Thursday, Dec 19

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:21 (NIV) – “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”

Message: Some have predicted that Time magazine will name Artificial Intelligence as its 2025 “Person of the Year.” A likely possibility? Maybe.

Except AI is not a person. Yet it has been the topic of the year in multiple professions, including mine. Writers and editors wonder if AI will replace their work. They wrestle with questions such as, “Is it ethical to have AI edit my article?”; “Could AI write this story better than me?”.

AI can do a lot, but because it is artificial, its intelligence comes only from human sources. This means there’s at least one story AI could never, would never, have written. It’s the story that begins with the announcement to a young virgin, Mary, of a child she would bear. A child conceived of the Holy Spirit. A child who would be the Son of the Most High God. A child who would grow up and die to save His people from their sins, then be raised from the dead on the third day. A child whose sacrificial death on a cross would give everlasting life to all who believe in Him.

It’s the story of Advent. The story of Christmas – and yes, the story of Easter too.

No, AI would never have written the gospel story. That story is impossible. Astounding. Fantastic. Even, you might say, unbelievable – except by grace through faith. On a human level, nothing about the good news of Christ is either artificial or intelligent. Instead, it’s all too real, and all too foolish.

This Christmas, let’s thank God that no intelligence, artificial or otherwise, created the blessed Gospel story. Let’s thank Him for an infant Messiah who became a suffering servant. Let’s thank Him for grace to believe the impossible – and to see Him continue to write His story through our lives in equally impossible ways.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the good news Your gospel brings me each day. Thank You for coming to earth as a helpless infant, for dying to save me from the wrong things I have done. Thank You that throughout this unbelievable and miraculous story, truth resounds. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Marti Pieper
Seneca Baptist Church
Seneca, South Carolina