Christmas at Carrubbers

 Humans have been called ‘story telling animals’.  Wherever you go, at all times, in all cultures, you will find people telling stories.  Interestingly, the stories we love most share the same themes: good triumphing over evil, life conquering death, comedy resolving tragedy, loving and living happily ever after.

But do such things only happen in fiction?  What if in fact we could experience these things in our real lives?

That was the life changing discovery of one sceptic, called C.S. Lewis, out one evening walking with his Christian friend, J.R.R. Tolkien (author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings saga).  Tolkien explained that all these things really did happen once – to Jesus Christ, for us – and the true story of Christmas and Easter can change the story of our lives forever!

Years later, Lewis put pen to paper to write a story sharing this good news with the next generation, which was suspicious of anything sounding religious.  It all started off with the mental image of a mythical Fawn, carrying a pile of presents, in a snowy wood, under the light of a lamppost.  Soon the great lion Aslan bounded into the story and The Chronicles of Narnia was born.

Taking us behind the writer’s desk, Lewis later explained that Narnia is a ‘supposal’.  ‘Suppose’ there was a parallel world inhabited by talking animals.  ‘Suppose’ that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down into that world as the king of beasts, just as He stepped into this world as the king of humans.  ‘Suppose’ what might happen next?  Well, we don’t have to suppose; we can read or watch The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

For years, Narnia has suffered under the rule of an evil White Witch and the curse of being “always winter, but never Christmas”.  However, the flame of hope has been kept burning by prophecies of a coming Saviour: “Wrongs will be made right, when Aslan comes in sight; at the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more; when he bares his teeth, winter meets its death; and when he shakes his mane, we will have spring again.”

Finding a door, through a wardrobe, from our world into Narnia four children instantly find themselves caught up in the drama.  It had been foretold that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve were enthroned in the castle of Cair Paravel, then the reign of the White Witch would be over.  To thwart the prophecy, the Witch tempts Edmund to betray his siblings into her murderous hands.  Narrowly they escape, aided by an animal resistance emboldened by the good news that the long awaited rescuer has arrived: “Aslan is on the move”. 

Nevertheless, the Witch has a back-up plan.  Citing “the deep magic,” the founding moral law of Narnia, she demands Edmund be executed for his act of treachery.  However, in a stunning act of love, Aslan offers to die in Edmund’s place instead.  The Witch agrees, believing this will guarantee her rule of Narnia forever.  However, she is ignorant of “the deeper magic” - the divine mercy and grace which triumph over sin and death.

The story ends with a resurrected Aslan freeing all the Witch’s prisoners from eternal death as stone statues and leading them in victory against the forces of darkness.  Finally, all the land of Narnia can celebrate Christmas and look forward to the dawning of spring.

Lewis tells the story of Aslan in Narnia, so that we might get to know Jesus better in our world.  The true story of Jesus begins 2000 years ago, in the first Christmas Nativity, when God became one of us.  As Lewis reflected elsewhere: “Once in our world a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world”. 

Jesus came to save this world and set His people free from the curse of sin, death and hell.  On the Cross Jesus died satisfying the demands of justice against us, who (like Edmund) have selfish, sinful hearts.  Jesus was resurrected from the grave on the third day.  And He has left us with the hope that one day He will return to right all wrongs and raise His people to eternal life in a new world, where we will live happily ever after.

Once Lewis opened the wardrobe door and welcomed Jesus into his life it changed everything.  Maybe this Christmas, as a result of our journey into Narnia, you will come back wanting to be changed by Jesus too?

To find out more, come and join us for our services at Christmas and the next Christianity Explored course starting in the New Year.

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