“They shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.”

Psalm 22:31

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

Psalm 23:4

“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty…”

Psalm 24:7-8

The Wizard of Oz wasn’t the first movie in color—but it is often remembered that way. It was immersive storytelling to witness the sepia tones of black and white transform into color as Alice stepped into Oz. According to news reports in 1939, the audience “gasped and applauded.” Even those who knew it was coming. It was as though we had “never seen color before….” Even though this person had seen color in movies. 

And, perhaps the biggest twist of the storytelling was in the change the movie made from L. Frank Baum’s book. Dorothy’s slippers were silver in the book. Silver slippers wouldn’t cut it in this feature film where color was one of the characters. And Ruby Red slippers were born. Why is this more than a simple detail of the immersive world? Because great storytelling brings a payoff at the end.

These Ruby Red slippers take center stage almost as soon as Dorothy lands in Oz. And they become the portal for her to get home by the end.

This storytelling technique has a number of names. “Chekhov’s Gun,” named by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, is the principle that if a loaded gun is introduced in Act I, then it needs to go off in Act III. Another way this technique is described is the Plant and the Payoff. A detail, object, or character trait is shared early in the story (the plant) only to be utilized or explained later to bring about fulfillment, victory, or a satisfying moment. 

In Jaws, the danger of scuba tanks is planted early only to become the thing that is shot with the ensuing explosion, saving the day. In Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is shown to have skill in foraging and knowing what plants are edible and what are deadly. It is this skill that ultimately brings her victory. Back to the Future has a fundraiser to “save the clock tower” from its lightning strike, only to become the very lightning strike that saves Marty and Doc. 

The Ruby Red slippers—planted in the minds of the viewer in the first moments of Dorothy’s time in Oz and in the first moments of color saturating the screen—become the payoff. These slippers are the very thing that brings Dorothy home. 

This past weekend, we were caught up in the saving work of Jesus through the cross and the tomb. Our salvation and the glorification of Christ Jesus bring both gasps and applause. It brings us to our knees in shame and lifts up our hands in praise. This is the Three Days. This is the cross. This is Easter. 

And, if we ever thought that our God was just pulling things together on a wing and a prayer—look at the plant and the payoff. The greatest payoff in human history.

Psalms 22, 23, and 24 are often understood to be the Psalms of Holy Week—more specifically Triduum, the Three Days. This is because they have rightly been recognized as the plant in God’s divine storytelling. While the exact date of their writing is impossible to know, scholars believe it was roughly 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus.

And yet, the 22nd psalm walks us through the powerful scene of God’s saving work as Jesus hangs from the cross. It recounts 3 of the last “words” of Jesus: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me; My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaw; and he has done it. This psalm speaks to bones being out of joint—a typical reality for those who were crucified. The guards cast lots for his clothes. There are so many historical and theological connections. Including the most important one—Psalm 22 is a lament. It is a crying out in deep anguish. But, it is also a psalm of victory. It is a declaration of God’s sovereignty, even in the face of overwhelming darkness and hardship. This is our lament as well.

Psalm 23rd has often been the psalm of comfort offered throughout life. And most especially in death. It is recited at funerals. It offers a word of hope and a fullness of Christ’s peace. We lean into the hope of this psalm as Jesus is laid into the garden tomb. And, we lean into the hope of this psalm as Jesus does not rest while in the tomb. He descends into the valley of the shadow of death. Holy Saturday is the day that Jesus harrows hell. He releases the captives and lets the prisoners free. If the whole story is a rescue mission—this is when Jesus pulls you out of the depths and places you in the lifeboat. You and I were sinking—but here Jesus raises you up and sets you on solid ground. In Jesus, death is no longer the same threat. It is a shadow of what it once was. This is our hope and the cry of victory. 

When was the last time a shadow hurt you?

And, finally, the payoff that is fulfilled and the payoff we await to be fulfilled upon the return of Jesus. Psalm 24 is the triumphant psalm of victory. It is the coronation of our King as he comes to take His rightful place. This is Easter. This is Jesus. This is your salvation foretold. And it was written 1,000 years before it came to pass. The divine Creator was weaving the story of salvation from the first breaths of the universe. 

Happy Easter. 

Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

Read through Psalm 22, 23, and 24 with your heart towards the resurrection.