A Christmas Movie

1 Samuel 24:6 – [David] said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord." (NIV)

During this year's Christmas season, the most awaited movie will not be Harry Potter's latest escapade. Instead, a well-loved book, written by C. S. Lewis and called, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", will be released on the big screen. I'm looking forward to seeing it, along with my two collegiate daughters, because, years ago, I used to read to them the Chronicles of Narnia at bedtime. From what I've seen of the movie trailers, the special effects are spectacular, and the producers have promised to keep true to C. S. Lewis' story.

There's one memorable moment in the book when the hero, the giant lion Aslan, is sacrificed on an ancient pagan altar. It seems as though evil will ultimately triumph and that everlasting winter will fall over the land. It's the bleakest event in the book, and I can remember that my daughters were both in tears when they heard of Aslan's death. They couldn't understand why the noblest character had to be killed, and for a whole night and a day, they mourned his passing.

The story, however, does not end with Aslan's death. The lion does, after all, represent Christ in the book, just as C. S. Lewis had planned. So the Lord's anointed, or in this case, the Lion King of all Narnia, is not permanently held captive to death, but undergoes a beautiful and almighty resurrection.

I hope that millions of Christians will take their friends and families to see the movie. I believe that C. S. Lewis would have urged us to do so, because the story of good triumphing over evil, of life resurrecting above death, will resonate in the hearts and minds of many people, and perhaps they will make a personal connection to Jesus Christ, the true Anointed One, the Messiah, the Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please bless this new movie, and let many unchurched people make the connection between the character Aslan and You within their hearts and minds. Give our church people the opportunity to use C. S. Lewis' story to talk about Your anointed ministry, Your supreme sacrifice, and Your victory over evil, sin, and death. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

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