LOTR Trilogy a Reminder of Why Christ Came
It’s that time of year when favorite Christmas movie lists get trotted out. Like many of you, my wife and I enjoy such classics as Home Alone (we plan to borrow a grandson’s collection of all three), although we’ve had enough viewings of It’s a Wonderful Life.
Two others we are bound to watch:
* Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, part of the Martha Williamson franchise that started out as a 10-episode Hallmark TV series and morphed into a movie collection.
This particular entry is one of the most touching, heartwarming reminders of the joy of giving and the brightness of the Savior’s birth that I have ever seen.
* August Rush, the 2007 release starring Freddie Highmore and Robin Williams, with the late comic playing a dark role that shows his genius went beyond generating laughs.
It’s one of the few films we have ever seen on opening night. Since it debuted two weeks before Christmas—and features music so incredible we quickly went out and bought the soundtrack—we adopted it as a Christmas movie, even though it’s not technically a seasonal offering.
The Triumph of Good
However, after a recent repeat viewing of the Lord of the Rings or LOTR trilogy, I recommend these films as a thoughtful reminder of why Christ came.
They are definitely not of the warm fuzzy variety, but they do offer a stark picture of the power of sin. In addition, they show the triumph of good over evil, no matter how much it seems evil is winning.
At three hours per picture (a friend has an extended cut that runs four hours apiece), this isn’t the kind of series that you can stream on Christmas Eve. Nor, with its gruesome battles and other gory scenes are these the kinds of movies that make for wholesome family viewing.
It’s been 20 years since the premiere of the first, The Fellowship of the Ring; we saw it in the theater soon after. But in a new way, our recent viewings revealed the underlying story in a new light.
The most startling aspect was the allegorical nature of the gold ring that represents the power of sin.
Every character who touches it is captivated by its allure, with some descending into the depths of depravity—especially Gollum, the eerie creature who lusts after it with every fiber of his being.
The Real Christmas Story
The head-turning nature of sin is something none of us is immune from. Since the devil opposes everything God does and especially hates His Son, he never stops trying to persuade us that things like fame, power, money, or million-dollar homes will bring us lasting fulfillment and satisfaction.
They can’t, since they are counterfeits of the joy that can only be found in the Savior of the world. As Jesus said of Satan: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 MEV).
This is why Jesus came to earth: to defeat the father of lies and create a way for those who accept His sacrifice to live with His heavenly Father forever. It is the Christmas story that is worth celebrating.
