Warmest Christmas Greeting to our Church family and Friends of Heritage,
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what AI (Artificial Intelligence) had to say about Christmas and the birth of Christ. That being said, I wanted to share my findings with you. AI was asked to write a Christmas Sermon about Christmas and what I found was interesting but without SOUL AND SPIRIT, only just the facts with a few references from some historical figures and what they had to say about Christmas.
Artificial Intelligence failed to reference man’s condition and his inability to redeem himself. In fact, the machine left out the plight of man and the need for a Savior in the first place. Reading over it after a lifetime of total dependence on a God of Miracles, I did not sense the need for a change or the darkness that ruled the night. There was no mention of the shepherds in the field of Boaz, which also played a great part in tying the ages together when it comes to a widow named Ruth, who providentially lived to become a part of the lineage of Jesus. In AI’s message there was so much left out that only a lost but transformed soul could understand. There was no need for a Savior. There was no need for an angel of the Lord and the glory of the Lord to appear and say, “Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” There was no need for a choir of Angelic host to praise God and say: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace good will toward men.”
Micah the prophet could see more from the long ago past then AI could see in the present. Micah prophesied what only AI could speak about from the Biblical record:
But you, Bethlehem, David’s country,
the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He’ll be no upstart, no pretender.
His family tree is ancient and distinguished.
Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes
until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,
and the scattered brothers
come back home to the family of Israel.
He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God’s strength,
centered in the majesty of God-Revealed. – Micah 5:2-4 MSG
There are so many ways to study the Bible. F.E. Marsh in his book HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE SHOWS, sixty-six ways a person can study the Word of God. I have put this to practice for over fifty years and recommend it to those who really want to get to know the stories and sequence of the Bible.
It is in this in-depth research of scripture one can really find the remarkable patterns that lead us like Wise Men from a far into the purpose, passion, pursuit, providential unveiling of the Lordship of Jesus the Son of God. Remember He was named Jesus. His earthly name to deliver mankind from their sins. Yes, it was quite an event the night that Jesus was born, and no one has ever topped His story. No one else can say they were Born of a virgin; it is still the news story of the ages. AI overlooked that in the sermon (IT) was asked to write. You will have to admit with me that the news story of all times was overlooked by the masses. AI mentioned the Virgin Birth as a notion, but not necessarily as the Hope of Mankind:
“The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.” – John 1:14 MSG
Jesus was very God, very Man. And we hid as it were our faces from Him. However, there will be a day that every eye shall behold Him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Yes, from a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, to His Grave clothes neatly wrapped and laying in His burial crypt, and finally being, “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God”. Revelation 19:13
He is referred to as the Lamb of God 13 times in the book of Revelations. It is appropriate in that He was born in a manger visited by Shepherds on the night of His birth and is paid homage to in the book of Revelations by THE SONG OF MOSES AND THE LAMB.
AI seemed to overlook some of these connector verses and the absolute despair of humanity without hope in a fallen world. There are a lot of THEREFORE’S IN THE SCRIPTURE:
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35
Paul wraps up the story for us:
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11 MSG
Cleddie Keith