Narnia: A Deeper Magic Series

A Deeper Magic

Ephesians 1:4

Introduction: Changing The Rules

In the movie Superman 2 Superman and Lois Lane decided that they’re in love, so Superman chooses to give up his super powers in order to marry Lois Lane. He is warned in advance that if he surrenders his powers he can never have them back. Still, he chooses to surrender his powers and become just ordinary Clark Kent. Shortly afterwards, he discovers that three evil super-villains have taken control of the Whitehouse and are attempting to establish themselves as rulers of planet earth. Now, more than ever, the world needs Superman--but it’s too late!

A dejected Clark Kent hikes through a raging blizzard back to Superman’s fortress of solitude. Now, it is in ruins. As Clark Kent walks through the rubble, he cries out loud, "Father, I have failed."

All of a sudden the scene changes to Metropolis. The super-villains are wreaking havoc and terrorizing the townspeople, and then, the music starts. Suddenly, up in the sky--it’s a bird--it’s a plane—no it’s Superman! Somehow, someway he regained his superpowers and he is back.

And we all know that the movie ends with Superman defeating the villains and winning the fight for truth, justice and the American way. (Whatever that is?)

A. The writers of this film put themselves in quite a bind: They established a rule that if Superman surrenders his powers he can never get them back.

1. Then, he surrendered his super powers. If the writers had stuck to the rule, the movie would have ended there.

2. But the writers took some liberties: They changed the rules in the middle of the story in order to get Superman off the hook.

B. If you read the Bible you might think that is exactly what God did.

In the book of Genesis God tells Adam in (2:16,17) And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

2. And yet we know that Adam and Eve did eat the fruit of that tree and though death did come, God seemed to renege on his promise and made concessions, providing an ”escape” from the consequences as it were, a pardon through Jesus Christ.

C. We are ending today a three part series on the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

1. And as we look at this story we find many parallels to the Biblical account of the fall of man and the redemption God provides us through Jesus Christ.

I. So lets go back and review the book for a moment.

A. The Pevensie children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy first find their way into that magical world.

1. And when we look at the four children it is very evident which of these children we find the most reprehensible. Edmund.

(Now I really like what the opening of the movie where we see the bombs dropping and the interaction between Peter and Edmund. I think it allows us to see that there might have been reasons for Edmunds behavior beyond just being a nasty person. That is not exactly the reason Lewis gives but nonetheless before we are too judgmental it is always good to walk in the shoes…)

He treats little Lucy awful, he lies about Narnia in the first place, and he chooses the wrong side! He becomes a betrayer of his own family; he rebels against all that is pure and right. He is in a word… a brat.

Did you ever have a brother or sister or perhaps a schoolmate who was like that? Perhaps someone you work with today?

2. This guy turns your stomach.

Until you realize that there is a little bit of Edmund in all of us. In fact there is a lot of Edmund in all of us.

3. Left to our natural selves, our natural bent, we are repulsive, betraying little rebels going against everything that is pure and right.

When I first started in the ministry in Lowland N.C. I was still single and I ate a lot of meals at the Lowland Café. For some reason I have always drank a lot with my meals. Ms Hope got tired of refilling my ice tea so she got me this huge glass. She would say, “Scott, I swear it’s a good thing you don’t drink beer or you’d be an alcoholic.” And she might have been right.”

But you know, if Christ was not a factor in my life there is no telling what I would be, a conman, a thief, a rapist, a murderer because I find that I have a natural bent to do the things that are selfish and self satisfying and left unchecked by Christ that is what leads to those horrible crimes.