The Northwest Passage.

The search for the Northwest Passage refers to centuries of exploration and expeditions, conducted by various explorers and nations to find a navigable sea route through the Arctic that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Northwest Passage was a highly sought-after route during the Age of Exploration, as it promised a faster and more direct trade route between Europe and Asia, avoiding the long and dangerous journey around the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn) or the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope).

The idea of a Northwest Passage dates to the early 16th century when European explorers began searching for a route to Asia through the North American continent. Many believed that such a passage existed, and they ventured into the Arctic in hopes of finding it.

Explorers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries like John Cabot, Martin Frobisher, Sir Francis Drake, and Henry Hudson all tried and failed. In the 19th century, the search for the Northwest Passage intensified, and several expeditions were launched, including the famous Franklin Expedition led by Sir John Franklin. However, most of these early attempts, including Franklin’s, ended in disaster, as the harsh Arctic conditions, ice, and other obstacles proved insurmountable.

Sir John Franklin, a seasoned Arctic explorer, set sail from England with two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and a crew of 129 men. However, the expedition encountered difficulties and was trapped in the ice of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in 1846. Despite their best efforts, the crew was unable to escape the ice, and they were forced to abandon their ships in April 1848. The entire expedition perished during their journey southward, likely due to exposure, starvation, and other hardships.

Once it became clear that the Franklin Expedition was overdue, several search and rescue missions were launched to find them. The Admiralty in London organized numerous expeditions in the 1850s to locate Franklin and his crew, and private expeditions were also sponsored by families and friends of the missing crew members.

In 1859, Sir Francis McClintock led an expedition that discovered traces of the Franklin Expedition on King William Island, including a land marker containing a message stating the ships had been abandoned and Franklin had died in 1847. McClintock also found evidence of the crew’s desperate attempts to survive.

In 2014 and 2016, both ships were finally located in the Canadian Arctic, providing valuable insight into the fate of the Franklin Expedition, and shedding further light on one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of Arctic exploration.

Although the search for Sir John Franklin stretched over 12 years and used hundreds of men, it was not the greatest manhunt ever organised. Twenty centuries ago, God started a bigger manhunt than that.

He sent His son, Jesus, into the world to “seek and saved the lost,” in the icy wilderness of sin. That search is still going on today, and tens of thousands of Christians are helping in the search. They are looking in every continent and island on earth. They are scouring the remotest jungles and searching the widest desserts.

Has Jesus found you yet? Have you been born again into His family. If so, then you should have also joined the greatest manhunt the world has ever seen.