Master in the Manger!

Scripture: Luke 5:5

But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net" (NKJV).

Introduction: It's so easy, during the Christmas season, to visualize Jesus Christ as the lowly child in the manger, surrounded by sheep and cattle, sleeping peacefully on a bed of hay; and to forget that lying there in that rugged feed bin is the King of the Ages, the God of Time and Space, and the Master of the Universe. The word master has fallen out of use, perhaps because of its deplorable connotations from the era of American slavery. But, it is a biblical word that we should use regarding the Christ Child. He bids us call Him Master. "Ye call me Master and Lord," Jesus said in John 13:13 (KJV), "and ye say well; for so I am."

The word Master occurs 54 times in the gospels (NKJV) and was one of Peter's favorite ways of addressing Christ:

Master, we have toiled all night--Luke 5:5
Master, Master, we are perishing!--Luke 8:24
Master, the multitudes throng and press you--Luke 8:45
Master, it is good for us to be here--Luke 9:33

What does this word imply? It calls forth the whole attitude of the soul towards our beloved Lord.

1. Love. For forty-three years, at one minute after midnight on Christmas Eve, Bert Holloway of Cambridge, England has handed his wife, Ethel a love letter. The gift is a tradition that they started when they were married. Mrs. Holloway says she treasures all the love letters from her husband.

During this Christmas season, find new ways of expressing your undying love to the Master. Christmas is a time when we should express our love for God, because He has expressed His love for us in the gift of His Son. We love Him because He first loved us. We are dazzled when we glimpse His love--the love that sent Him from Heaven's doorway to Earth's woes--and we are overwhelmed with our unworthiness of it. Our eyes fill and our heart heave. Sometimes the tide rises too high for verbal prayer or praise and we have to be silent in love—the very silence being an echo of the eternal depth of calmness of His exceeding great love. Only one word does not interrupt the still music of such a moment--Master.

2. Adoration. Breathing of His name is all we can do to express the unexplainable recognition of His glory. Already He is admired in all them that believe with the admiration of astonishment.

"We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, and we give thanks to You for Your great glory."

We are saying all that when we but utter that single word Master.

3. Allegiance. The true utterance of the word Master is the very oath of allegiance. We cannot, must not, dare not; will not henceforth serve two masters nor many masters.

4. Confidence. We have found one whom we can trust implicitly, and rest upon entirely. We have put our lives into His hand. We have burned the bridge behind us, because we are quite sure He is the captain of our salvation. We have entered His service forever. We have given our allegiance unreservedly, because we confide in Him unreservedly. There is no question about it. We know whom we have believed, and therefore we say, "Master!"

5. Obedience. All is a mockery without this. Not only our lips, but our lives must say, "Master!" And by His grace, we shall say it; the name shall be inscribed on every page of our lives. This is the test, the fruit, and the love. But, oh, how sweet to know that as we pledge our obedience to Him, so He enables us to obey by His grace and Spirit in our lives.

Conclusion: Jesus Christ is the Master in the manger. He demands and deserves--and shall have--our love, adoration, allegiance, confidence, and obedience this holiday season and always.

Jesus warned about trying to serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). Come today and say to the Master: "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee."