We human beings are by nature “seekers.” Our God created us with minds. We are, therefore, naturally curious and seek answers to our questions. Our God created us with bodies. We, therefore, have physical needs and seek thefulfillment of those needs. We at times refer to people as “pleasure-seekers” or “thrill-seekers.” Such people undertake activities that involve a good deal of risk and sometimes get hurt in pursuit of pleasures and thrills.

The Epiphany season of the church year is centered around Jesus’ glory as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. This has been revealed to us for our salvation. We see that this week in the events of Jesus’ baptism byJohn in the Jordan River. This remarkable event records for us God the Father’sproclamation of Jesus as the Son of God and His Chosen Servant in whom He iswell pleased. This is a powerful revelation of glory, to say the least! However,there was a second wonder that took place at the same time. It was theappearing of the Holy Spirit in visible form, resting upon Jesus and abidingwith Him. John the Baptist had been told to watch for this as a mark that thisperson was indeed the Christ who had come into the world. This element bringsus a powerful message concerning Jesus’ ministry. We are informed here not onlyof the glory of God in Christ but also of the Holy Spirit’s role in directing,empowering, and blessing the life and ministry of Jesus. We are informed hereas well about others chosen as God’s people to reveal His glory of salvation tothe world. Our text this morning takes us back to God choosing and thenanointing David, Jesus’ ancestor, to fulfill his role in leading God’s peopleto this central event in world history. This central event is when David’s Sonand David’s Lord would be introduced to the world as the Christ, the ChosenServant of the LORD.

We are in the early days of winter, the days when darkness has the upper hand. The nights are long, so thatmany of us go to sleep in darkness and awake in darkness. These hours of darkness are alreadyshortening, day by day; darkness is gradually giving way to the light. But in the fall the process will begin again,with darkness overtaking the light. Sothe darkness in nature advances and recedes, but it never completely goes away.

This darkness in the natural world is a reminder that there is another kind of darkness in thisworld: spiritual darkness. This is thedarkness that is the absence of spiritual light, the absence of the Savior Jesus Christ. He is the Light of theworld. Where He is known and believedthere is light and life. Where He is notknown or where He is rejected there is nothing but darkness and death. This world, infected by sin and with Satan asits god, is a dark place. The evidenceof its darkness we see all around us, and we see it every day.