we sin, we betray Him.  Every time we have an evil thought, we betray Him.  Every time we wish someone else harm, we betray Him.  Yet Jesus, a man who was without sin, sacrificed Himself for us.  We do not deserve this gift, yet He gave it to us, anyway.

Just before He ascended into Heaven, He told His disciples that repentance and forgiveness was to be preached in His name to everybody.  It is easy to forget this gift; as we get caught up in our day-to-day lives, we take God's grace for granted.  Yet, no matter how many times we forget about grace, no matter how many times we sin, God never takes it away.  No matter how badly we neglect it, the gift is there for us for the asking.  That is the Deepest Magic of all.

Amen.

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Copyright © 1996 by Dave Vaughn.  All rights reserved.