What is the meaning of deus ex machina?

Deus ex machina is a storytelling tool that an author uses to resolve a seemingly impossible problem with a sudden, contrived solution. Deus ex machina is a Greek phrase that literally means “god from the machine.” The curious term goes back to ancient Greek and Roman theatre. To resolve a troublesome plot, an ancient playwright might call for a crane called a mechane to lower an actor playing a god or goddess onto the stage. Most of the plays of Euripides, for example, solve a dilemma through divine intervention. A god also arrives to save the day in Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Aristotle considered deus ex machina to be an uncreative way to resolve a narrative without using logic (Poetics, § XV).

The use of deus ex machina is still common today. Many films resort to the sudden, unlikely appearance of some unforeseen savior. A classic example is the unexpected appearance of the calvary riding over a hill in old westerns. Avengers: Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely admitted that their reliance on time travel in the 2019 film was due to having written themselves into a corner in the Infinity movie (www.cinemablend.com/news/2551792/back-to-the-future-writer-explains-why-hes-proud-of-avengers-endgames-references, accessed 3/17/25).

Some have misdefined deus ex machina and made it into something it is not. Here are some things to remember about the concept:

1. Not every improbable ending is a deus ex machina. Only when the saving element or character has no previous setup in the story can it be considered a true deus ex machina.

2. Deus ex machina does not refer to main characters who overcome a hopeless situation in the last moment, though such denouements may be cheap.

3. Deus ex machina does not refer to a natural deliverance, regardless of how abruptly it appears, by something already in the main character’s environment.

4. The antagonist losing by a technicality is usually a big letdown for the audience, but it’s not a deus ex machina.

5. The well-timed arrival of reinforcements to deliver the main character is perhaps a lazy way to end a story, but it is not necessarily a deus ex machina.

Deus ex machina can certainly not be applied to Scripture. The Bible was written by 40 authors over 1,500 years and contains over 1,700 precisely fulfilled prophecies in human history. For all its diversity, the Bible tells the unified story of Jesus through the eyewitness accounts of lawyers, tax collectors, kings, peasants, fishermen, scholars, the religious elite, shepherds, doctors, poets, songwriters, and many more. When Jesus appeared as the Savior of humanity, He was not a deus ex machina. There was nothing contrived, illogical, or improbable about the fact that He showed up—He was expected (see Luke 2:25–38). His crucifixion and resurrection were planned by God from before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 3:7–10). His coming had been prophesied for millennia, but He had always been part of the story. Then, “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4, ESV), He came.

We can trust God, the author of Scripture. He’s never used a deus ex machina to resolve anyone’s story. Including His own.