LESSONS FROM THE LION KING 7th July 2013 BI: Like Mufasa Jesus died to save a life - yours and mine Readings: John 3:16-18; Romans 5:5-9 Play opening 2 min of the movie That must be the most powerful start to any animated movie I know! The Lion King was first released way back in 1994 - nearly twenty years ago. It went on to become one of Disney s greatest animated classics. Set in Africa a pride of lions and the rest of the animals are led by king Mufasa. Musfasa is a good king but has a jealous brother named Scar. Deceitful and seeking to take the kingdom by fare means or foul Scar is always scheming. However a son is born to Mufasa, a young cub, named Simba. Now Simba is in direct line to the throne - much to Scar s disgust. So plotting to rid himself of both brother and nephew Scar hatches a plan. In his innocence Simba listens to his uncle and becomes the bait that leads to Mufasa s tragic death. Having surviving this first attempt Scar sets the hyenas onto Simba, to finish him off. However the young lion escapes, all the while thinking his father s death to be his own fault. Now while on the run, Simba meets two friends, a warthog named Pumba and a meerkat named Timon. Eventually he is reunited with his best friend Nala and Simba and friends embark on an adventure to put all things right. This is the story of The Lion King - in brief. Of the many themes running through the movie there is one in I find most striking. One connecting strongly with the Christian faith. One that is life changing in the telling It is the sacrifice of one life for another - powerfully displayed when Mufasa saves his Simba. Plunging into the canyon of stampeding wildebeests the king risks everything to save his son. His death, though tragic, is not in vein Now alongside this I want to lay the central story of the Christian faith; of Jesus laying down his life for you and I. For there are a number of striking parallels as well as some key differences between the deaths of Mufasa and Jesus. So turning first to The Lion KIng let s see the scene that I am referring too. Play video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfx9kz2lx8) 1/5
Powerful story telling. Many shed a tear when they first see this scene. Especially for the small children today - remember that Samba grows up with his good friends puts all things right. There is a happy ending - just not yet. This part of the movie draws us in, not because of stunning animation or the compelling musical score, but because of the very human drama played before our eyes. That of a parent giving their all for their child. Many of us have parents who gave up much for us and we who are parents would do likewise. So we connect with Mufasa s disregard for self. But on a sadder note some of us had fathers who weren t there when we were growing up, either through death, walking out, or physically present but emotionally distant. For what ever reason our dad s left us and so we feel with Simba. Powerful human drama that we can learn from. We can ask questions and probe and learn much about ourselves and God. probe? So what can we learn from Mufasa s death in the Lion King. I. The Lion King 1. Rescue Mission First Mafasa was on a rescue mission. Simba was trapped in a canyon before stampeding wildebeest. Too slow to outrun them, too many to dodge and with rock walls too steep to climb Simba needed rescuing. And it wasn t by Simba s own doing nor by accident but because of Betrayal. 2. Betrayal The Betrayal of was most cruel. Scar led father and son into a trap, sprung from a cold greedy heart. Even after Simba survived the initial attack, Scar showed no mercy. He sent his henchmen - hyenas - to finish the job. 3. Great Love But Mufasa did not see all this. He just saw his son danger and out of his great love he threw cation to the wind. His father-heart drove him into reckless action. Risking all he sprung down onto the stampeding horde with no thought of safety. 4. Life Saved Yet despite the betrayal and because of a father s great love, a life was saved. Instead of dying at the feet of the stampeding herd Simba s was rescued. His father gave his life that the young cub might live. And this was no vain death, but with purpose, a death not wasted but life-giving. Eventually leading to Scar s downfall and the putting of all things right. So, in summary, Mafasa s death involves a rescue mission, cruel betrayal and great love that led to a life saved... Now alongside this let s lay the story 2/5
of Jesus and his death. Some differences - yes. But you ll be surprised how much is the same. Now the events surrounding Jesus death are referred to as The Passion. Mel Gibson s movie of the same name graphically lays out these events. We will not be using images from this movie - far too graphic. But we will see that the events of Jesus death - The Passion - also involve a rescue mission, betrayal of the most wicked kind, great love, and a life saved. That life is yours and mine. So then to the death of Jesus. II. The Passion Now our key Bible verse this morning is John 3:16. Probably the most well known of all Bible verses. It reads 1. Rescue Mission So where is the rescue mission here? Well it s tied up around the word perish. Whoever believes in him will not perish. If Simba hadn t been rescued he would have perished. If we are not rescued we also will perish. Let me explain. God created the earth and all living things. Adam and Eve were created special as only they were made in God s image, so as to have a Father-child relationship with him. However Adam and Eve rebelled. Satan betrayed all the human race with lies, deceit and schemes in the garden. Sin entered and our Father-child relationship with God was broken. Sin is now our lot for All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 And this sin is so dark and God so holy that without being rescued we will all perish. We will die apart from God and alone. But the Good News is that Jesus came on a rescue mission. To proclaim freedom from sin, to speak of the Father and show us the way to his open arms. Three years Jesus went about teaching, healing the sick, proclaiming the Good News. The rescue mission was in full swing until betrayal 2. Betrayal Judas was the man and his name now synonymous with betrayal. Betraly of the highest kind. Every time we celebrate communion these word s are read 3/5
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 After he took the bread and cup he and his friends went out to a garden to pray. It was night and in John 18:2 we read... Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. John 18:2-3 Jesus arrested and taken away by force into the darkness. And as the next day, the first Good Friday, dawned we see God s... 3. Great Love Yes, we move from betrayal to God s great love and putting things right. Going back to John 3:16 we read God so loved you and I that he gave his one and only Son. This love most powerful demonstrated in Jesus giving up his life on the cross. If there was any other way a part from the cross - God would have taken it. But there is no other way. A life must be given to pay for our sin - so Jesus gave his. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 And again from the Gospel of John, Jesus talking to his disciples says Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 So sham trials, flogging, ridicule and then nailed to a cross. Jesus gives up his life. Father forgive them for they no not what they do And though midday, darkness falls on the land. And with a final cry, It is finished Jesus breaths his last. And in the shadows, watching close by the devil rubs his hands and smirks. His scheming is working. The betrayal is bearing fruit. The Son of God is gone. And like Scar with his henchmen the devil thinks he has won. 4/5
But three days later on that first Easter Sunday from an empty tomb - life bursts forth. Death could not keep Jesus down. Having paid the penalty for our sin, Jesus was raised from the dead so that our lives may be saved. 4. Life Saved Indeed the rescue mission has succeeded. In the face of cruel betrayal the Father s Great love has won. Eternal life is available to all who believe. We can allow ourselves to be rescued choosing life or we can refuse and allow ourselves to perish. This much is at stake - more than we can possibly imagine. Today the Father-heart of God calls you to believe in Jesus and follow him as Lord. This is big stuff, involving the major questions in life. Why am I here? How do I fit? Where am I going? Like Simba we need rescuing because we have been betrayed. But the God News is that that out of God s great love Jesus died we cab be saved. This is the Gospel in a nutshell. III. Next Steps So what next? There is a number of things you can do. While picking up on movies have you seen the Narnia movies - especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Sit and watch them as a family or as you can. See how Aslan lives out Jesus life in story form. All seven books are an awesome read. Better still read through the Gospel of Mark. It is the shortest of the Gospels, faster moving and to the point. Children you can talk with your Sunday School teacher if you have any questions. Your parents too I have a booklet Why Jesus? that explains the Gospel simply and clearly. You can pick one up from me after the service. You see Jesus death is all about rescuing us. Not from a stampeding herd of wildebeest but from sin, the consequence of our brokenness. And because God s great love is greater than the darkest sin and cruelest betrayal or life can be saved. We need not perish. God invites each one of us into the adventure of following him. Amen 5/5