We know them as The Beatles. Paul, John, Ringo and George, the English rock band stars that were active throughout the 1960s and on of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music.1 Now I have to admit, I have always enjoyed listening to The Beatles. They had a sound that revolutionized the music industry. One of the more fascinating tidbits about The Beatles is that they were actually the opening act in England for Roy Orbison, another one of my favorite musicians.
One of my favorite songs from John Lennon and Paul McCartney is “Help!”. I believe that the words are quite telling of how people really do need help. Read some of the lyrics from the song:
Help, I need somebody.
Help, not just anybody.
Help, you know I need someone, help.
When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody’s help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured,
Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors.
Help me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won’t you please, please help me.
And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I just need you like I’ve never done before.
Did you catch it? Here’s a couple of guys who wrote this song and they are crying out for help. Granted, it makes for a catchy tune and I would suspect that neither of them would attest to needing anybody’s help. After all, as John Lennon put it, “We’re more famous than Jesus Christ!”
But this is the tragedy of it all. The Beatles are one of the most famous musical groups to ever grace the world and they truly did need help. No, they didn’t really need the help of a manager or producer. I believe they would have figured things out on their own as far as the music industry is concerned. The true help they needed was from the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that Lennon was mocking, for that matter, all of The Beatles.
And this is the cry of the world! “Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody! Help! You know I need somebody! Heeeeeeelp!”
There was another fellow that was seeking the same kind of help. His name was Nicodemus. You remember him from John 3:1-21. He was seeking to know who the Lord Jesus was and the Lord revealed Himself to Nicodemus. We find later in the Gospel of John that it was this same Nicodemus that helped Joseph of Arimathea tend to the body of the Lord after He died on the Cross (John 19:39). Nicodemus needed “somebody” and it wasn’t just “anybody” that he needed. He needed the Savior of the world—the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, all of us need the exact same Helper!
As we come into the Christmas season, let’s remember that there are many who crying, “Help!” And as we remember those who are crying for help, let’s remember that we have the responsibility to tell them to Whom they should turn to for help. Our responsibility is to tell them, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
1 Unterberger, Richie (2009a). "Biography of The Beatles". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
