The Stone Knife and the Cross

By Christin Ditchfield
Take It to Heart Ministries

CBN.com – In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the sequel to C.S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, Edmund and Lucy and Caspian embark on an epic quest, a great ocean voyage that takes them quite literally to the ends of the earth. There, on an island, they find a feast has been laid out for them on Aslan’s Table.

The children can’t help but notice that on the center of the table in a place of honor is a most unusual object – a sharp, cruel, and ancient-looking Stone Knife. An instrument of torture and death. With this very Knife, centuries earlier, the White Witch killed the Great Lion Aslan. The children learn that since his resurrection, it has become a treasured symbol – not only of his sacrifice, his willingness to lay down his life, but of his victory and triumph over evil.

The Bible says that when Jesus willingly laid down His life for us, He “disarmed” the forces of evil. “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15 NIV) In that moment, an instrument of torture and death became a symbol of love and sacrifice, victory and triumph.

In Colossians 2:13-14, the Apostle Paul explains, “When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14 MSG) We were declared “not guilty” because He paid the penalty in our place. So the symbol of the cross has a very prominent place, a place of honor, in our hearts and our homes and our houses of worship— reminding us why we need no longer fear death and hell. It’s a cause for celebration!

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This article was excerpted from A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. For more information, please visit our website at www.TakeItToHeartRadio.com. Used with permission.