The
first time I watched the Disney film ‘Frozen’ was the penultimate day of 2013
(30 December 2013), which I panned to be overrated upon my departure from the
theaters. I watched it again yesterday, with my brother, this time with my
glasses on. Now, I revoke my past critique of the movie and consent to extreme
satisfaction with the movie.
This
time, however, I’ve decided to collate my insights on this film, not focusing on
its synopsis or its aesthetical appeal, as brilliant as they may be, but on how
this film is a wonderful illustration of Jesus and the love of God. This
exposition may not be perfect due to my limited knowledge as well as the
limitations of typology in the movie, but I shall work with my capabilities to
prove my point.
The
film kicks off with two sisters Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (voiced
by Idina Menzel), princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle, joyfully playing with
snow created by cryokinetically–powered Elsa, a wonderful picture of how God
and man enjoyed fellowship (inferred from Genesis 3:8) with the purity and
innocence of man’s heart. While the sisters played in the winter wonderland,
Elsa accidentally struck Anna’s head with a blast of ice. This is where the
type is limited, since Elsa, though more powerful, is representative of sinful
man whose falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and Anna, though a
regular human being, portrays the omnipotent God, hurt and upset that man has chosen
himself to be his god rather than God by disobeying Him in the garden. (Genesis
3:11)
Since
then, their royal parents decreed total separation between the two sisters,
lest anyone get hurt more by Elsa’s snowbending, a picture of separation of man
in his sin from God in His righteousness. (Genesis 3:23–24) Ever since then,
Anna has always been trying to penetrate into Elsa’s isolation, time and time
again, from knocking the door as a child to adolescence and, even after the
unfortunate fatality of their parents, as an adult. Clearly, this pictures
God’s numerous attempts to reach out to man, by clothing them with skins (Genesis
3:21), saving Noah to preserve the human lifeline despite devastative sin in
men (Genesis 6–9), using Abraham to reach out to wild humanity (Genesis 12:1–3)
and ultimately with Jesus (John 3:16). Even today, God is still sending out
missionaries to reach out to the unreached people groups (Matthew 28:18–20)
just so to reconcile with man. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Following
the lonely growing up of the sisters was Anna’s infatuation and misconception
of true love with Hans of the Southern Isles (voiced by Santino Fontana). Here,
the role of Anna portrayed not of God but of man’s foolishness, assuming true
love as eros love rather than agape love. Man looks for love but in all the wrong
places, and is eventually further buffeted by them, exemplified by Anna’s
failure to get Han’s true love kiss later on, if it were true love at all. And
true love only came by being reconciled with sister Elsa, similar as to how man
can only receive true love by returning to God, who is the epitome of love. (1
John 4:8)
Elsa,
after objecting to Anna and Hans’ engagement, unintentionally let loose her ice
powers and set off an Arendelle–wide flurry of a violent winter. This led Anna
to chase after her, once again, this time with assistance from an initially
hesitant Kristoff (voicer Jonathan Groff). Kristoff, during the wolf chase, was
particularly resembling of man’s self–effort to solve problems by trying to
tackle the wolves on his own, but failing to actually resolve the issue. On the
contrary, a scuffle with the wolves let him see his need for Anna’s sharp
reaction, just like how many only ask God for merciful help once they find
themselves in a pickle. Yet, Anna came through. Yet, God came through. (Romans
8:28)
Anna
sought after Elsa once more at her ice castle, but Elsa continually fled and ordered
Anna to leave, in fear. Man is not ignorant of God; he choses to be so because he
fears His holiness and does not want to acknowledge that he is wrong, and as
such admit that he is in dire need of a savior. Elsa strikes Anna again with
another icy blast, this time at the heart, which could potentially be fatal. In
man’s despair he continually, time and time again, breaks God’s heart, over and
over again (added for emphasis). To find a cure, Anna and Kristoff searched for
the trolls whose leader explained that only an act of true love could salvage
Anna’s life. Again, Anna’s role reversed as only true love can save man from
his never–ending pursuit for love.
Cliched
true love’s kiss failed, leading the four Arendellers into the Norwegian blizzard.
While Anna could have been saved by Kristoff’s kiss, she glanced in the corner
of her eye a guilty Elsa in the face of assassination by Hans, symbolizing man
being broken further by man. In an act of true love, Anna stood between the
two, froze, and blocked the blow, disintegrating Hans’ sword and saving Elsa’s
life: the perfect depiction of true love, that one lays down his life for his
friends. (John 15:13) You see; God loves you so much, that He never gave up wooing
you. He went to the full extent to redeem you: sacrificing Himself to His
justice (Hebrews 10:12) that you may be righteously restored with His love.
Elsa,
after being touched by Anna’s agape love and Anna thawing due to that act, used
her love to thaw the kingdom. Summer returned, Olaf enjoyed summer thanks to
Elsa’s miniature flurry above him, Anna and Kristoff get together, Hans was
banished and the sisters finally reunite after more than two decades of
separation. That is the gospel. That God wants to reunite with you. Even though
you were afraid, even though you’ve messed up, big time, even though you’ve let
Him down over and over and over again, He still wants to pick you up each time
you fall and enjoy communion with you. He loves you. And once you are convicted
of His love for you, you have the power to influence the world around you for
His glory. You are finally blessed, to be a blessing.
The
kingdom of wintery chills was birthed out of fear, and Anna’s love for Elsa thawed
her frosty fear, transforming her heart of icy hardness into a heart of loving
warmth. Perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18) God wants to take your
fear and turn it into love, not your simple perception of eros love, but God’s
perfect example of agape love, that you may revolutionize the world with the
Father’s love.
God
loves you, but God, in His righteousness, hates the sin in you and must eradicate
it with death (Romans 6:23), yet in His love He didn’t want to punish you. So He made the first move: by
taking your sin and punishing it in the body of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus
became your sin that you may become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians
5:21) and the only way to be saved is to believe on Him, confessing that He is
Lord. (Romans 10:9) He died that you may live. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
If you
would like to be saved, you may pray this simple prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. Thank You
for loving me and dying for me on the cross. Your precious blood washes me
clean of every sin. You are my Lord and my Saviour, now and forever. I believe
that You rose from the dead and that You are alive today. Because of Your
finished work, I am now a beloved child of God and heaven is my home. Thank You
for giving me eternal life, and filling my heart with Your peace and joy. Amen.
