The Christ Figure

I remember learning about the Christ figure in English classes. A relatively common literary technique, a Christ figure is a character who shares obvious similarities with Jesus. Normally, he or she is a "savior" type figure, often sacrificing his or her life for the greater good and sometimes, like Christ, is marvelously and miraculously resurrected. 

One of the most famous (and perhaps most intentional, as far as the author was concerned) is Aslan in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Narnia's fierce yet gentle lion-king did not have to die. He willingly took Edmund's place...He saved his life. And in his power, he came back to life to defeat the evil queen once and for all.

Kind of like how Christ died in our place, even though we could never deserve such an extravagant gift of grace. Kind of like how he conquered death, Hell and the grave. He has won the war against evil.

Even the show with which I've been pretty obsessed for the past couple of years has (however perhaps inadvertent or unplanned) biblical parallels. This may be a stretch, but Once Upon a Time hinges on the actions of "the savior" and stresses the importance of being "a believer." Emma's son even sacrificed himself in the first season so that the curse would be broken and all the characters would believe the truth.

Another huge one is Harry Potter. I'll argue with anyone who says is just a bunch of satanic mumbo-jumbo because it's about witchcraft. 

Now, I really don't know if J.K. Rowling is a Believer or if she has ever read the Bible. But Harry Potter is a Christ figure. And Voldemort (Hello!! He looks like a snake, has a pet snake, can speak a hissing snake language...remember the Garden of Eden??) is a Satan-like figure. He is the epitome of evil and darkness. And Harry, "the Chosen One," was prophetically destined to defeat him. And by what drastic measure must that happen?

(SPOILER ALERT!!!) His own sacrificial death.

Harry willingly walks right up to Voldemort, allowing himself to be murdered so that no more of the good guys would have to die. And what's more, he didn't stay dead, leaving the rest to defeat the bad guys. He came back to life and personal vanquished Voldemort.

Call me a nerd if you want to. I will always love Harry Potter.

But none of these stories...none of these Christ figures measures up to our Jesus. To what really happened. To what he truly did for us on that cross.

I watched The Passion of the Christ for the first time the other day, and I was an emotional wreck for two solid hours. And the conviction of my inadequacy and wretchedness and the extremity of His sacrifice hit me like a brick wall.

Oh, the love. That He would willingly give His life for mine.

And have you seen that movie?? It's basically two hours of torture. And with every crack of a whip and every blow that drew blood, I thought...that was for me. I deserve that.

"It was my sin that held him there...until it was accomplished..."

How deep the Father's love for us, indeed.

But He who knew no sin voluntarily took the beating and the brutal death for my sake. For your sake.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

And then..."Bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again!"

And that is why we have hope. Therein lies our salvation. In His power and His glory He didn't stay dead but did what no one else could have done: Shouldering the weight of the world and the sins of all mankind, He rose again and assumed His rightful place at the right-hand of the Father. And He's up there still. On His throne. The Living God who also lives in the heart of every Believer.

Man. That's good stuff. 

"Oh, how I love Jesus...because He first loved me."