This is Epic: Once upon a time...

Once upon a time...

 

 There lived a great and mighty king who had dominion over all.  And by all, I mean everything.  There was nothing this king could not do, nowhere his arm could not reach.  And he was also very good.  I mean “good” in the truest sense of the word.  He was pure of heart, true, fair, just, unspoiled.  He was absolutely untouched by evil.  The king possessed love for and expressed kindness to all that belonged to him.

The King had a particular affection for a young man and his beautiful bride.  The king bestowed upon them the authority to rule over one of the choicest realms of the kingdom. His only command was that they always obey Him.  He warned them that great tragedy would come if they ever disobeyed His voice.

The King would often come to visit with the couple, just to spend time with them.  O how he loved them!  And they enjoyed the visits as well.  They were honored and humbled that such a mighty King would concern himself with their affairs.  The king was lavish his gifts to the couple, and they grew to love Him more and more.  The land flourished, and there was great peace throughout the entire realm.

Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived.  For the king’s enemy set a trap for the couple.  Oh, the King’s enemy was loathsome.  He had, at one time, banqueted at the King’s table as a dear friend and servant to the King.  Yet, his prideful heart desired more. He wanted to be honored and adored like the King, so he tried to take the King’s throne, a quest that quickly proved futile.  He was defeated easily by the King and was banished.

Now an outcast, this dark wizard set out to destroy all that the king loved.  He now realized that he was no match to the King’s power, but he was crafty and subtle.  He deceived the couple with His wily tongue, and they disobeyed one of the King’s commands.  At that moment, they fell under the evil one’s power, becoming his slaves.  And not only the couple, but their children, and their children’s children, and all future generations to be born in their line.

The King was brokenhearted, but He had given them fair warning.  They had chosen to disobey him, and now must face the consequences.  Yet, the King still loved them and longed to help them, so he gave a prophecy that one day, a deliverer would come to restore freedom to this race of men and women.

As the years passed, many great men and women performed noble deeds and acts of honor in the name of the King.  Yet, none of them had the power to deliver, for they, too, were bound by the consequences of the couple’s disobedience.  Still, somehow each one was a shadow, a reminder of the prophecy that one day a deliverer would come.  And so the people waited, hoped, and watched.

Finally, in the fullness of time, the King himself provided the hero for whom the realm had long awaited.  For he sent his very son, the Prince, to rescue his people from the wicked clutches of the enemy.  For, the son was worthy, not having been corrupted by the evil one.

Immediately, the enemy made plans to destroy the prince.  First, he tried to stop the Prince from entering the realm, and that failed.  He then set a trap to kill the Prince.  That failed, as well.  Next, he tried to corrupt the prince through trickery. Another failure.  All the while, the prince’s fame grew throughout the land.  People began to hope against hope that this might indeed be the One spoken of in the prophecy. 

But the dark wizard would not give up, and his persistence finally paid off.  He cast a spell on some prominent men of influence, including one of the Prince’s closest companions.  These men had the prince, arrested, tried, and executed.  And the evil one laughed and celebrated, for the King had sent his best, and his best had failed, or so the wizard thought.

For, something amazing happened.  The prince came back to life!!!  Three days after He died, He rose again.  You see, this had been the plan of the King and the Prince all along.  The guiltless son broke the evil one’s power by sacrificing himself for the sins of the people.  By rising again, he showed that His power was greater than sin or death. He also proved the he was indeed the deliverer of the human race.  The Prince could now offer freedom to anyone who would accept it.

 

At this moment, the wizard knew that he was defeated, and yet there were many who did not know what the Prince had done. A new idea was forming in His mind.  If he could keep them from hearing or believing this good news, he just might be able to keep them under his power for a while longer, and ultimately seal their destruction.

 

The Prince had to return to the King, but before leaving, he gave a promise, that one day, he would return, deliver the final blow to the evil one, and set up a kingdom without end.  Knowing the scheme of the enemy, He also told those whom he had set free that they must seek out those who do not know about this freedom.  They must help deliver from bondage as many as they can, for only those who have been set free can join the Prince in the eternal kingdom.

 

The prince left his followers, and they anxiously await his return.  In the meantime, many of them have answered the call to help free those who are still held captive by the evil one.  It is nothing short of brutal warfare, but the faithful know the dark wizard is no match for the mighty Prince who called them to be his warriors in the cause of freedom.

 

Now isn’t that an awesome story?  It is a beautiful story.  It is a true story.  It is our story.

 

THIS IS EPIC!!!