Strider’s Secret
Without the benefit of knowing the whole story, we are not sure what to think of Strider when first we encounter him. He lurks in the shadows of The Prancing Pony, keenly interested in the Halflings and their songs. It is evident he knows more than he reveals. Is he friend, or is he foe? We are unsure.
In time, we learn that Strider is in fact a friend, and will be a trustworthy guide for the hobbits on their journey. His true name is Aragorn, and as the story unfolds we discover there is much more to him than meets the eye. He is the heir of Isildur. He will not always lurk in the shadows. Someday he will take his rightful place as King of Middle Earth.
When J.R.R Tolkien first placed Strider in “The Fellowship of the Ring,” he wasn’t quite sure what he would do with him. Although he had already invested twenty months constructing what would become an epic story, only later would Strider, the vagabond Ranger, become the central character in the climax of “The Lord of the Rings.” At the first, he was merely a mysterious guide; later he became a magnificent king.
Aside from the “everyman” appeal of Frodo and Sam, Aragorn is the next most fascinating character in the famous trilogy. The burden of his mission is almost as great as that of Frodo, the designated Ring Bearer. Unlike his fateful ancestor, however, Aragorn refuses to accept the ring of power when it is available to him. He is willing to walk the path of humility until the appointed time.
In this way, Aragorn is a picture of Jesus Christ in his first advent. The Scriptures teach that Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6).
Like Aragorn in the days he was known as Strider, Jesus is often misunderstood. Some think him mysterious. Most assume him to be a particularly gifted teacher. Others, while calling him the son of God, mean only that his relationship with God is no more unique than any of us could potentially achieve.
But this is not the Christian understanding of Jesus. The reason we are so keen to celebrate his birth is that we believe that Jesus was not just a good man, or a great teacher. He was God in the Flesh, fully human and fully divine. His glory, like Aragorn’s, veiled during his life, and revealed at his resurrection, was nonetheless an essential part of his nature. He was the Son of God.
This is why multiplied millions of every race around the world pause each year to celebrate his arrival on planet Earth. For his was not merely an exemplary life. Nor did his birth simply signal the advent of an enlightened brand of teaching.
No. The coming of Jesus was a thunderclap in history. God himself invaded humanity. As such, he does not simply deserve our adulation; he demands our worship.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him… (Matthew 2:11).
In time, we learn that Strider is in fact a friend, and will be a trustworthy guide for the hobbits on their journey. His true name is Aragorn, and as the story unfolds we discover there is much more to him than meets the eye. He is the heir of Isildur. He will not always lurk in the shadows. Someday he will take his rightful place as King of Middle Earth.
When J.R.R Tolkien first placed Strider in “The Fellowship of the Ring,” he wasn’t quite sure what he would do with him. Although he had already invested twenty months constructing what would become an epic story, only later would Strider, the vagabond Ranger, become the central character in the climax of “The Lord of the Rings.” At the first, he was merely a mysterious guide; later he became a magnificent king.
Aside from the “everyman” appeal of Frodo and Sam, Aragorn is the next most fascinating character in the famous trilogy. The burden of his mission is almost as great as that of Frodo, the designated Ring Bearer. Unlike his fateful ancestor, however, Aragorn refuses to accept the ring of power when it is available to him. He is willing to walk the path of humility until the appointed time.
In this way, Aragorn is a picture of Jesus Christ in his first advent. The Scriptures teach that Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6).
Like Aragorn in the days he was known as Strider, Jesus is often misunderstood. Some think him mysterious. Most assume him to be a particularly gifted teacher. Others, while calling him the son of God, mean only that his relationship with God is no more unique than any of us could potentially achieve.
But this is not the Christian understanding of Jesus. The reason we are so keen to celebrate his birth is that we believe that Jesus was not just a good man, or a great teacher. He was God in the Flesh, fully human and fully divine. His glory, like Aragorn’s, veiled during his life, and revealed at his resurrection, was nonetheless an essential part of his nature. He was the Son of God.
This is why multiplied millions of every race around the world pause each year to celebrate his arrival on planet Earth. For his was not merely an exemplary life. Nor did his birth simply signal the advent of an enlightened brand of teaching.
No. The coming of Jesus was a thunderclap in history. God himself invaded humanity. As such, he does not simply deserve our adulation; he demands our worship.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him… (Matthew 2:11).