The Lion's Story: October 16th

 

The Lion's Story

October 16th Devotional

Revelation 5:5

      On this day the “Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was published; this would be the first of seven different books encompassing the Chronicles of Narnia.  Narnia was the creation of C.S. Lewis, or as he was better known by his friends, Jack.  Lewis was an academic genius during his time.  He served as a professor at both Oxford and Cambridge, writing extensively.  He was also an agnostic and a critic of Biblical truth.  All of that changed in 1931.  It was in that year that Lewis miraculously trusted Christ as his Savior.  This dramatically changed his life.  His “Paul” like conversion sent waves through academia and his purpose in life changed from denying God to speaking about the existence of God.  He is considered one of the most proficient apologists of our time period.  His books Mere Christianity and The Screwtape letters are considered masterpieces in the Christian writing genre but none would compare with the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  The idea for the book came to Lewis when he was 16 years old.  He started to write about Narnia in 1939 but didn’t finish writing the book until 1949.  At the time fantasy literature was looked down on.  It was looked at as childish as best and one critic said that fantasy literature would damage young readers' minds.  Lewis's publisher, Geoffrey Bles also thought the book was going to be a complete flop.  Narnia literally opened the wardrobe for many young people’s love for reading.  We can recall the four Pevensie children who are sent to the English countryside to live with the professor because of the dangers of WW II.  It was there that Lucy entered a wardrobe during a game of hide and go-seek.  She found herself in the snow-covered woods, by the lamppost, being greeted by a friendly faun named Mr. Tumnus.  The story unfolds when all four Pevensie children enter Narnia only to discover it was under the curse of the White Witch named Jadis.  An epic battle ensues between her and the land’s creator, a Lion named Aslan.  Through a twist of fate, Aslan would lay down his life on the stone table in order to rescue Edmund, the brother who betrayed them to the witch.  You will have to read the story to find out the enchanting ending!  

      The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe launched a seven-book series that has sold millions of copies, brought forth multiple film renditions, and has stolen the heart of many a reader.  Lewis purposefully wrote the book as a Christian allegory, with Aslan, the lion, standing as a ‘type of Christ.’  The Bible refers to Christ as a Lion in Revelation 5:5 which says “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”  The Apostle John was given a vision of heaven while he was suffering as a prisoner on the island of Patmos.  It was here that woe-filled heaven because none of its occupants were able to open a scroll…everyone that is except for one.  There was in the midst of the heavenly host the Lion of Judah, the only one who was worthy to open the scrolls.  In verse nine we find that this lion was also the lamb of God who bled and died to ransom the people, buying them back from the clutches of sin.  This description can only refer to one person, Jesus Christ.  Christ is the Lion of Judah, which is a direct fulfillment of prophecy from Genesis 49.  The image of a lion here shows a leader who is powerful, who is a conqueror, who is victorious!  As Christians, we can rejoice that Christ isn’t just the Lamb of God but also the “Lion of God.”  He didn’t just die as a perfect unblemished Lamb, but He rose as a victorious Lion defeating sin, death, the grave, and Satan for us.  He still remains the Lion in our life, roaring out the echo that we are more than conquerors through Him.