Super Bowl ads rallied this year in my opinion. One in particular got my attention. It was early in the game, and the 60-second commercial included 12 images of people washing the feet of other people. After a few images, I caught on. These people held opposing ideologies, yet there they were in this act of humility and love.
The ad concluded with words on the screen: “Jesus Didn’t Teach Hate. Jesus Washed Feet. He Gets Us. All of Us.” That happens to be the name of a website where the video of the commercial can be found, along with more details about love, hate, Jesus and people. https://hegetsus.com
This organization also purchased ads in last year’s Super Bowl. Not cheap, right? That’s one of the reasons the ads drew criticism from liberals and conservatives, churched and unchurched, those who believe in Jesus and those who don’t. Even Christians themselves seem to be split on their endorsement of the ads.
Some say that the millions and millions of dollars spent on a Super Bowl ad could have fed millions of hungry people all over the world. Others have criticized the ads for being soft on sin, or making Jesus too much like us as if he’s not truly God. They say that the ads present Jesus as our “buddy” instead of as the real Christ. Others believe it’s an insult to Jesus if we depict people serving other people who are living in sin and disagree with his teachings.
I am still gathering my thoughts about all this. I will say that my initial reaction when I first saw the ad live during the Super Bowl, and as I’ve viewed it again since then, is that I really like it. Of course, I love 80’s music so the INXS song Never Tear Us Apart caught my attention as I connected the lyrics to the images on the screen. I think that’s intentional, don’t you?
Here’s one unarguable truth to consider as you think about all this. Jesus sparked controversy, even within the church. And he promised that when we follow him, we will spark controversy, too. Well, why exactly did Jesus spark controversy? Jesus once delivered a message to his critics. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’” (Luke 7:34).
The ones who insisted that Jesus should die for blasphemy hated him for his claims to be God, because their “God” would never, ever eat with tax collectors and sinners, like Jesus did. Their “God” would never break their Sabbath laws, like Jesus did. Their “God” would never offer unconditional forgiveness to prostitutes, like Jesus did.
In their eyes, Jesus was soft on sin, including his own sins of breaking the rules. He could not be true God!
Yet, by their bloody hands, Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as the victim of the hardest hit of violence for sin. He believed in the hard line of sin so much that he died for it, delivered by the justice of his Father on the cross. Jesus is not soft on sin, even when he washes the feet of his disciples—who committed their fair share of sins, right?
I searched “He Gets Us Super Bowl ad controversy” online, and discovered a plethora of media attention from conservative and liberal sources, both church-based and secular, including: National Public Radio, Wikipedia, Reddit, CNN, Fox News, Associated Press, BBC, MSNBC, Forbes, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, People, Newsweek, Yahoo, USA Today, The Huffington Post, New York Post and TikTok.
I do not expect any secular news sources to represent Jesus or his teachings accurately. Neither do I expect a 60-second commercial by a group of Christians to convert unbelievers to believers by presenting a complete course of Christian doctrine, or at least Christology, or sin and grace.
So one big question to ask is: Should we have these expectations? I encourage you to consider that question. As you do, take a look at the recent Super Bowl ad yourself.
https://youtu.be/94BqlDQ-Ppo?si=g8ltIdqlZRRzeXXQ
Explore further on the He Gets Us website for firsthand experience. Then, answer another big question: Who is their intended audience? It may not be you, and that makes a big difference. And maybe a smaller question, but a good one: What is their intended outcome?
PRAYER: Jesus, you washed feet that were dirty, not clean. Including mine, connected to my soul and dirty with sin. Thank you for saving me, and all sinners. Where there is division and strife, let it find an answer in your ultimate mission of saving sinners. I’m glad to be part of it. Amen.
TAKE IT FURTHER: Share the ad “Jesus Washed Feet” ad with some church people, and some friends who don’t go to church. Ask for their feedback. What did you learn?