The December release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Walden Media and Walt Disney will hopefully open the wardrobe door to a refreshing rebuttal to the occultic franchise of Harry Potter. (While I have yet to view the film, I join the many other devotees of the C.S. Lewis classics in the hope that the producers have acquitted themselves honorably in what could prove to be one of the great movie experiences of our time.)
The most Biblical of the Chronicles of Narnia, the classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a creative and compelling allegory that leads the reader into a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through this unmatched children’s fantasy, C.S. Lewis brings to life the most famous Scripture:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Beyond the Wardrobe
In Lewis’ imaginative tale, children enter the magic adventures of the world of Narnia through the now-fabled wardrobe. Aslan, son of the emperor-beyond-the-sea, gives his life to pay the death penalty for a human boy, Edmund, who became a traitor to his family and to all that was good in Narnia. Edmund is to be put to death for betraying his family by joining the company of the evil white witch in order to gorge himself on Turkish delight.
Aslan rescues Edmund by dying in Edmund’s place. Edmund is set free, and Aslan is resurrected. Transformed by the love that Aslan showed him, Edmund joins the company of Aslan for the good of Narnia. An imaginative tale, but actually based on a true story. The Creator of the universe entered His creation as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah for all of us Edmunds. Narnia Beckons
There will be ample alternatives for related items under the Christmas tree this year, but I personally encourage you to obtain a copy of a marvelous book by Ted and James Baehr, Narnia Beckons, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Beyond, by Broadman & Holman Publishers.1 It has intriguing insights, fascinating biographical material and colorful back stories elegantly presented. I received mine as an early Christmas gift and could not put it down. It’s delightful and thought provoking - a great gift idea.
Ted Baehr is a dear friend and heads up the Christian Film & Television Commission, which you can explore at www.movieguide.org. He writes:
"When we open up the wardrobe, we find a world not unlike our own. This is a world in bondage. Eternal winter prevails. Lewis’ story is so unlike many in the dramatic genre, though. Instead of a climax 80% through the novel, we know 30% into the telling that the winter is ending. Rumor has it that Aslan is on the move. The snow begins to melt. There are chapters to go before that glorious ending, but we know it is coming.
"[Likewise] Christians can live confidently in the here and now aware of the victory God has provided on the cross. We know the end of the story even while the struggle continues. The snow is melting. The glory is approaching.
"This is just one example among dozens of Lewis’ imbuing theology in simple story. This is something the secular press doesn’t really understand about Narnia. What makes it special is not the fawns and centaurs, magic and special effects. What makes it powerful is how it reveals the relationship between God and man so vividly in fictive form. Even as fiction, then, it makes the spiritual more real to us. Without the spiritual, Narnia would be a second-rate fairy tale. With it, it’s filled with a meaning beyond its making."
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