Authorship: The Chronicles of
Narnia were written by C.S. Lewis, a Christian English professor at
Oxford College in England. The first volume was published in 1950 and was a
story meant to remind us of the greatest story of all, the Bible.
Setting 1940, England, just prior
to World War Two
Discussion
Points
* (0:3:30) “The servants will take these [luggage]. That is
their function. One must not deprive people of their function. Everyone has
their part to play.”
People do not now, nor have they ever, seen servants in a
very esteemed light. We view servants as being of a lower status than those
whom they serve. We don’t want to serve. We want to be served. But, as
Christians, we understand that one type of person or one type of job is not
really more important than another, that we need everyone and every type of
role to function to our fullest capacity.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
– 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same
Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same
Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God
works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1Corinthians
12:12-21 – 12The body is a unit, though it is made up of
many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is
with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one
body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit
to drink. 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of
many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand,
I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be
part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I
am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason
cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye,
where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would
the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts
in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If
they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is,
there are many parts, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the
hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet,
"I don't need you!"
Christians should also understand what it means to take the
nature of a servant:
Jesus’ disciples had been arguing about which one of them
deserved the most respect and authority.
Matthew 20:25-28
- 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise
authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants
to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever
wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many."
John 13:1-5
- 1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the
time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved
his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2The
evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas
Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the
Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and
was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his
outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After
that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet,
drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
John 13:12-15
- 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his
clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for
you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and
'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do
as I have done for you.
Just as Jesus, the God of the whole universe, takes it upon
Himself to serve us and to die for us, so we also should follow His example and
be willing to serve each other. Those who serve others are most like Jesus.
* (0:11:00) Tumnus calls Lucy a “daughter of Eve” because
she is a human. When God created the earth, He made one man.
Genesis 2:7 –
“The Lord God formed the man [Adam] from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:18 –
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a
helper suitable for him.’”
Genesis 2:21-22
– “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was
sleeping, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then
the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He
brought her to the man.”
Genesis 3:20 –
“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the
living.”
God then made Adam a woman, named Eve, to be his wife. From
these two people, came all the humans that are alive today. We’re all one big
family, with our great-great…grandparents being Adam and Eve.
* (0:16:00) Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are sent into
the boring country to live with a boring old professor in a boring old house. But,
as we come to find out, things are not at all what they seem. As soon as Lucy
discovers the passage into Narnia, her life goes from being boring to being
exciting, from ordinary to magical. We can see this same kind of change in our
own lives. We see the world around us and assume that this is all that there
is. But, as Christians, we know that there is much more to life than just what
we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands. There is another side of
life, the spiritual side, that we can enter, that can change our lives to make
them more exciting, more adventurous, more fulfilling. Just as the children
entered into Narnia, so God invites us into this spiritual side of life:
John 7:24 – Jesus
says,“Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment.”
Things are not always as they appear.
1 Corinthians 2:7-9
– “We speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God
destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age
understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory. However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
This spiritual life has been hidden from us before, but now
we can enter into it. Some people do not understand it, but now we can, and if
we are willing to enter into this spiritual life with God, God promises that it
will be more incredible than anything that we could ever imagine. Jesus says in John 10:10 – “I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full.”
* (0:20:45) Mr. Tumnus pretended to be Lucy’s friend
because he was working for the White Witch. But then Mr. Tumnus had a change of
heart. He was sorry that he had been working for the White Witch and turned
away from the wrong that he had to serve her. The Bible says that we’re all
like Mr. Tumnus before we come to know Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:16
- 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to
obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are
slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to
righteousness?
Matthew 12:30 –
Jesus says, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me.”
We can work for sin or we can work for God, we can be
slaves to sin or we can be slaves to God, we can be with Jesus, or we can be
against Jesus. Before we come to know Jesus, we’re all slaves to sin, working
for the devil, against Jesus. But when we realize our sin, God gives us the
opportunity to feel sorry for it and to turn away from it (repent).
1 Corinthians 7:10
– “Godly sorrow leads to repentance which leads to salvation.”
* (0:25:30)The first thing that Lucy does when she gets
back from her visit to Narnia is to try to tell the other children what she has
experienced. Of course, the other three children, not having experienced what
she has, do not believe her and even make fun of her. Lucy gets frustrated that
they do not believe her, but she knows what she has seen, and she sticks to the
truth of her experience. After we have experienced the spiritual side of life,
the first thing that we want to do is invite others to share that experience
with us, but many people do not believe it when we tell them about it. The only
thing that we can do is to hold firmly to the truth that we have experienced
and to pray for and keep talking to those people who don’t believe us.
Matthew 5:10-12
- 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed
are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.
Matthew 5:44
- 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you
*(0:38:10)Edmund, after finding himself in Narnia, comes
face to face with the White Witch. She acts nicely toward him, offers him
things, pretends to be his friend, but the Witch also demands that Edmund do
certain things for her and it is obvious that the Witch does not really care
for Edmund.
2 Corinthians 11:14
– “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
Just as the Witch acted nicely toward Edmund, so Satan can
pretend to be an angel. The devil acts friendly toward us and tells us what we
want to hear, but that doesn’t mean that we can believe him.
John 8:44 – The
devil has no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he
is a liar and the father of lies.
He only acts friendly toward us and lies to us so that
we’ll do what he wants us to do.
Just as the White Witch offered Edmund to be king of
Narnia, so the devil tempted Jesus. Luke
4:5-8 - 5The devil led him up to a high place and showed
him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said
to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been
given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you
worship me, it will all be yours." 8Jesus answered, "It is
written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"
Satan can offer us Turkish Delight or kingdoms, power or
money, but it’s not worth it. It won’t last. The only thing that matters is
worshipping God.
Mark 8:36
- 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit his soul?
Have you ever wondered why the White Witch is so White? She’s
pale. When do people get really pale? When they’re sick or dead. The White
Witch is dead. She is dead spiritually. She has no life in her.
*(0:46:30)The professor says that nothing is more probable
than that other worlds exist. Do you think it’s probable that other worlds with
life exist? Do you think God created other planets to have life on them? If God
is infinite, why limit Himself to just earth? If God created millions of
different kinds of animals on this planet, why not create a few more somewhere
else? If God created black and tan and white and red and yellow people here,
why wouldn’t He create blue people somewhere else? Just something to think
about.
*(1:10:00)The Beavers begin to describe Aslan to the
children. They say that He is a lion. In the Bible, God is referred to as being
a Lion.
Revelation 5:5
- 5Then 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."
Hosea 5:14-15
- 14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great
lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off,
with no one to rescue them.15 Then I will go back to my place
until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they
will earnestly seek me."
What are some of the reasons you think the Bible would call
God a Lion? What does a lion have in common with God? Strength, power, etc.
The movie also says that people should be afraid of Aslan,
afraid of God. Why do you think people are or should be afraid of God? He’s
strong enough to hurt you. He can discipline you.
The third thing that the Beavers say about Aslan is that
He’s not safe. He is not tame. Neither can we tame God. God is in control of
us, not us in control of God. Neither is God safe. Sometimes God has to hurt us
so that He can help us. Sometimes God makes us give up a sin, something wrong
that we’re doing, something that we don’t want to give up, something that might
hurt to give up so that we can be better people. Sometimes God takes away a
friend or a member of a family so that we can learn to trust Him better.
*(1:21:00)Notice how Edmund’s conscience keeps warning him,
keeps telling him that what he is doing is wrong. Does your conscience ever
speak to you? Do you listen to it? If you don’t, you’ll probably end up in
trouble like Edmund’s about to. God gives us our conscience to help us.
*(1:46:00)Why do you think it was always winter in Narnia
when the White Witch was in control?
Romans 8:19-22
- 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God
to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected
it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from
its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of
God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
The Bible says that the whole creation is frustrated, is in
bondage to decay, is groaning in the pains of childbirth. Genesis 3:17-18 tells us why that is - 17 To
Adam God said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the
ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of
your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
The ground never used to be cursed. It never produced
thorns and thistles before. But what happened? Adam and Eve sinned. And because
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, the whole world suffers for it.
Did you know that animals never used to eat each other
until Adam and Eve sinned? The Bible says that the animal kingdom will have
peace again in Heaven. Isaiah 11:6-9
- 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down
with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little
child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The
infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand
into the viper's nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the
LORD as the waters cover the sea.
*(1:48:30)When we first see Aslan, He has some pretty
strange-looking animals with Him. God also has pretty strange-looking creatures
that are with him.
Ezekiel 1:4-14
- 4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the
north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant
light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and
in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their
form was that of a man, 6 but each of them had four faces
and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet
were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under
their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them
had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched one
another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. 10 Their
faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the
right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each
also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces.
Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing
of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12 Each
one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without
turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living
creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and
forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of
it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of
lightning.
Revelation 4:6-8
- 6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of
glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living
creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The
first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had
a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of
the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around,
even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
*(2:19:00)Traitors are the rightful property of the Queen. Our
parallel is that all sinners are the rightful property of the devil. Alsan does
not deny this. God knows that all sinners, anyone who has ever done anything
wrong, go to the devil. The consequence of our sin is being put to death.
Genesis 2:15-17 – 15 The
LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man,
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you
eat of it you will surely die."
Genesis 3:17-19
- 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your
wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of
it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will
eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce
thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By
the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will
return."
Did you know that before Adam and Eve sinned, they would
never have to die? They only died because they did what God told them not to
do. That was the consequence. Now we all return to the dust from which we were
made.
Romans 6:21-23
– 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you
are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now
that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit
you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Death is the consequence of our sin. But this verse says
that even though we have sinned, God gives us the gift of eternal life in Jesus
Christ. If we believe in Jesus, we don’t have to die.
*Just as Edmund was afraid when the Witch demanded his
blood, so are we afraid when the devil comes to take us. But did you notice how
Edmund kept looking toward Aslan for help, to protect him from the Witch? So we
look to God to save us from the devil.
Psalm 105:4
- 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face
always.
2 Samuel 22:2-3
- 2 He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my
deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my
shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my
savior— from violent men you save me.
God is the One who saves us, which is what Aslan did for
Edmund. Edmund sinned, and the consequence of that was that he had to die. But Aslan
made a deal with the Witch. He traded Himself for Edmund. Instead of Edmund
being put to death, Alsan died in his place. It’s just like when we sin, we
have to die, but God, in his mercy, allows us to make a trade. In the Old
Testament, when someone sinned, they had to bring an animal to the priest and
have it put to death. They had to make a sacrifice. The animal died so that the
person didn’t have to yet. When Jesus died on the cross, He became our
sacrifice. Instead of us being put to death for our sins, Jesus allowed Himself
to be put to death in our place.
*Just like Aslan was sad about what He had to do, so was
Jesus. And just as Aslan was happy to have Susan and Lucy with Him for part of
the way, so Jesus took some of his friends with Him to keep Him company.
Matthew 26:36-38
- 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called
Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and
pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along
with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he
said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
Stay here and keep watch with me."
*Just as Aslan did not resist or try to argue when the
monsters were killing Him, neither did Jesus try to stop His death.
Isaiah 53:7
- 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open
his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
*And as Aslan died for Edmund, so Jesus died for all of
us.
Isaiah 53:5
- 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
1 John 2:2
- 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Colossians 1:13-14
- 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and
brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we
have redemption the forgiveness of sins.
*But not only does Jesus give us forgiveness for our sins;
He has also defeated the concept of death itself so that, just as Jesus could
not stay dead, neither will we stay dead.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
- 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to
the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred
of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some
have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one
abnormally born.
1 Thessalonians
4:13-18 - 13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no
hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we
believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in
him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we
who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly
not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord
himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each
other with these words.
1 Corinthians
15:50-58 -
50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all
sleep, but we will all be changed—
52in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead
will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For the perishable
must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality.
54When 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."
55"Where,
O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
[b] 56The sting of death is
sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore,
my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves
fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.
*(2:26:30)Aslan’s breath brings the statues back to life. This
reminds us of how God breathed into the first human being to bring him to life.
Genesis 2:7
- 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a
living being.
*As the forces of good battle the forces of evil, we have
to remember that we are also fighting every day.
*(2:31:30) Ephesians
6:10-18 - 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his
mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate
of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to
all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
*(2:34:30) Now that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the
kings and queens of Narnia, the prophecy has been fulfilled. God gives us many
prophecies in the Bible, some of which have already been fulfilled, like the
coming of Jesus, but some have not yet happened. Why do you think God gives us
prophecies?
Amos 3:7-8
- 7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without
revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. 8 The
lion has roared— who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken— who can but
prophesy?
John 14:29
- 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does
happen you will believe.
God tells us what He is going to happen so that when it
happens we can see it and will believe in Him because He obviously knew what He
was talking about and the power to make things happen the way that He wanted
them to happen.
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