NIV 1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

God of glory, eternal King, help us, we pray, to recognize the signs of the end times about us and to live each day with the realization that it could be the last day. Keep us zealous in your service, joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer, so that, when the day comes, we will be among those looking up to see our Savior coming in the clouds. Amen.

On December 9, Disney Studies are releasing the movie "Narnia," which is based on C.S. Lewis’ children’s story, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." While the book is a children’s story, it is also allegory – there is a deeper meaning behind the story.

I don’t want to spoil the movie for you, but I do want you to understand some of the allegorical symbolism in the movie. Four children find their way into a fairy tale land called "Narnia." Narnia is a place where animals speak and the land is ruled by the wicked White Witch. The White Witch has been in control of Narnia for years and by a magic spell has made it always winter, but never Christmas. She has turned all of her enemies into statues. The White Witch symbolizes Satan, who controls our world. The four children discover Narnia by walking through an old English wardrobe. They are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. The animals call them "The Sons of Adam" and "Daughters of Eve." They represent us – all of humanity.

Unknown to the rest of the children, Edmund secretly aligns himself with the witch and plots to bring his brother and sisters to her. Unknown to Edmund, the witch intends to turn them all into stone.

The only thing that can save the "sons of Adam" and "daughters of Eve" is Aslan. Aslan is the rightful king of Narnia who has been away for a very long time. Aslan is a giant, majestic lion. Aslan is coming to destroy the White Witch’s rule and bring peace and springtime back to Narnia.

So the children journey to meet Aslan at a famous landmark in Narnia called the Great Stone Table, all but Edmund. Edmund sneaks off to find his friend, the witch. Only this time the witch doesn’t treat him as well as she did before. She’s furious with him for failing to bring his brother and sisters to her, and even more furious to learn that Aslan has entered Narnia.

The story climaxes with Aslan, the children, the witch, and Edmund meeting at the Stone Table. The witch reminds Aslan that, according to ancient law, all traitors belong to her and she has the right to kill them. So Aslan offers her a trade – his life for Edmunds. And in a dramatic scene, the witch has Aslan the lion tied down and shaved and put to death on the Stone Table.

The children are in despair. All hope is gone. How could this happen? How could One so powerful have something so awful happen to him?

Just before dawn, Lucy and Susan sneak back to the now-deserted Stone Table and untie the ropes around Aslan’s dead body. His body is mangled and mutilated, but a few minutes later, they can’t believe it, there is an earthquake and the Stone Table cracks in half. Aslan’s body is gone. As they are looking for his body, he appears behind them – alive!

The resurrected Aslan explains that, while ancient law dictates that all traitors belong to the Witch, an even more ancient law dictates that when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in the traitor’s place, that Death will work backwards and restore the life of the innocent victim.

When the witch is confronted, Aslan crushes her with one mighty leap. Then he brings all the statues back to life, throws a huge party, and all of Narnia lives happily ever after – especially Edmund, the wayward boy whose life was saved by the innocent lion.

If the four children are the "sons of Adam" and the "daughters of Eve" and the White Witch is Satan, then who is Aslan? Obviously, he is Jesus Christ. He is the "Lion of Judah" in the Scriptures. Jesus is Aslan who innocently gave his life for another. He gave his life and powerfully took that life back up again on Easter. The Stone Table – the Easter tomb – is broken and open. He has defeated his enemies of Satan, sin, and death. His resurrection brings peace and prosperity to the land.

I hope I didn’t destroy the movie for you. The story of Narnia is a compelling one. Disney studios are betting over $100,000,000 that it will become their best-selling movie of all times. Why is the story so compelling? Why have so many read the book, and why will so many more see the movie? Because it’s a story rooted in history. It’s a story that really happened. Jesus really is Aslan – the resurrected and victorious Christ.

Paul writes: "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

"As in Adam all die…" Paul says in Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." Sin entered the world through Adam. Death quickly followed. Our first father sold us out to the devil. We are sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Because we were all born in sin and live in sin, death will quickly follow.

How did Adam sin? Wasn’t it Eve’s fault? She was the one who was deceived and ate of the forbidden fruit and then offered it to her husband who ate it. But Adam is always blamed in the Bible for the sin. Why? He was the head of the family. He was the leader. He was right there with her at the tree when the serpent started talking to Eve. It was his responsibility to say something to stop her. What was he thinking, "There she goes; talking to that serpent again. I wish she wouldn’t do that. He gives me the creeps. He’s so...so...crafty." Adam failed. And Adam’s failure has become mankind’s failure. When Adam sinned and died, all of mankind inherited a sinful nature – a fallen nature.

All of mankind died in Adam. The firstborn brought death to all. Therefore, all are in need of a Savior. So … God brought life to all. Paul says in Romans 5:18-19: "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." The first Adam brought sin. The second Adam – Christ – brought salvation. "So in Christ all will be made alive." Since Jesus rose from the dead, he brings resurrection to all.

"So in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." "Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Jesus is "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." "Firstfruits" takes us to Israelite agricultural life and its link with their worship. When an Israelite offered God the first grain from his harvest, that not only signaled his thanks to God as the source of blessings, it also served as a promise of more to come.

On our family farm, when we harvested the first cutting of hay, that was always with the confidence that we would receive our second and third cuttings of hay. The first cutting was always the best, the most nutritious and most expensive. The first harvest always promised a harvest of more. I know it is Case country down here, but up on our farm, it was always a John Deere tractor. That John Deere just ran so nicely in bringing in the harvest.

Jesus isn’t going to be using a John Deere or a Case to bring in the harvest of souls. Christ is the first of the harvest of those sleeping in their graves. He is the best. He is the promise of more to come. The rest of the harvest is you and me. We, too, will rise. Jesus has promised, "Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:9)

For Christ the resurrection took place almost twenty centuries ago; for those who have believed in him, the resurrection will take place when he returns in glory on Judgment Day. The firstfruits came from a grave outside Jerusalem on the first Easter morning nearly two thousand years ago; the harvest will be from graves all over the world when our risen Lord will appear on clouds of glory and his own will rise from their graves and will be caught up to meet him in the skies. Just as Aslan’s Great Stone Table split in two; just as Christ’s tomb was opened; so also will the graves of all Christ’s followers be opened. Christ has defeated death. Because he lives, we, too, will live. He is the firstfruit. All will be made alive in him. He is the resurrected Christ.

Christ our King also gives us the certainty that we will reign with him. He gives us the victory over Satan, sin and the grave. On the cross Jesus made the devil ineffective, he made death ineffective, he is in control. All things are under him.

Paul writes: "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." "The end that will come" is Judgment Day. But what does Paul mean when he says that on Judgment Day Christ will "hand over the kingdom of God the Father after he has destroyed all his enemies"? Jesus Christ has indeed taken the sting out of death, but death still raises its ugly head. For the believer in Jesus, death is no longer a punishment for sin, but it still happens. But on Judgment Day, and then forever after, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4).

All the enemies of Christ will be utterly and ultimately wiped out on that day. "Dominion, authority and power" refer to all the evil and dark forces of Satan and his cohorts – temptation and sin (Eph 6:12; Col 2:15). The devil’s power has been broken. But God allows him to operate like a dog on a leash to remind us that this world is not the "be-all-and-end-all" of our existence. Whenever the devil goes to far in his tempting, God can yank him back at any time. What comfort this is!

Jesus is in control. He is already victorious. He will only allow the evil forces of dominion, authority, and power to trouble us during our earthly life – and then only as much as Jesus knows we can handle. These three troublesome foes will have no power over us during eternity.

Like a son giving the keys to the borrowed family car back to his father, so Jesus will hand over the keys to the kingdom on the Last Day. It will be as if Jesus is saying to his Father, "I have done what you have asked me to do." Jesus was sent by his Father to accomplish the salvation of the world and establish his kingdom through his Church. He lays his trophies at the Father’s feet. Every enemy, even that last great enemy, death, will have been overcome and put under his feet. He will kick back in his easy chair and put his feet up on his enemies.

Jesus Christ, who came as a Lamb for sacrifice on the cross, is really the mighty Aslan, the lion of Judah, who rose from the tomb, never to die again. He offers eternal life and victory to all who believe. He is the innocent victim who stood in your place. He broke the Stone Table and crushed the captor’s power. He has defeated his greatest enemy – Death. He has freed the statues and released the dead from their graves. He lays his enemies at his heavenly Father’s feet. Jesus Christ is victorious now and for all eternity. Death cannot exist where Jesus is; and when he comes again cold statues come to life!

The story of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is so powerful because it is the story of mankind. It’s the story of salvation. It’s your story. It’s my story. It is Christ’s story. It is the story of a God who so loved the world that he came to die so he might be resurrected, who came to appear defeated on the cross, so he might reign victorious for all eternity. Jesus Christ really is Aslan! Amen.