The Melting Snow...Hope is Insight

One of my favorite parts in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is when Edmund (who is captured by the White Witch) recognizes that her powers are declining.

“Now they were steadily racing on again. And soon Edmund noticed that the snow which splashed against them as they rushed through it was much wetter than it had been last night…And his heart gave a great leap when he realized that the frost was over.”

Aslan, by returning to Narnia, broke the White Witch spell. This is good news for Edmund. Edmund is currently captured by the White Witch because he betrayed his brothers and sisters. Because of his “sin” he became a slave to the Witch. He is traveling with the Witch as she is looking for his siblings to kill them. Edmund is tired and feels horrible and guilty for betraying his family. He believed he was utterly hopeless as he traveled with the dark, twisted Witch in the freezing winter. The White Witch had total power over Edmund.

Edmund, by his own sin and short coming, got himself in this hopeless situation. But in the middle of their travels He sees signs of spring. Which could only mean one thing…“Aslan is on the move”. This statement brought hope to all of Narnia. In the Narnia series, Aslan is called “the true king…the Son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-sea…Great Lion of Narnia, the ruler of all Narnia” Narnians have been waiting for the day that Aslan would come and get rid of the White Witch and the hundred years of winter would be over. Edmund now he had hope—“Aslan is on the move”. Maybe Aslan could save him and his siblings?

I can relate this to the story of Israel (what a shock)—God’s chosen people. They went from a close relationship with God to having their hearts go cold. They turned their backs to God. They went astray. God knew His people would fall short. He planned to send a Savior to them. Israel was waiting to be redeemed. Instead of finding hope in “Aslan is on the move” they found it in “the Messiah is coming”. Jesus Christ is known as the Lion of Judah, King of kings, the Son of God, and the ruler of all. Are you starting to see the parallel between this fictional, beloved children’s story and the very REAL story of Christmas. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is so powerful because it is our story. We have all been in the place of Edmund. We have been slaves to sin, lost and helpless. But, Hallelujah, Jesus Christ came at Christmas to offer us new life and hope, to free us from Satan and sin.

Just like when Aslan arrives the dark magic on Narnia begins to break and spring appears—When Jesus was born on Christmas the curse of sin and the power of Satan over us began to break. 1 John 3:8 says “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work”

Yet, the Witch is fighting the truth that her power is beginning to fade. She tries to make it so Edmund can’t see that winter is beginning to turn to spring. C.S Lewis writes, “This didn’t prevent Edmund from seeing. Only five minutes later did he notice a dozen crocuses growing around the foot of an old tree—gold and purple and white”.

This is SO typical Satan. He knows. He understands that now Christ is born and He has absolutely no power anymore. His power is all illusions. Making us believe the lies that He has power over our lives. But my friends let me warn you. Satan is VERY good at this. He is a master of illusions. The last thing Satan wants is for us to have hope. For us to realize that we are no longer slaves to him or sin. Praise the Lord that we have a Savior who can make the blind see. Who can open our eyes to the lies and illusions of Satan.

This reminds me of the first part of the Christmas song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel and God rest ye Merry Gentlemen.

“Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here--Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!”

“This day is born a Savior. Of a pure Virgin bright,To free all those who trust in Him--From Satan's power and might.O tidings of comfort and joy”

Christmas is the arrival of hope, of the long awaited Savior. It is the start of Satan losing His power over us. (It wasn’t till Christ work on the cross that we were completely set free from Satan’s power and sin). Christmas is when the melting began.

I love the metaphor for snow melting that C.S Lewis uses in this book. It reminds me that God has the power to transform a cold heart, bit by bit, into a burning heart for Him. This is a truth for both believers and non-believers. God can transform even the most committed, firm standing atheist into a Christ believer who leads thousands to salvation (example: Acts 8-9 the story of Saul turned Paul). However, even as current followers of Christ, I can promise you that you’ll go through a season of winter. Just like you can count on the changing of the seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. You will go through trials and tough times that will feel like “winter”. But, remember we have the hope of Christmas. We can hold on to the promise that winter brings Christmas. CHRISTmas dwells within us. In the middle of long, cold, and dark days we can find warmth, joy, and love. Hold on to the promise that after the season of winter; spring will surely come. When the snow in Narnia melts, it is an allusion to how winter in our hearts gives way to a spring time of faith.

Oh what joy to know Aslan and Jesus are on their way to bring light and hope to these two worlds. But, things are far from over. Actually our Christmas story has only just begun. Check out next post December 20th to find out the rest…