He Gets Us?

There is a campaign taking the country by storm right now called the “He Gets Us” campaign. It is likely that you will see them showing up on a billboard, on your social media feed, or advertising on your favorite television show. The stated goals of this campaign are to “increase the respect and personal relevancy of Jesus” and “encourage Christians to follow the example of Jesus in how they treat other people” according to a human interest article on the website people.com that you can verify here if you so desire. On their website they share stories about Jesus, stating things like “Jesus invited everyone to sit at his table,” “Jesus was a refugee,” or “Jesus didn’t feel welcomed by religious people either.” I write about this campaign as a warning.

Let me first say that you can likely go to their webpage and read what they write, and initially might feel like what they say seems to have a ring of truth. Jesus, after all, under the leadership of Joseph who was following instructions by God fled to Egypt to avoid being killed. Jesus did sit with people of all stripes, and was condemned by the era’s leading religious leaders. In other words, what they say is not overtly untrue, however, what they are presenting is a Jesus that is a far cry from what the Scripture reveals.

For example, Jesus did not flee to Egypt in order to identify with refugees, rather that was to fulfill Scripture. Jesus did eat with sinners, but He also called those sinners to repentance. Jesus was hated by the religious elite of His day, but the religious elite were hypocrites who were not following God’s Word. In fact, the religious leaders hated Jesus because Jesus did not adhere to their manmade standards of morality and was a threat to their power, but Jesus said many times the people should obey God’s Word as many of those religious elites would say. He Gets Us may seem harmless, and perhaps some would say it may even be beneficial to bring forth more conversation about Jesus. After all, more conversation and thinking about Jesus cannot be a bad thing, can it?

...more conversation and thinking about Jesus cannot be a bad thing, can it?

Let me use an illustration from the Old Testament to help us a little bit. The Israelites were miraculously brought out of slavery in Egypt, through the Red Sea, and now Moses has ascended the mountain to receive the law of God. The people, however, are restless and concerned Moses is not coming back, so they choose to gather together gold that they had, and they had a lot of it given to them by the Egyptians, and Aaron melted it all down and fashioned a molten calf. The people’s response to the calf was this, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4, Legacy Standard Bible). Idolatry was apparent, but then look what Aaron does in the very next verse, “And Aaron looked and built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.’” Now, you might think, how could they hold a feast to Yahweh after this idolatrous act, but the reality is that the people of Israel created this molten calf out of gold and were now declaring that this calf was Yahweh. In other words, they made a graven image that they worshiped and claimed it was the very God, Yahweh, who had delivered them. They kept the name, but changed to whom the name belonged.

This is exactly what the people behind He Gets Us are doing, they are keeping the name, Jesus, but they are changing the One to whom it belongs. Instead of calling people to repent and get in line with Jesus, they are fashioning a Jesus that the people will like. After all, who would not want a god who is just like them, who understands what they have been through, and therefore excuses your life choices because He has been there and does not mind. After all, He gets you as you are.

Now, it is true, Jesus does understand, and what He understands, what He gets about us, is we hate Him, we are enemies of Him, we rebel against Him, and we reject Him. Jesus gets that all too well. Jesus also understands that He has offered His grace, given His life to save people from wrath, and they still spurn Him and seek to make Him into an image more palatable to their liking. Jesus understands all of this, and rather then bring comfort to the sinner, it ought to terrify them. Jesus was tempted in every way we are, but it was all without sin, without sinful desires. Jesus showed the way for mankind to live in light of all temptation, and mankind would rather live sinfully and continue in their rejection of Him. Mankind would rather that Jesus repent and become like them then have to repent themselves and conform their lives to Jesus.

He Get Us is a false teacher teaching about a different Jesus, and a different gospel. The moment we seek to correct people about this false view, the vitriol comes forward that we cannot possibly know Jesus because there is no way, in their mind, Jesus could be wrathful. When you tear down someone’s idol, attack their god, they will defend their god. The worst thing about it is that instead of making their own god, they try to attach themselves with Jesus, with Christianity. This is the very definition of an antichrist (Note, I used a little “a”).

Mankind would rather that Jesus repent and become like them then have to repent themselves and conform their lives to Jesus.

I thank God that He is all wise, and in His sovereignty, although I am frustrated with this campaign, He has allowed it to go forth. Perhaps among your friends and family, someone might bring it up to you. Be prepared, not to condemn the campaign so much, but be prepared to bring correction to who the real Jesus is, the Jesus revealed by God in His Word. Be prepared to teach them of God’s wrath, and God’s grace. To teach them of the punishment they deserve and the fact that Jesus Himself will take their punishment for them if they come to Him.

We serve a great Savior, who saves us from the worst wrath possible, His own wrath. Let’s exalt Christ, not bring Him down to man’s level. Let’s not be ashamed of Christ, the stakes are too high.