The notion that Jesus did not judge people for their sins is historically absurd. What he did do that the Pharisees didn’t was to communicate that God has a generous offer of forgiveness and empowerment for those who repent and believe.

There is no “good news” in the “He Gets Us” Superbowl commercial. Indeed, on their website the “He Gets Us” folk offer an anti-gospel message for “LGBTQ” persons.

I. No “Good News” in the “He Gets Us” Superbowl Commercial

The “He Gets Us” folk are not “wisely presenting the good news.” There is no “good news” in the message, because there is no “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). There is no message of Jesus’ transformative power to save lives by liberating people from a life under sin’s control.

It is that simple. “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet” is not the gospel message. Indeed, it is arguably an anti-gospel message because it is at best a truncated gospel, “another gospel,” which is always no gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).

You’ll note that the “He Gets Us” folk didn’t show any pictures of Christians washing the feet of racists or exploiters of the poor. That is because they know that such a scene would communicate that racists and economic exploiters don’t have to repent.

Calling racists and economic exploiters out for their sins rather than leaving them to decide for themselves whether they are sinning would not be “hate.” In steering clear of such images, the “He Gets Us” folk show that they know that their message of “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet” implies acceptance of sin.

The implication of the Superbowl commercial is that those who speak out against the culture’s pro-abortion and pro-“LGBTQ”-immorality message are “teaching hate” rather than “washing feet.” There is nothing in this ad that could not be said by vapid left-wing “liberal” or “woke” Christianity.

The notion that Jesus did not judge people for their sins is historically absurd. What he did do that the Pharisees didn’t was to communicate that God has a generous offer of forgiveness and empowerment for those who repent and believe.

II. The Anti-Gospel Website Message of “He Gets Us” for “LGBTQ” Persons

According to the “He Gets Us” website: “Many of those who represent Jesus have made people in the LGBTQ+ community feel judged and excluded. And others in the Jesus community have simply ignored their stories and lived experiences. So let us be clear in our opinion. Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people. The LGBTQ+ community, like all people, is invited to explore the story of Jesus and consider his example of unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness of others. No matter who you are, YOU are invited to explore the story of Jesus and consider what it means for your life.”

People do stand under divine judgment for behavior that dishonors the person created in God’s image (see Romans 1:18-3:20, 3:23 for that.) It is in the light of that judgment that we find grace. Grace is needed only when one realizes that the only hope is to return the offer of forgiveness and transformative Spirit-empowerment for those who turn from their sin to embrace the message of the gospel.

Nowhere does the Jesus of the Gospels entertain the “stories and lived experiences” of those pursuing a sinful identity. Jesus isn’t interested in the “stories and lived experiences of exploitative tax collectors and sexually immoral sinners, which would only perpetuate the sympathy for sin.

People have to repent of immoral lives, all the more so when their identity is defined by their immorality, an immorality that challenges the very foundation of sexual ethics as defined by Jesus.

All are welcome who follow this prescription and stand under the shadow of the cross. Jesus reaches out to “gay people” and “trans people” to leave a life of sexual immorality, offering them abundant forgiveness and transformative power in exchange. He doesn’t keep quiet about the necessity of knowing that they should “no longer be sinning, lest something worse happen to you.” Contrary to Jesus, the “He Gets Us” people thinks otherwise.

This article was posted on X.