2005 Narnia Advent Series – “Narnia: Creatures of Christmas”
1 John 3:8
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – December 24, 2005 (11:00pm)

Prayer Introduction: This Christmas season the sermons have been highlighting some of the Christian truths illustrated in C.S. Lewis first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series – The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – which has been made into a great movie.

So far we have looked at Aslan, the great Lion; who illustrates Jesus – called the “Lion of Judah” in Revelation 5:5. We then looked at the Deep Magic and Deeper Magic in the world of Narnia, which rescued young Edmund from the evil White Witch, illustrating how the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ saves us from Satan. Last Sunday, we celebrated the faith of the children of Narnia, illustrating the biblical truth of receiving the kingdom of God like children. And at the 7:00pm service we looked at the Narnian curse of, “Always Winter, Never Christmas” and what has changed because Christmas has come.

Tonight we are going to look at 1 John 3:8 – one verse – that is illustrated in the Christmas Creatures of Narnia. Your green insert contains the quotations from the book, as well as the Scriptures, to which I will refer. But before we begin let’s pray…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!

READ 1 John 3:8: This evening I would have you see this truth illustrated in the Narnian Creatures; Father Christmas; and as Peter Fights the White Witch.

I. Narnian Creatures

First I would have you see the Narnian Creatures. Many of them are described in Chapter 12 (entitled: Peter’s First Battle) – Aslan stood in the center of a crowd of creatures who had grouped themselves round him in the shape of a half-moon. There were Tree-Women there and Well-Women (Dryads and Naiads as they used to be called in our world) who had stringed instruments; it was they who had made the music. There were four great centaurs. The horse part of them was like huge English farm horses, and the man part was like stern but beautiful giants. There was also a unicorn, and a bull with the head of a man, and a pelican, and an eagle, and a great Dog. And next to Aslan stood two leopards of whom one carried his crown and the other his standard.

Narnia was filled with all types of creatures who served Aslan, just as there are all types of people who serve Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:28 resounds – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Of course the humanistic worldview grossly misinterprets this verse as saying that all people are equal in God’s eyes. Galatians 3:28 says that all who are in Christ are one in Christ; but there are still many who are not in Christ.

Aslan had creatures on his side, but the evil White Witch had creatures on her side as well. Chapter 14 (entitled: The Triumph of the Witch) describes them – Ogres with monstrous teeth, and wolves, and bull-headed men; spirits of evil trees and poisonous plants; and other creatures whom I won’t describe because if I did the grown-ups would probably not let you read this book.

In our world it is not always so easy to tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys” – that is, the believers from the unbelievers. We must look beyond the surface to the heart. And we must remember that God changes the heart. The last sentence of our passage from 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

There is a wonderful part of the book that describes all kinds of creatures that had been turned to stone and Aslan breathes on them and they are returned to life. In Ezekiel 11:19 the Lord says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Jesus uses the most unlikely people to accomplish his purpose – fisherman, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers – not to mention you and me – by changing hearts.

In the same way it is the most unlikely creatures that Aslan used to accomplish his purpose – talking fauns, stayrs, bears and foxes – not to mention talking beavers and four young children.

In Chapter 10 (entitled: The Spell Begins to Break) the children and the beavers are running from the Witch’s sleigh. Mr. Beaver peaks out of their hiding place to see which way the sleigh has gone and then he shouts – “Come out, Mrs. Beaver. Come out, Sons and Daughters of Adam. It’s all right! It isn’t Her!” This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia – in our world they usually don’t talk at all.

II. Father Christmas

We are given gifts to accomplish God’s great purpose – which brings us to the second illustration. In chapter 10, after the beaver tells the children to come out from their hiding place, this is what they see – And on the sledge sat a person whom everyone knew the moment they set eyes on him. He was a huge man in a bright red robe (bright as hollyberries) with a hood that had fur inside it and a great white beard that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest…Some of the pictures of Father Christmas in our world make him look only funny and jolly. But now that the children actually stood looking at him they didn’t find it quite like that. He was so big, and so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn. “I’ve come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The Witch’s magic is weakening.” And Lucy felt running through her that deep shiver of gladness which you only get if you are being solemn and still.

            Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas as he’s known– comes to bring the children gifts. “These are tools, not toys” he tells the children. To Peter he gives a sword and a shield. To Susan he gives a bow and arrow and a special horn, which when blown “help of some kind will come.” And to Lucy he gives a small dagger and a small bottle containing a juice which will restore anyone who is hurt. To each, a weapon for battle and a tool for protection.

            We are given gifts as well – spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 1:7 – “You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” Everyone who is in Christ is given a gift by the Holy Spirit. And 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

            What is your gift? Is it the gift of helping? Teaching? Mercy? Service? In our Sunday Evening and Wednesday Morning discipleship classes we were recently talking about our spiritual gifts. We realized that many people do not realize that there are natural gifts and then there are spiritual gifts.

            Just as we can develop natural gifts we can also develop spiritual gifts. You may have the spiritual gift of teaching, but just have spent no time developing that gift.

            We are all given gifts. We must first know what they are as defined in God’s Word (Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 are good places to start). We must then develop those gifts. Then we must use those gifts.

III. Peter Fights The White Witch

This brings us to our final illustration. Chapter 16 (entitled: What Happened About the Statues) tells about the final moments of the great battle between Aslan’s army and the Witch’s army – Peter’s army – which had their backs to her – looked terribly few. And there were statues dotted all over the battlefield, so apparently the Witch had been using her wand. But she did not seem to be using it now. She was fighting with her stone knife. It was Peter she was fighting – both of them going at it so hard that Lucy could hardly make out what was happening; she only saw the stone knife and Peter’s sword flashing so quickly that they looked like three knives and three swords.

            This actually struck me as I watched the movie more than it did when I first read the book. But as I watched, and then re-read, the fight between Peter and the Witch I saw it as a vivid illustration as the battle between the church and evil one.

            I’m not sure if C.S. Lewis intended Peter as an illustration of the Church – it is more typical of Roman Catholic doctrine (Peter as the first pope) – to think of Peter in this way; but it certainly fits.

            Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” We do this individually, but we also do this corporately.

            No one of us has all of the spiritual gifts, but as a church we do. So it is that we are called to stand together against the devil’s schemes. Not only do we need to identify, develop and use our spiritual gifts, we also need to identify, develop and use the full armor of God, which is – the “belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (cf. Ephesians 6:14-17).

            We are called to battle together against the evil one, but it is Jesus, Himself, who will ultimately destroy him. In Chapter 16 we read – “Off my back, children,” shouted Aslan. And they tumbled off. Then with a roar that shook all Narnia from the western lamppost to the shores of the eastern sea the great beast flung himself upon the White Witch. Lucy saw her face lifted toward him for one second with an expression of terror and amazement.

            1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Jesus has come and he has destroyed the devil’s work. From the fall we became children of the devil, dead in our sins. It is the work of Christ on the cross that gives us life – crucifying the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:24-25 says – “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

We have become the Creatures of Christmas through the power of Christ at work within us. You have been set free from Satan’s grasp. You have been set free from sin’s chains. You have been given the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and the full armor of God. Use what you have been given to join with the church in the battle.

MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!