Raymond Golsworthy
Who is there to help us?
Who can solve our problem?
Who can meet the need of the hour?
Who can save the nations from disaster and from pending doom?
And Who is there that understands my lot?
Who can make me the kind of man I want to be?
Who can save my marriage?
Who can satisfy my longings?
Who can make my children what I want them to be?
Who? Who? Who?
These are the questions that are being asked everywhere today. Humanity itself is crying out, “Bring me the man, the man who has the answer, the man who is the answer.”
And, once again, the dear old Bible (old yet ever new) is the Book that helps us. The answer flows like a river of light from the pen of Peter, the revered apostle. In his first epistle there are three shining verses, each of which begins with the little word ‘who’. Peter is speaking of a Person, a living Person, a Person whom he knows. His eyes have seen Him, his hands have handled Him, and his heart has loved Him. Peter is telling us of Christ: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22); “Who, when He suffered, threatened not” (verse 23); “Who bare our sins in His body on the tree” (verse 24).
Here, beyond all doubt, is the Man for this dark hour, the Man for every hour, the end for every human quest, the answer to every human agony.
Notice, firstly, this Christ is the Sinless One: ”Who did no sin”. This, of course, is basic, else is He the victim of the ills He seeks to cure. Morally He is above, hence His power to lift, to lift the individual, to lift the family, to lift the nation from the moral cesspool into which we all have fallen; for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7). Thank God, Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Notice, please, His actions were perfect and His words as well were perfect. How different from ourselves, for probably we sin with our lips more than in any other way. But not so Christ! This is a matter of recorded history: “Never man spake like this Man” (John. 7.46). Here is One who can stand in the midst of muttering and murderous enemies and say with royal dignity, “Which of you convinceth Me of sin?” (John 8:46). Even Pilate had to say, “I find no fault in Him” (Luke 23:4). and the verdict of unprejudiced humanity from that day forward has been: “The spotless Lamb”. Herein, we say, is His power to lift. And that is what we need.
Secondly, Peter hurries on to speak of Christ, the Suffering One, ”Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23). The impetuous apostle knew it all, even though, to his shame, he had viewed it from afar.
Who could describe the sufferings of this glorious person, this God incarnate? Nails through His hands and feet. The crown of thorns pressed upon His head. His wounded side, redeeming love suspended on a tree outside the city wall. Blood flowing, enemies mocking, and every fibre of His being aching beneath the scorching sun. His few disciples have fled from Him and even his Father’s face is turned away, simply because our sins. All these sufferings, like an awful shroud, have descended on Him. Yet, even in these sufferings He remains untarnished and simply commits Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. He is the sufferer unspoiled.
Thirdly and lastly, He is the Sin-bearing One, for Peter concludes by saying He is the one, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). This, in fact, is the very heart of Peter’s message, and Peter was one who needed it himself, for he himself had failed Christ grievously. Thank God for one Who bore our sins!
And so must it be for all mankind. Our cries for help, in any area of human need, can only be answered on the basis of atonement, we need a sin-bearer. And Christ is that sin-bearer. He bore your sins, dear brother, your every sin and mine as well. He suffered in our stead, glory to his Name.
The poet puts it thus:
O Christ what burdens bowed thy head!
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinners stead,
Didst bear all ill for me.
A victim lead, thy blood was shed;
Now there’s no load for me.
Centuries before, God’s prophet foreseeing the event, had written. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,… and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:6).
Here, then, is the one who meets the need of lost humanity, who answers all our questions, and is Himself the answer. To our enquiry, “Who can help us?” God simply points to Christ and says, “He can”. Heaven pleads with us to come to Christ, to trust Him humbly and prove Him for ourselves. Our own hearts tell us this is true. Personally, domestically, socially and nationally Christ himself is the complete and only answer. Sinners who humble themselves and genuinely repent, taking Him as Lord, are born again and from that point forward everything is new. God’s Spirit streams upon such hearts and from such hearts the blessing spreads. Out from our inmost being flow rivers of living water. (Ezek. 36:26; John 7:38).
Thank God, Peter’s message does not end at the cross. In the very next verse (1 Pet. 2:25) Peter speaks of a living Christ, risen from the dead. He is our powerful shepherd and bishop of our souls. So we do not simply look at the wooden cross and hear the cries of agony; we look beyond and see the heavenly throne and hear the shout of victory. And in that victory we triumph. Christ risen is our answer.
At this solemn hour of human history we say to you, “Look up to Christ; cry out to Him”. His blood can wash your every stain and his risen life, entering within, can make you new. He is doing this miracle in every land today. And He will do it for you, wherever you may be and whoever you may be. But you must touch Him, if even the border of his garment. And you can do it by faith, right now.
You have been saying, “Who can help us?” From personal experience we tell you, Jesus can!
“For as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:12).