“ALWAYS WINTER, NEVER CHRISTMAS”
The Chronicles of Christmas - Week 2
Genesis 3:1-6 & 1 Corinthians 10:13
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERMON: (After :32 video intro)
If you were to write a story, how would it begin? Most of the world’s greatest stories begin, or at least are set up early on, a painful reality: The world is not as it should be. Cinderella has a wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Hansel and Gretel are driven by starvation to the house of the wicked witch. Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother has been killed by the Big Bad Wolf. The Hobbit’s peaceful world is turned upside down by the discovery of the “one ring.” Why do so many stories begin that way? It’s simple: The world is not as it should be and hasn’t been from very early on in the story of mankind. The world wars, marriages fall apart, children quarrel, politicians, even priests and preachers betray our trust. The world is not as it should be. “All creation is subjected to frustration... and groans to be set free from slavery and decay.” (Rom. 8:20-21 GW)
In C.S. Lewis’ story, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the magical world of Narnia is not as it should be either. It always winter in Narnia, cold and desolate. But not only is it always winter, it is never Christmas! How did Narnia become so cold? There is an evil witch in the story. Her name is Jadis and she is white, not with the whiteness of purity but with the paleness of death. And we learn early on in the story, and in the movie, that because of her... Narnia is not as it should be.
Video Clip - White Witch - 1:00 mpeg - From Super Trailer
As we continue in our series, using this beloved story as a springboard to Biblical truth, we want to look at the seedier side of Narnia. But in doing so we also want to look at the reality of life: things are not as they should be. So this morning let’s see the truth of evil, how evil operates in our lives through temptation and most importantly how there is hope because of Christmas and God’s help.
I. THE TRUTH: Evil Exists
Let’s begin by seeing how the White Witch entered and cursed Narnia, because Lewis’ story has some close correlation to how the Bible says that evil entered our world. In order to understand how Jadis ruined Narnia you have to read the prequel to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, entitled, The Magician’s Nephew. In that first story a young boy by the name of Digory (who by the way, is Professor Kirke in LWW), awakens Jadis by ringing a magical bell. Jadis, had already destroyed her world Charn, because she was jealous of her good sister. But once awakened she starts wreaking havoc. She ends up coming into the world of Narnia just after Aslan, the great King, has created it. In fact, Aslan says to Digory and to His creation, “Before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has entered it; waked and brought here by this son of Adam... And as Adam’s race has done the harm, Adam’s race shall help to heal it.”(MN pg. 80) And so a counterfeit Queen, comes and Narnia is not as it should be.
Now, I want us to see just how similar the way evil entered Narnia is to the Bible’s rendition of how evil entered our world. The story of Creation and how Satan, the counterfeit “king,” came into this new, clean world, not long after the seven days in which it was formed, is described for us in Genesis, chapter 1.
Now, let me pause here for a moment and say something to those of you who may be here just checking this “God thing” out. Maybe you’re not sure about this, or you have come to see if church could be any different than what you experienced as a child & you’re just in a seeking mode. First, let me tell you that we are thrilled that you are here. This church was started with you in mind. There are others here that came here for much the same reason you have and have come to view life from a very different perspective. But for those of you who are “seeking” I want to tell you that what we are about to discuss may be the kind of thing that makes you at first think, “See this is why I don’t come to church. They are going to try and make me believe that God created the earth, which isn’t very scientific is it? And that some talking snake, which I know is not scientific, came in and ruined everything.” I want to put your mind at ease. I am not going to try and convince or make you believe this. What I will say is this. “We, as a church, believe it. Because we believe the Bible to be God’s accurate rendition of history. If we didn’t believe it, we wouldn’t teach it.” And this morning I just want to simply tell you what the Bible says about this topic. It’s interesting to me that the Bible never defends itself. It just assumes our belief in God, the perfect good, and in Satan, the prideful bad. And I believe, for believer and seeker alike, there are lessons here for us.
Okay. The Bible teaches that the world was created in seven days. Day one through seven He made the earth and all who live in it. Mankind was created on the sixth day. The first couple, Adam and Eve, lived in perfection. They walked personally with God, they had a perfect job, a perfect relationship. There were no arguments, no storms, no disease. The world was exactly as it should be. But into this perfect place came a creature that destroyed perfection and brought sin, ugliness and death. And the world was not as it should be. Who exactly was this creature?
The Bible teaches us that Satan or the Devil came into our world as an evil being. The word devil means "accuser." The word Satan means "adversary." Satan is a supernatural adversary who seeks to slander and accuse man and destroy the works of God. Now, a lot of people today have difficulty believing in a literal devil. Because immediately when we talk about the devil it conjures up the image of a grotesque being or one dressed in a red suit with horns, a tail and a pitchfork. I think one of Satan’s greatest accomplishments is that he has made himself look so gross or so ludicrous that no thinking person would believe in him. A number of people think of Satan as the personification of evil. Like Uncle Sam’s the personification of patriotism the devil is the representation of all evil. But if you take a light approach to him then you take a view that is different from the Bible.
The writers in the Bible took him very seriously. Ezk. 28:12-19 & Isa.14:12-15 indicate that Satan, originally Lucifer, had a prideful rebellion against God in the heavenly realm and was cast out of heaven along with about 1/3 of the angels that were his followers, his angels are called demons. The N.T. writers took the devil seriously. Ephesians 6:11-12 says, “Put 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...”(NLT) The Bible teaches us that Jesus encountered the Devil early in his ministry: “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, 2 where the Devil tempted him for forty days.” In our second point we will talk about this temptation, because it is the Devil’s tactics. But for now I just want us to identify how evil came into our world. It came through a being named, Satan, who came in the form of a serpent or snake. In fact, there are 140 references in the Bible in 26 different books that refer to Satan as a literal supernatural adversary. Revelation 20:1 says, “I saw an angel coming down from heaven... He grabbed the dragon, that old snake who was first in the Garden, the Devil, Satan himself, and tied him up...” (SEB)
Now, there are some similarities that I find interesting between Lewis’ White Witch and the Bible’s description of Satan. For example, the white witch curses creation. (1) We are told throughout the LWW that the witch has made Narnia “always winter, never Christmas.” The land is under her curse. 1 John 5:9 says, “We know that we belong to God, but the whole world is under the curse of the devil.”(SEB)
Not only do we need Christmas, Jesus’ first coming, but we also need His eventual return in order to set things right. But we’re not alone, the whole creation longs for that day. (2) She rebels against all rules and any ruler. In The Magician’s Nephew Jadis says to Digory, “You must learn child, that what would be wrong for you or any of the common people is not wrong for such a queen as I.” (MN pg.42) So too does the Devil. Talking about him Isa. 14:13-14 reads: “You said to yourself, “I’ll climb to heaven.
I’ll set my throne over the stars of God... 14 I’ll climb to the top of the clouds. I’ll take over as King of the Universe!”(3) She is a counterfeit ruler. When Peter inquires of his sister Lucy, who the white witch is, Lucy replies: “She isn’t a real queen at all, she’s a horrible witch, the White Witch... She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”(LWW Pg.136) And although Satan would like us to think that He is in charge 2 Thess. 2:9-10 tells us he uses all kinds of counterfeit treachery to deceive many. (4) The White Witch is a destroyer of life. In the book, the White Witch turns creatures into stone and it’s what she wants to do to the children. After destroying every living thing in the world of Charn in The Magicians Nephew she says, “Don’t you understand? They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will. I let them live, or I make them die!” (MN Pg. 42) And so she destroyed Charn and destroys life in Narnia. Satan is of the exact same mold. Jesus told the truth about him in John 8:44: “The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never told the truth.” (GW)
So, the truth is, our world is not as it should be because evil exists. Satan was the one who, through his schemes, brought storms, disease, arguments, crime, every evil thing into this world. But how? What were his tactics?
II. THE TACTICS: Tasty Tidbits of Temptation
In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Narnia is not as it should be but that’s not the worst part of the story. The four children, “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve,” are not all as they should be. Edmund, the youngest boy, is the first to meet the White Witch. She knows about this prophecy that four humans will come and help Aslan, the King, restore Narnia so she wants to find them and kill them before they can even meet Aslan. So, when she meets Edmund she pampers him with flattery and with candy: Turkish Delight.
Video Clip - Turkish Delight mpeg - :42
Now, I want you to notice some of her tactics to Edmund because they are the same as Satan used on the real Adam and Eve and still uses on us.
(1) Temptation clouds your judgement. The White Witch first asks: “‘What would you like best to eat?’ ‘Turkish Delight, please your Majesty,’ said Edmund. The Queen let a drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which when opened turned out to be several pounds of the best Turkish Delight... Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.”(LWW pg. 125) Now, when Edmund started eating, he started talking, and what he said put his family in great danger. He didn’t even notice how eager the witch was to meet his brothers and sisters. The temptation and taste of the candy clouded his thinking. The same thing happened in the Garden of Eden at the dawn of time. Except this time instead of Turkish Delight, it was the fruit of a forbidden tree. In Gen 3:1 Satan clouds Eve’s mind by questioning God’s Word. He asks, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”In other words, “What would you like best to eat Eve? And don’t you deserve it?” Notice Satan does not question what Eve knows as fact. He does not ask, "Is there really a God?" OR "God hasn’t really spoken to you has He?" No, he simply begins by clouding her mind by asking: "If God really loves you why wouldn’t he allow you to eat of this one tree?" Now, God’s instructions had been clear, "Don’t eat of tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The reason God gave that restriction was not because He was an ogre but because he had created Adam and Eve with free will. The only thing that makes freedom of will genuine is freedom of choice. There had to be at least one thing to choose from that was wrong in order for there to be undeniable free will. So, Satan begins the sin process by clouding Eve’s mind. He basically says, "Boy, it seems to me that if God really cared for you He wouldn’t be so restrictive. "Did he really say, don’t eat of it?"
(2) Temptation covers the consequences. At first the witch is cruel and hard and Edmund is scared. But when she finds out who he is she changes her tone. Edmund goes from being rightly fearful to being blinded by her deceitful kindness. Satan did the same thing in the Garden. First Eve reminded Satan of the consequences in vs:3 that if they ate they would die. But Satan covers that over by saying in vs:4- “You will not surely die.” In fact, he says, “You’ll be King.. You’ll be like God.” How often would we have been spared the pain of our sin if we would of just thought beforehand what it could cost us.
(3) Temptation lies about your importance. In the book the witch says to Edmund, “‘...you are much the cleverest and handsomest young man I’ve ever met... Edmund’s face had become very red and his fingers were sticky. He did not look clever or handsome, whatever the Queen might say.” And Edmund got all puffed up. In the first Garden Satan lied too. He said, “...you will become like God...”And did they become God? No! In fact, they were separated from God because of their sin. They had bought the lie of importance.
(4) Temptation promises pleasure. The Queen promised Edmund he would be King of Narnia & that his brother and sisters would be his servants, plus she promised him all the candy he could eat. If he would just go get his family. Now, please don’t misunderstand. The Bible does not say that sin is not pleasurable. Anyone who tells you sin is never fun, probably never did it. It has pleasure but the Bible tells us it is short lived. Heb. 11:25 describes sin as “fleeting pleasure.” Edmund ate all the Turkish Delight and then in the clip we saw he wanted more, more, more! Gen. 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom she took some and ate it.” I bet it tasted good. But it wasn’t tasting so good a little later when both she and her husband were thrown out of the Garden or when she had to bear pain in pregnancy or he had to grow crops with thorns and thistles. By that time it was tasting pretty sour.
(5) Temptation spoils good things. A little later when all four of the children are eating at Mr. Beaver’s, Edmund isn’t hungry. And the book says, “There’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food as much as the memory of bad magic food.” (LWW Pg.151) And so it is when we give into temptation and sin. Sin steals, sin robs, sin cheapens, sin molests, sin binds, sin grinds and sin blinds... it spoils good things. Temptation has from the beginning seemed tasty but when given into, has left a sour taste.
III. THE TACTICAL RESPONSE: Christmas offers Hope:
But because we, like Edmund, have given in, we are a part of the curse. In the story Edmund betrays his brother and sisters and puts them in grave danger. It looks like there is no way they all won’t be turned into stone. But into the story comes hope. In fact, next week we’ll talk about the details of that hope. But for now understand when we have given into temptation and sinned, and that’s everyone here, we too have been cursed. Our sin has separated us from God. Rom. 6:23 says, “The payment for sin is eternal death, being without God forever.”(SEB) We are without hope. But God didn’t want that. In fact, more than anything He wanted to be reconciled to us. And so He gave us Christmas. Because Christmas is when God sent His son Jesus to offer us hope in this world that is not as it should be. Even Jesus’ name tells us that. An angel in Mt. 1:21 told Joseph: “...you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”(NLT) But not only does Jesus promise forgiveness, God promises us help. God’s prescription for temptation is found in two short verses in 1 Cor. 10:12-13. So, with our time remaining I want to see three practical suggestions from these two verses. If we will employ them I believe they can help us resist the schemes of the evil one.
The First "R" in vs:12 is to recognize our own vulnerabilities. The thing I want to stress here is to avoid warming yourself by the Devil’s fire. I read a bumpersticker that said, "Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself." That’s humorous but it’s rash. We cannot afford to forget our vulnerabilities. When we do we are liable to take very stupid and unnecessary chances. Do not overestimate your ability to cope with temptation. Edmund is a troubled boy from the start of the story and he never realized, until it was almost too late, that it wasn’t so much his love for Turkish Delight but his vulnerability to his pride that almost cost him his life.
1 Cor. 10:12 says, “The person who thinks he is safe, is just the one to fall.” (SEB) This verse is saying that the time you think you can handle it, that’s the time you’re the most vulnerable. Listen, the Devil is a master con-artist. He promises fulfillment and happiness and just when we reach for it, it’s not quite there. And he does that until we are emotionally and spiritually exhausted and we are vulnerable to sin. Let’s be smart about this. Stay away from activities, friends, literature, drink, food, places that you know are going to drag you down before you go in.
The second "R" is in the first part of vs:13 and that is reflect on God’s faithfulness. The first part of vs:13 says “...you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand.”(SEB) Do we really understand what that means? It says that God has set a limit on the intensity of every temptation. God knows you perfectly inside and out. He knows how much you can handle; He knows your breaking point. And God has promised that he will not let you be tempted with something that you cannot overcome! That’s His promise, His guarantee.
And that brings us to the third “R”. Look at the last of vs:13. “But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it.”(SEB) Respond to God’s escape route. Not only has God promised that you will not be tempted with more than you can handle, He has also promised that alongside every temptation, will be provided a way out. Now, we must be faithful to look for what He has provided, but it is there! I think that one of the very practical ways that God has provided for fighting temptation is each other. I cannot encourage you enough to develop an accountability partner. Someone you can trust, who loves God and you, and that will hold you accountable for your actions. There may come a time in your life when your accountability partner is all that stands between you and spiritual disaster. But start working today on developing a relationship with someone that you can be accountable too. The bottom line here, no matter how you do it, is to look for the escape routes God has given you and then respond to them.
So, recognize your vulnerabilities, reflect on God’s faithfulness and respond to His escape route. That’s God’s prescription for making sure the Turkish Delight doesn’t keep us from the true, sweet life.
It is told of Napolean Bonaparte that on one occasion as he had his military personnel assembled about a map of the world, that he pointed to a red mark that indicated the location of his worst defeat, Great Britain, and exclaimed dramatically, "If it were not for that red spot, I would have conquered the whole world!" Satan points to the Cross and the world’s attention is focused upon history’s most dramatic scene. And he cries out, "if it were not for that red spot, I would have conquered the whole world!"
People, just like the White Witch wanted Edmund to focus on Turkish Delight, Satan this morning, would like us to focus on what we want without even thinking about God. But it’s only in Him and His provision of Christmas, the giving of Jesus that we have hope to get out of this world that is not as it should be, alive. And God would say to you this morning: “I don’t care what temptation you have succumbed to. I don’t care who you’ve betrayed, how horrible you’ve been, if you will place your trust in my son, Jesus, I will take care of you. After all, that’s why I sent him in the first place.”
{All Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NIV unless otherwise noted}
Resources:
The Magician’s Nephew - C.S. Lewis
The Lion, The With and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
I wish to acknowledge a couple of helpufl sermons from Sermoncentral.com: (Thank-you!)
“Narnia: Ten Tasty Tidbits about Turkish Delight” by Pat Cook
“Narnia: Always Winter and Never Christmas by Vic Folkert
