In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe of C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, one of the four Pevensie children, Edmund, a selfish and bratty boy, enters Narnia on a cold, snowy winter day, and has a chance encounter with Queen Jadis the White Witch.

The Witch (the Satan figure in the story) beguiles Edmund with her delicious hot cocoa and Turkish delight candy and tells him she needs a boy to be Prince of Narnia and he will be King of Narnia when she dies. Her aim, unbeknownst to Edmund, is to get all four children together and kill them so they cannot fulfill an old prophecy in which she is overthrown and four humans, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, ascend the throne of Narnia and rule in Aslan’s name. Already angry at his brother and sisters, Edmund takes the bait and becomes a traitor. He agrees to bring his brother and sisters to Jadis. Later when tormented by the Witch, he realizes he has made a deadly mistake and repents.

Of course, Jadis is a pretender: not the Witch, but Aslan the Lion, king of the forest, the Christ figure, is the real Lord of Narnia.

Edmund is rescued from the Witch and forgiven. Unfortunately, just as everyone thinks Edmund is free and safe, the Witch shows up to confront Aslan and remind him of the deep magic by which all sinners belong to her to kill by shedding their blood. Edmund is doomed to death. 

Knowing that what the Witch says is true, Aslan takes her into his tent for a long private conference. Eventually he comes out announcing that the matter has been settled. Everyone is much relieved. That night, however, Aslan makes his way to the great Stone Table, a place of sacrifice, and there allows himself to be bound and humiliated and stabbed to death by the Witch. Aslan dies in Edmund’s place by his willing self-sacrifice, a ransom for Edmund’s life, and Edmund is saved.

Ancient, as early as the second century, the Fathers of the Church tried to explain the mystery of the atonement: the bloody, agonizing crucifixion of the Son of God to save sinners and make us at one with God. Why was this necessary? They came to the understanding that all sinners belong to Satan; that by the willing sacrificial death of God the Son humanity was ransomed from Satan’s clutches. Thus was born the Church’s Doctrine of Blood Atonement.

Come to Sunday School this morning Palm Sunday: the Sunday of the Passion and we’ll talk about it. Blood Atonement.

Someone left magnificent red peonies on the table on our back front porch. For whoever did that, beautiful, appreciated, much enjoyed, thank you, thank you kindly.

TW+