Narnia: Knowing Aslan - Know Jesus

Knowing Aslan – Know Jesus

John 1:1-18

Intro.:

A. We’ve been discovering the biblical Truths that are portrayed in the books and Movie of Narnia.

This series of 7 books called the Chronicles of Narnia reflect an adventurous portrayal of a journey of 4 kids (Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy) into Narnia where the learn about Aslan – a Christ-like figure who actually gives his life in exchange for Edmund.

The movie is about the first book: “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.”

In one of the last episodes of the series, Aslan tells the 4 kids that they must return to their own country.

The kids were devastated:

“It isn’t Narnia, you know – sobbed Lucy. It’s you. We shan’t meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?”

“Aslan: But you shall meet me, dear one.”

“I am, (interesting that God the Father and Jesus both said of themselves, ‘I am’) said Aslan. – But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by Knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

Years later – after reading this, a little girl named Hila wrote Lewis asking hi to please tell her Aslan’s other name.

CS Lewis responded with some clues from the stories.

“I want you to guess. Has there ever been anyone in this world who…

- arrived at the same time as Father Christmas

- Said he was the son of the Great Emperor

- Gave himself up for someone else’s fault, to be jeered at and killed by wicked people,

- Came back to life again, and

- Is sometimes spoken of as a lamb (see the end of Dawn Trader)?

Don’t you really know His name in our world?

B. CS Lewis is saying: You know Aslan – You know Jesus!

- Who else came – was born – at Christmas time?

- Called himself the Son of God?

- Was killed by evil men for the sins, faults of others?

- Was raised from the dead and lives again?

- And was also known as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

It is Jesus.

CS Lewis, through the Chronicles of Narnia was using this Adventure Story to help us not only Know Aslan but also to Know Jesus!

C. Our passage today – John 1:1-18, is one of the greatest Christmas Accounts in Scripture. One of the reasons being is that this passage not only teaches us who is this Jesus but why He came and the importance of KNOWING HIM!

So what do we learn about KNOWING JESUS from this passage?

Body:

A. WE should get to know who is this Jesus, vs. 1-2, 14

- He is God – The Word = Logos – to both Hebrews and Greeks the Word was significant. To Hebrews the Word of meant fact, truth, reality (if the word was spoken it was truth); to the Greek, the Word meant the underlying reason, logic that controls and holds the universe together.

Jesus is all this.

- Vs. 14; Jesus the glory of Father – full of Grace and truth.

- That’s why Jesus can say; John 10:30; I and the Father are one. John 14:9; If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.

- Col. 2:9; “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

- Phil. 2:6; Christ Jesus, “who being in very nature God…” became a servant even to death.

B. WE should Know what Jesus came to do, vs. 3-4, 5, 9, 14, 18

- He came to bring life

- Vs. 5 He came to be the Light to show us the way.vs9

- Vs. 14; to dwell with us for awhile so that we might know Grace and Truth.

- Vs. 18; To make known to us all God the Father.

C. We should get to know Jesus through His Witnesses, vs. 6-9, 15

- His Witness was John – who was not the light, but came to testify about the Light.

Today, God places in your path Witnesses to share Jesus with you so that you might know Him and what He has done for you.

As Disciples of Christ – those of us who have already made a confession of Faith in Jesus, we are called to be His witnesses. The Pink Candle the Shepherds Candle is lit to remind us that we need to proclaim Christ to others, not just at Christmas but every day – even as the Shepherds did on that First Christmas.

- Who is a Witness of Christ to you.

- Who are you a Witness of Christ to?