Weekly Devotional: July 8, 2026
GOD’S WORD
Isaiah 53:5-8, John 10:18, Romans 3:23, I Corinthians 15:54
DEVOTION BY
Major Cindy Corbitt
Assistant Territorial Personnel Secretary
DEVOTIONAL
PICTURES FROM NARNIA – ASLAN’S SACRIFICE
“Dark shadows were falling,
My spirit appalling,
For hid in my heart, sin’s deep crimson stains lay;
And when I lay weeping,
The past o’er me creeping,
I heard of the blood which can wash sins away.
The wounds of Christ are open,
Sinner they were made for thee;|
The wounds of Christ are open,
There for refuge flee.”
- Evangeline Booth, Song #414 The Salvation Army Songbook
SUBSTITUTIONAL SACRIFICE OF CHRIST
There are few scenes in literature as moving or as spiritually resonant as Aslan’s walk to the Stone Table in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The great Lion, majestic and powerful, allows Himself to be bound, mocked, shaved, and killed by the White Witch. The children do not understand. The creatures of Narnia tremble. Evil seems to triumph. And yet, hidden beneath the horror is a mystery older than the Witch herself — a deeper magic written before the dawn of time.
C.S. Lewis crafted this moment in this Chronicles of Narnia installment as a reflection of the heart of the Christian faith: the willing, substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. Aslan dies not because He is defeated, but because He chooses to take the place of a traitor. He gives His life so that Edmund may live. He lays Himself down so that justice may be satisfied and mercy may triumph. This is not just a story. It is a window into the gospel.
Edmund’s betrayal is not a small thing. He lies, deceives, abandons his siblings, and aligns himself with the Witch. He is not tricked — he chooses. And according to the Deep Magic, treachery demands blood. Justice must be satisfied. Scripture tells the same truth about humanity: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
IT IS TREASON
Sin is not merely a mistake; it is treason against the King. It fractures relationships, corrupts desires, and separates us from God. And like Edmund, we cannot save ourselves, but into this hopelessness steps Aslan - not with condemnation, but with compassion. He speaks privately with the Witch. He offers Himself in Edmund’s place. He takes the penalty that justice demands.
Isaiah foresaw this moment centuries before Christ: “He was pierced for our transgressions… and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” — Isaiah 53:5–6
The innocent suffers for the guilty, the righteous for the unrighteous. One of the most striking details in the story is that Aslan is not overpowered. He is not tricked. He is not forced. He goes willingly.
Lewis writes that when the Witch’s servants bind him, he does not resist. When they shave his mane, he remains silent. When they mock him, he does not retaliate. The great Lion could have destroyed them with a roar, but he chooses the path of surrender. Jesus speaks of His own sacrifice in the same way: “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” — John 10:18
IT IS THE PAUSE BEFORE THE MIRACLE
The cross was not an accident. It was a choice, a deliberate act of love. Christ did not die because He was weak. He died because He was strong enough to love His enemies.
After Aslan dies, the world feels empty. Lucy and Susan weep over His body. The Witch celebrates. The Stone Table stands cold and cracked. It is a picture of the silence of Holy Saturday, the day between the cross and the resurrection, the day when hope seems lost.
We all experience seasons like this. Times when God feels absent. Times when prayers seem unanswered. Times when darkness appears to win. But the silence is not the end. It is the pause before the miracle. When the sun rises, everything changes. The Stone Table cracks. Aslan stands alive, radiant, and stronger than ever. Death itself has been reversed.
Lewis explains that the Witch did not understand the “Deeper Magic from before the dawn of time” that when a willing, innocent victim dies in the place of a traitor, death begins to work backward. This is the gospel in story form. Paul writes: “Christ died for the ungodly… But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:6-8 And then: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” — 1 Corinthians 15:54
THEY REVEAL THE HEART OF GOD
The resurrection is not just a happy ending. It is the triumph of life over death, love over sin, hope over despair.
Aslan’s death and resurrection are not merely symbolic. They reveal the heart of God:
- God loves us at our worst.
- God takes our place.
- God breaks the power of death.
- God invites us into restored relationship.
If Christ has taken our place, then we are free, truly free. Free from guilt. Free from condemnation. Free from the fear of death. Free to love others as we have been loved.
Aslan tells the children, “Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still.” The same is true for us. Sin is real. Justice is real. But grace is deeper still. I wonder, can we live in the knowledge of the depth of that grace?
Lord Jesus, thank You for taking my place.
Thank You for loving me when I was far from You.
Thank You for the cross, for the empty tomb, and for
the hope that cannot be taken away. Teach me to live
in the freedom of Your sacrifice and to love others with the
same mercy You have shown me.
Amen.
“It soothes all life’s sorrows,
It smooths all its furrows;
It binds all the wound
Which transgression has made;
It turns night to morning,
So truly adorning
The spirit with joy when all other joys fade.
The wounds of Christ are open,
Sinner they were made for Thee;
The wounds of Christ are open,
There for refuge flee.”
- Evangeline Booth, Song #414 The Salvation Army Songbook