This is the day we celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead after he was crucified and buried! His resurrection seals our salvation and shows that Jesus has the power over life and death. In the gospel of John, Jesus says, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:18) He was in control of the situation all through the Passion week. He was in charge of his own death!
By his resurrection he showed that he has conquered death. The grave thought it could keep him in, but he was victorious! Because of his sacrifice for our sins, we (who believe in him) are no longer under the power of sin, and because of his resurrection, we are no longer under the power of death! Hebrews says, “…that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15) When we die, we will immediately find ourselves in Heaven, just like when Tirian dies in “The Last Battle,” he finds himself in Aslan’s Country! This is why we do not have to fear death! This is why Jesus’ resurrection is so glorious! Our savior lives!
He has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13-14) This sounds to me like the rescue of Edmund from the Witch’s camp. You may think that putting the gospel into a normal, fantasy story removes the power of it. Perhaps it does; it’s not God’s Word. But it is still the gospel. Stories are a great help in explaining concepts to people. Even Jesus used parables often to explain key principles.
When I think of myself as Edmund, stuck in the White Witch’s camp, with no hope of escape or rescue, no family or friends, and the witch herself about to kill me because of my sin, knowing I deserve death, but desperately hoping for salvation, knowing I can’t save myself, that I need a rescuer, a redeemer, I realize how awesome Christ’s salvation of me was. He transferred me out of the domain of darkness into His kingdom of light!
Another concept that struck me was that Aslan was all the way dead. Very dead. Totally dead. The girls and the mice tried as hard as they could to save him, but he was not alive. This is how Jesus was. Some people say that Jesus wasn’t all the way dead when they took him off the cross, and he just walked out of the tomb when he revived. Yeah right. After being scourged, pierced, and probably starved for three days, he could just walk right out, fine as can be, miles to Emmaus? And Romans know how to kill people. They were under orders to kill Jesus, and they did. But just as Aslan came back to life, fully restored to good health and appearance, Jesus rose from the dead, restored to full health. He was dead, but now he is alive! And he will be alive for ever and ever!
C.S. Lewis' explained who Aslan was in this way: "Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as He became a man in our world, became a lion there, and then imagine what would happen." Lewis wrote Aslan’s sacrifice for Edmund as a representation of Jesus’ salvation of us. Here are some similarities:
God’s Word: “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)
LWW: “You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to a kill… And so, that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.” (Ch. 13)
God’s Word: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
LWW: “Unless I have blood as the Law says, all Narnia will be overturned and perish fire and water.” (Ch. 13)
God’s Word: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)
LWW: “And even now, as they worked about his face putting on the muzzle, one bite from his jaws would have cost two or three of them their hands. But he never moved. And this seemed to enrage all that rabble.” (Ch. 14)
God’s Word: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
LWW: “Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be appeased.” (Ch. 14)
God’s Word: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55)
LWW: “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.” (Ch. 15)
Here is how the Bible describes our salvation:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-6)
Seated with him! Just like the Pevensies were crowned and throned at Cair Paravel! We were not only forgiven and freed from the bondage of sin, but we were given an imperishable inheritance: Eternal life in Heaven with Jesus away from the presence of sin! How wonderful! How marvelous! This is my story this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long! Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!
Here is a fun thing for you to check out this Easter! Aslan's Country has opened an "Easter Celebration" page filled with submissions from fans about Narnia and Easter. It's wonderful!
P.s. One more thing! I have this idea in my head for a Aslan-is-Jesus sort of music video to the song "Image of." I heard it on the radio and thought, "Aslan!" Stay tuned, because I don't have it done yet. :( It would have been good for Easter, though! :)
