“The Lion’s Roar”
Lessons from Narnia
FCC – November 20, 2005
Introduction: Today we are going to start a 3 week sermon series introducing Narnia. We are preaching these sermons in preparation for the release of the movie, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” a classic allegory by C. S. Lewis. C. S. Lewis is considered one of the greatest Christian thinkers of our century and wrote the Narnia fantasy series that has sold more than 85 million books in 29 different languages.
The Chronicles of Narnia is a 7 book series that follows the adventure of some English children who discover another world—the magical land of Narnia. The story of the first book in the series, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” goes something like this: Four children, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund discover Narnia through a special wardrobe. They discover a new land filled with talking animals…the land is under the White Witch’s spell. In this land, it is “always winter and never Christmas.” The redemption of Narnia is prophesied and it corresponds with the arrival of the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve…this was the sign that Aslan was near.
One of the children, Edmund, falls under the White Witch’s spell and is sentenced to death by the Witch. The only hope for Edmund and Narnia is Aslan the great Lion. Aslan lays down His life for Edmund, dying in his place. Aslan is then resurrected and His resurrection breaks the power of sin and death in Narnia, and the children lead an army to defeat the evil Witch and restore Narnia to a new golden age.
Near the end of the series, Aslan tells the children that they would have to return to their world, and they are 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?’
‘But you shall meet me, dear one,’ said Aslan.
‘Are—are you there too, Sir?’ said Edmund.
‘I am,’ said Aslan, ‘But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.’”
It is for this reason that I get excited about a movie…and will take some preaching time to interpret this classic allegory that is coming to the big screen. The redemption of Narnia and the end of the White Witch was prophesied:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be know more
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again (Chapter 8).
By the way, Aslan is Turkish for Lion. He roars in the land of Narnia. In the same way, the metaphor of lion is used all through Scripture to describe God and His roar makes the nations tremble. Hosea 11: 10 says:
They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.
I believe that the Lord would have us revisit this classic tale of Narnia to reawaken the truths of Scripture fresh and anew. I believe that those of us who have grown apathetic, indifferent to the power of the gospel, or have taken the story of Jesus for granted, need to hear “The Lion’s Roar” this morning. How does the lion roar?…First he roars with…
1. A HOLY ROAR. In C. S. Lewis’ story, the children spend a day in Narnia with the talking beavers. They learn more about the land of Narnia. They learn that the land is under a magic spell by the White Witch, but things are changing…Mr. Beaver says, “The say Aslan is on the move-perhaps he has already landed.”
“And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different…At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in his inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer. (Chapter 7)”
At the very name of Aslan each of the children’s heart’s started pounding and they all felt different. Job’s friend Elihu describes God this way in Job 37:1-5 (NIV): "At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”
When was the last time your hear God’s holy roar and your heart started pounding, and He unleashed His voice, holding nothing back. Many have grown apathetic, struggling for their lives to change. We assume God will understand our lack of un-forgiveness, our personal struggle with lust or greed, and our casual indifference to Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with others. So we grow callous and don’t move too quickly to change. If a lion were to come into this room this morning roaring, it would get your attention like nobodies business. You would move quickly to change! I believe this morning with all my heart that God wants to unleash His majestic roar in a new and fresh way, to capture your attention and get you to change. His is a holy roar.
As the children prepare to meet Aslan, Lucy the youngest asks, “Is—is he a man?” “Aslan a man! Said Mr. Beaver sternly…Aslan is a lion-THE Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous meeting a lion.” “That you will dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King. I tell you.” (Chapter 8)
God isn’t safe. He is a roaring lion and He demands our attention and our allegiance. Philip. 2:10 (NIV) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, God’s roar, is a holy roar. It’s also…
2. A LOVING ROAR. Jesus tells us in John 15: 13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” In the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of the children, Edmund, comes under the witch’s spell and is a traitor to Aslan and Narnia. Even the witch is aware of the consequences of Edmund’s behavior. She describes a deep magic which is really the deep law of the land. She say, “Every traitor belongs to me as lawful prey and that for 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…unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water.” (Chapter 13).
Even Aslan, the Son couldn’t work against the Law of the Father and save Edmund…blood had to be shed. Aslan then agrees to take Edmunds place. The Witch asked Aslan how would she know if He would keep His promise, and the response of Aslan is powerful, “‘Wow!’ roared Aslan half rising from his throne; and his great mouth opened wider and wider and wider and the roar grew louder and louder, and the Witch, after staring for a moment with her lips wide apart, picked up her skirts and fairly ran for her life.” (Chapter 13)
Even in lovingly laying down His life, He doesn’t lose His power or His ability to terrorize evil. He frightens the White Witch and then surrenders to her. Then there are some humiliating that take place. Aslan is taunted, his mane is cut, he is called names, and they put a muzzle on him. He is eventually placed on a stone table and killed by the White Witch in payment for the Emperor’s Law and for the traitor Edmund. Aslan laid down his life for Edmund and for all of Narnia. Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
The roar of love ends up on the cross when Jesus said, “It is finished!!!” All of sin is paid for! There is no more need for a sacrifice. That roar from the cross is still echoing through the ages, and through out the entire universe. Do you hear it? Have you grown cold to it’s power.
I love the vision that John had in Revelation with a scroll and seven seals. He was upset because no one was worthy to open the scroll held by Almighty God. John was given comfort in: Rev. 5:5 (NIV) Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.
The Lion of Judah is worthy…He is able to give you and me life! His roar of love can warm the coldest hearts…and revive the most apathetic spirit. His roar says that He is passionate for you! Are you passionate and sold out for the Lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ. His is a loving roar…it’s also…
3. A WINNING ROAR. The heart of the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, and was resurrected defeating death once and for all. Death could not keep Christ in the grave. 1 Cor. 15:3-4 (NIV) say, For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..
Narnia tells the same story about Aslan. Death can’t keep Aslan down, because we learn that there is a deeper magic, a deeper law that the White Witch knew nothing about. This is how Aslan describes it to the children: “…there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned…she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would starting working backwards (Chap. 15)
So the Stone Table cracks, just like the Temple Veil is torn from top to botton in the Temple in the Gospels. Aslan is resurrected and soon after He gives this explanation to the children: “I feel I am going to roar. You had better put your fingers in your ears…And Aslan stood up and when he opened his mouth to roar his face became so terrible that they did not dare to look at it. And they saw all the trees in front of him bend before the blast of his roaring as grass bends in a meadow before the wind.” (Chapter 15)
Paul writes this about Jesus’ death and resurrection: 1 Cor. 15:54-57 (NIV)
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only does Jesus defeat sin and death with the cross and the resurrection, His roar defeats Satan, His adversary…If you want to read in detail how Jesus battles and defeats His enemies, take some time to read Revelation 19 and 20. Aslan defeats the White Witch in the same way…
“Then with a roar that shook all Narnia from the Western lamp-post to the shores of the Eastern sea the great beast flung himself upon the White Witch. Lucy saw her face lifted towards him for one second with an expression of terror and amazement…” (Chapter 15) His roar is a winning roar.
Conclusion: Joel 3:16 (NIV) The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Jesus Christ wants to roar into your life. It’s a holy roar, it’s a loving roar, and it’s a winning roar. How will you respond the Lion in this room: with apathy or indifference? Do you understand that the Lion is here…He wants to roar into your life! He Roars so you would take sin seriously and conform to His holiness…He Roars so you would take His love seriously and love others. He Roars so you would realize when all is said and done Jesus Christ wins and reigns and you would have the courage to join the battle.
How will you respond to the roar of the Lion?
