It was a beautiful springtime evening and Mr. Jones had hopes of a nice, smooth overnight ride as he drove his car aboard the ferryboat Marine Atlantica for the 96-mile crossing over the Cabot Strait from Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. In the back of his mind, however, was the thought that this was not the best time of the year to make the crossing, due to drifting ice problems. Each spring the St. Lawrence River breaks up and sends its heavy ice out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This often plays tricks on boats and ships traveling these waters.
The trip was quiet and smooth for the first hour or two, so Mr. Jones settled in for a little sleep.
Suddenly... he was awakened by a grinding sound and felt the ferry shake and lurch as it began to pound its way through an ice field. (These ferryboats are built for this task.) However, to his concern, the ferry soon was forced to a stop.
“Are we stuck?” he wondered. No, the ferry backed up, and then pushed forward again with a ramming drive through the ice. Some distance was gained before the ice again forced the ferry to a stop. The ferry continued this backward and forward travel for a surprising amount of time.
For Mr. Jones and the other passengers, sleep by now was out of the question! “Will we make it?... will we get through?” they all wondered.
No! They finally came to a complete halt! The ice won out! The wind pushing against the drifting ice field held the ferryboat in a vice-like grip. The captain shut down the engines. He could do nothing more.
What a reminder this is of how helpless we are. Every man, woman and child born into this world is “born in sin and shapers in iniquity.” We have no power to free ourselves from sin. But then comes the sweet ray of sunlight: “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6).
By now it was early morning and beginning to get light. Every direction they looked, the passengers could only see the white of the widespread ice field... no other ships... no sight of land. How helpless they felt! What about getting to North Sydney? What about this day’s plans? Needless to say, Mr. Jones and the other passengers were filled with uncertainty. We have sometimes heard that “man’s disappointments are God’s appointments.” “Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man.” Job 33:2929Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, (Job 33:29).
After another two or three hours of waiting, some thought they heard the sound of a plane. Sure enough... away up high a coast guard helicopter was coming, sent out by an icebreaker boat to find the ferryboat. Help was on the way! Someone had known they were in trouble.
Boys and girls, do you know that the Lord Jesus has His eye upon you as a poor, helpless sinner in this world? He loves man, whom He created... but He doesn’t love his sins. “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Psalms 14:2,32The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:2‑3).
Finally, on the horizon the passengers could see a ship coming. Everybody was so happy and relieved. As they waited for the rescue ship to arrive, Mr. Jones, who loves the Lord Jesus, overheard a father tell his young son, “They are coming to save us.” What do you think crossed Mr. Jones’s mind? He was thinking of how the Lord Jesus first came into the world as a baby. His reason for coming — “He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21). The Lord Jesus obeyed His Father’s will — He came all the way to the cross of Calvary to meet us in our need.
The John A. McDonald coast guard icebreaker was a happy sight as it plowed open a path through the ice. Hear that sound! Cracking, rumbling, ice breaking up in every direction — nothing could stop the icebreaker! It was able —just as we know the Lord Jesus “is able... to save them... that come unto God by Him.” Hebrews 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25). Its hull was bright red, making it easy for the helicopter to see it from the air —another reminder of the great cost of our redemption — nothing less than “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:1919But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:19).
Then, to the eager interest of all the passengers, the icebreaker made a complete circle around the ferry, breaking up the ice, setting it free from its ice prison. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36). What happy, what wonderful freedom for those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour! They are free from their prison of sin!
Happiness and relief showed on the faces of all the passengers (we hope they were thankful, too) as the engines of the ferry were once again started.
“But wait... " thought Mr. Jones, “Where is the icebreaker going?... will they leave us?... what if we get stuck again?” His fears didn’t last long, for the icebreaker, without stopping, took the lead and broke open a path for the ferryboat all the way to the open waters of North Sydney! “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:55Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)), said the Lord Jesus. He is an all-the-way-home Saviour!
Can you imagine how glad Mr. Jones and the other passengers were to drive their cars off the ferryboat and onto the solid ground of Nova Scotia?
ML-05/03/1987