Narnia: The Stone Table Series

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been talking about Finding God in Narnia. We’ve been looking at The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – either the movie or the book – and we’ve been drawing out of them some Christian themes that we can learn from. Two weeks ago we look at one of the title characters… the Lion, Aslan… and we saw that in the land of Narnia the lion represented Jesus. In Narnia, we’re told that Aslan is on the move, and we discover that with him comes hope and goodness and power and salvation. And it’s the same with Jesus… He is also on the move and He brings hope and goodness and power and salvation for each of us.

Last week, we focused in on the land of Narnia itself. As C.S. Lewis describes in the book, Narnia is a land where it is always winter and never Christmas. And so we talked about what it would be like if it really were never Christmas. What if that first Christmas never happened? What if Jesus had never come to earth as a baby? How would this world be different? And the main thing we saw was that if Jesus had never come, we would still be lost to our sinfulness. But He did come, and He came to offer us freedom and new life and peace with God and a second chance.

And during these past two weeks, I’ve done a pretty good job of not spoiling the movie for you. Well, all that’s about to change. This message this morning does contain spoilers. So if you’re planning on seeing the movie or reading the book, and if you don’t want to know the climax, then leave now or forever hold your peace. None of us will think less of you or be offended. Well, we will, but we’ll get over it.

Let’s review. The story begins with four young children discovering a wardrobe which is actually an entrance into another world… the world of Narnia. Peter is the eldest, Susan is next, then Edmund, and little Lucy. And shortly after the enter Narnia, they learn that the land is under a curse. For 100 years, the White Witch Jadis has ruled the land, and during that entire time it has been a cold, bleak place. It has been a land where it is always winter, never Christmas. The land is populated by talking animals and all sorts of mystical and mythical creatures… some on the side of the evil Jadis, and some on the side of Aslan. Aslan was the true king of the land, but had been absent for a long time. But word has spread that “Aslan is on the move.” He is returning, and when he arrives, all will be set right again.

But something terrible happens. Edmund betrays his brother and his sisters. We’ll talk about how and why next week, but what you need to know right now is that Edmund chooses to side with the White Witch, a mistake which he recognizes is a mistake only too late. And he is trapped by the White Witch. And the Witch uses Edmund against the others. So it was up to the others to rescue him.

And so they do… kind of. Aslan sends his forces after the White Witch and frees Edmund and brings him back to their camp. But there’s more to it than that. Shortly after this happens, the White Witch comes to Aslan’s camp to meet with him and demands that Edmund be returned to her. Listen to what happened when they met…

“Have you forgotten the Deep Magic?” asked the Witch.

“Let us say I have forgotten it,” answered Aslan gravely. “Tell us of this Deep Magic.”

“Tell you?” said the Witch, her voice growing suddenly shriller. “Tell you what is written on that very Table of Stone which stands beside us? Tell you what is written in letters deep as a spear is long on the fire-stones on the Secret Hill? Tell you what is engraved on the scepter of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea? You at least know the Magic which the Emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning. You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill… And so that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property... unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water.”

“It is very true,” said Aslan, “I do not deny it.”

And she was right. Not even Aslan could ignore the Deep Magic. In Narnia, the Deep Magic referred to spiritual laws or spiritual realities, and nothing could be done to change them. They had to be honoured. Edmond, a son of Adam, had betrayed his brother and sisters as well as Aslan. He was a traitor, and because of a decree from the dawn of time, the White Witch had rightful claim on any traitor. Edmund was her property.