As four of us were walking along the Cabrillo Beach pier, in the distance we noticed something dangling from the railing. We could see that it was moving. Coming closer, what we saw made us all feel sad.
A fisherman had tied a piece of fishing line to the railing of the pier with some bait attached to the hook. That bait looked like pretty good food to a seagull, and one had tried to snatch the bait and now was caught on the fish hook by its beak. As the seagull struggled to get loose from the hook, it lost its footing on the railing and was just hanging by its beak at the end of the fishing line. It was completely helpless and squawking for all it was worth.
Would you have rescued that seagull if you had been there? Some people might argue that there are thousands of seagulls flying around, and they are bothersome and annoying, especially on the beach. Why bother with one that was trying to steal some bait and got itself hooked? It’s just one less to irritate us.
I am so glad that the Lord Jesus didn’t have that attitude about sinners. As He looked down from heaven, what He saw were sinners in distress and helpless - hooked by their sins. But to Him each sinner had great value, and He loved them enough to help them.
You and I aren’t really so different from that seagull; both of us are unable to get free from what has captured us. But thankfully the Lord Jesus had a plan to set you and me free from our sins. And as we watched that seagull dangling from the fishing hook, we came up with a plan to set it free.
Coming close to the squawking gull, a lady in our group spoke quietly to the bird, then gently placed both her hands around it and held it firmly and closely to herself. The bird quieted down, perhaps sensing that it was being helped. And then one of the men slowly worked that fishhook out of the gull’s beak. Once it was out, the lady opened her arms, and the seagull was free.
And that is exactly what the Lord Jesus wants to do for you and me. As sinners we can’t do one thing to get free from our sins. No matter how hard we might work on it, it’s no use. The Bible says, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)). But our case is not hopeless, because Jesus’ wonderful love for you and me brought Him down here to rescue us from the punishment that we deserve for our sins. He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:1010The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)).
The Lord Jesus lived a sinless life and then was willing to lay down His life as a substitute for any sinner who wants to be set free from their sins. He endured God’s punishment against sin in those three hours of darkness as He hung on Calvary’s cross. He could have decided that we weren’t worth all that suffering and shame, but His deep love for you and me held Him to that cross, until He spoke those victorious words, “It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up [His spirit]” (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)). On the third day, God raised Him from the dead, and now He is alive and sitting at the right hand of His Father in heaven.
Freedom from our sins is available for you and me, but we must first admit to the Lord Jesus that we are truly sorry about our sins and need to be set free, and then accept Him as our very own Saviour. “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)).
As the seagull flew off, it looked back and squawked, as if to say, “Thank you.” What a lesson that is for those of us who are free from our sins. We should thank the Lord Jesus every day for loving us and setting us free.
ML-06/19/2005