There is a lot to be said about Good Friday. Truth be told, the recognition of Good Friday is one thing that I miss about being Roman Catholic. In my opinion, Christians can’t properly celebrate the empty tomb without first seeing what was done to our Savior for 6 hours on a Friday about 2,000 years ago, by us. That being said, I would like to take a different look at the events of Good Friday. I don’t intend to diminish what He accomplished or what He said. But there are smarter and more eloquent people out there who can evoke the emotion and passion seen at the cross. What I would like to do is see the events of the cross through the eyes of literature.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is quite possibly my favorite fiction book. I remember reading it at a young age and not being able to put it down and I look forward to the day when I will read it to my children. My hope is that the book will impact them the way it impacted me. Sadly I have forgotten some parts of the book and don’t have the time to go back and re-read it. For that reason I’m thankful for the care taken in the movie adaptation. However, there were two chapters that have always remained with me. It is my desire to reflect on chapter 14, “The Triumph of the Witch” and see how it relates to Good Friday.

We join Aslan, Susan, and Lucy at a point in the story where Aslan has made a deal with the White Witch in order to exchange his life for Edmund’s. The Deep Magic requires that the debt be settled. From here I will let the story speak for itself.

A great crowd of people were standing all round the Stone Table and though the moon was shining many of them carried torches which burned with evil-looking red flames and black smoke. But such people! 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…and right in the middle, standing by the Table, was the Witch herself. “The fool!” she cried. “The fool has come. Bind him fast.” The Hags made a dart at him and shrieked with triumph when they found that he made no resistance at all. Then others-evil dwarfs and apes-rushed in to help them, and between them they rolled the huge Lion ove on his back and tied all his four paws together…”Stop!” said the Witch. “Let him first be shaved!” Another roar of mean laughter went up from her followers as an ogre witha pair of shears came forward and squatted down by Aslan’s head. Snip-snip-snip went the shears and masses of curling gold began to fall to the ground. “Why, he’s only a great cat after all!” cried one. “Is that what we were afraid of?” said another. And the surged round Aslan, jeering at him…”Muzzle him!” said the Witch. And even now, as they worked about his face putting on the muzzle, one bite from his jaws would have cost two or three of them their hands. But he never moved…At last she (the Witch) drew near. She stood by Aslan’s head. Her face was working and twitching with passion, but his looked up at the sky, still quiet, neither angry nor afraid, but a little sad. Then, just before she gave the blow, she stooped down and said in a quivering voice, “And now, who has won? Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be appeased. But when you are dead what will prevent me from killing him as well? And who will take him out of my hand then? Understand that you have given me Narnia foever, you have lost your own lie and you have not saved his. In that knowledge, despair and die.”

This passage moved me long ago and moves me still. The torture and suffering endured by Aslan is allegorical to the suffering of our Christ. As much as I don’t want to face it, the truth is I am the traitor the Witch speaks of. And so are we all. But I’m so thankful that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe doesn’t end here. And neither does the story of Jesus end on Good Friday.