Is the “He Gets Us” ad campaign biblical?

Brief Answer

The “He Gets Us” ad campaign seeks to portray Jesus as relatable and compassionate, emphasizing His understanding of human struggles. While the campaign highlights the empathy and love of Jesus, its biblical alignment depends on how it conveys key truths about Jesus’ identity, His purpose, and the gospel message. A biblical portrayal of Jesus goes beyond His compassion to include His holiness, call to repentance, and role as Savior. It’s essential to consider how the campaign balances Jesus’ relatability with His call for transformation.

Understanding the “He Gets Us” Campaign from a Biblical Perspective

The Purpose of the Campaign

The “He Gets Us” campaign was created to communicate that Jesus understands and relates to human experiences, appealing to those who may feel distant from traditional Christianity. It emphasizes Jesus’ humanity—His experience of emotions, struggles, and relationships—and aims to draw people toward a connection with Jesus by showing that He “gets” us.

• Focus on Empathy: The campaign emphasizes Jesus’ ability to understand our trials and challenges, as He lived as a human and faced suffering, betrayal, and hardship.
• Relational Approach: This message resonates with those who might feel misunderstood or isolated, pointing them toward a relatable Savior.

Biblical Support for Jesus’ Empathy

Scripture affirms that Jesus fully understands our experiences and sympathizes with our struggles:

• Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
• John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” This moment reveals Jesus’ compassion for others, showing His empathy for human grief and loss.

These verses underscore that Jesus truly understands human emotions, having lived a human life. The campaign’s message of Jesus’ empathy aligns with biblical teaching, emphasizing that Jesus relates to our pain and understands our experiences firsthand.

Historical Context: Jesus’ Compassion and Truth

Throughout His ministry, Jesus demonstrated compassion toward those who were marginalized, hurting, or lost. He welcomed sinners, healed the sick, and shared meals with tax collectors and outcasts (Luke 5:30-32). Yet, He always did so within the context of calling people toward repentance and a deeper relationship with God.

In Jesus’ time, religious leaders often distanced themselves from “sinners.” Jesus, however, showed a different approach, one that balanced empathy with truth, making it clear that following Him meant transformation (Matthew 16:24-25). This context is important to keep in mind as we assess whether modern representations of Jesus in campaigns like “He Gets Us” reflect the full biblical portrait of Christ.

Practical Implications

Understanding Jesus as relatable has significant implications for believers today, as it:

• Opens Doors for Evangelism: Portraying Jesus as approachable and understanding can reach people who feel alienated from church or traditional religious expressions.
• Encourages Vulnerability with God: Recognizing Jesus as someone who “gets us” encourages believers to be honest with Him, knowing that He understands their struggles and weaknesses.
• Challenges Us to Show Compassion: Jesus’ empathy for humanity calls us to demonstrate genuine care and love for others, reflecting His compassion.

However, it is also crucial to communicate Jesus’ full identity—His call to repentance, His authority as Lord, and His redemptive work on the cross.

Theological Depth and Insight

Balancing Empathy with Truth

While the “He Gets Us” campaign effectively highlights Jesus’ empathy, a biblical understanding of Jesus goes beyond His humanity to include His divine nature and mission:

• Jesus as Lord and Savior: Jesus not only empathizes with human suffering but also offers the ultimate solution—salvation. The Bible emphasizes that He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
• Call to Transformation: Jesus invites people to follow Him, which requires change and commitment. He doesn’t merely “get us” in our brokenness but invites us to a new life in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In presenting Jesus, it’s essential to convey both His love and His call to repentance. When focusing solely on His empathy without including His divine authority, there’s a risk of presenting a partial view of Jesus that lacks the transformative power of the gospel.

The Cross: The Ultimate Act of Empathy and Redemption

While Jesus’ life demonstrates understanding and compassion, His ultimate expression of “getting us” was His death on the cross. He fully took on the weight of human sin, suffering, and separation from God to provide a way for reconciliation (1 Peter 2:24). This is the heart of the gospel message, showing that Jesus not only understands but also redeems us.

Broader Biblical Themes

The theme of Jesus’ empathy is woven throughout Scripture, but so are His holiness, justice, and call to follow Him wholeheartedly:

• Holiness and Repentance: Jesus frequently called people to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). Emphasizing Jesus’ empathy without including His call to transformation can risk diminishing His holiness.
• Restoration and Healing: Jesus came not only to sympathize but to restore. The Bible speaks of Jesus bringing spiritual and physical healing, calling people from death to life (John 10:10).
• Lordship of Christ: Jesus is not only our Friend and Comforter but also our Lord and King. Philippians 2:9-11 reminds us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,” underscoring His authority and divinity.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit works to reveal Jesus’ full identity to believers, helping them understand and experience His compassion, as well as His authority:

• Convicting of Sin: The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), guiding people to a relationship with Jesus that goes beyond mere empathy.
• Revealing Truth: The Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth, providing a fuller understanding of Jesus’ life, teachings, and call to follow Him fully (John 16:13).
• Empowering Witness: The Spirit empowers believers to share the gospel message, balancing compassion with truth.

Through the Spirit, believers are equipped to represent Jesus accurately, sharing not only His understanding but also His power to save and transform.

Relevance for Today’s Christian

For Christians today, the “He Gets Us” campaign highlights both opportunities and challenges:

• Opportunity to Share Christ’s Love: The campaign’s focus on Jesus’ empathy can resonate with people who feel distant from God, offering an entry point to talk about His compassion and love.
• Challenge to Present the Full Gospel: Believers are called to share Jesus in His entirety, emphasizing His love alongside His holiness and the need for repentance.
• Encouragement to Live Out Christ’s Compassion: The campaign reminds Christians that Jesus was not only compassionate but also actively engaged in people’s lives. We are called to love others as He loved us, showing kindness, empathy, and truth.

Connection to Jesus Christ and God’s Love

The heart of the gospel is that Jesus doesn’t just “get us” on a human level—He loves us enough to save us from our sin and offer us eternal life. His life, death, and resurrection reveal a profound love that meets us in our brokenness and invites us into new life. Jesus’ compassion and His call to follow Him are inseparable aspects of His love. A biblical view of Jesus reminds us that God’s love includes both empathy and transformation, offering hope and restoration to all who believe in Him.

Bible Characters Reflecting Christ’s Compassion and Truth

• The Samaritan Woman: Jesus met the woman at the well with empathy, engaging in a personal conversation and understanding her situation (John 4:4-26). Yet, He also spoke truthfully, addressing her sin and inviting her to worship in spirit and truth.
• Zacchaeus: Jesus showed kindness to Zacchaeus, a tax collector, by spending time with him. This compassion led Zacchaeus to repentance and transformation (Luke 19:1-10).
• Nicodemus: Jesus welcomed Nicodemus’ questions, patiently explaining the need for spiritual rebirth, yet firmly presenting the truth about entering the kingdom of God (John 3:1-21).

Each of these encounters reflects Jesus’ balance of compassion and truth, showing that He “gets us” while also calling us to a new way of life.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. How can I better communicate both Jesus’ compassion and His call to transformation in my interactions with others?
2. In what ways does focusing on Jesus’ empathy help me relate to Him more personally?
3. How can I ensure that my understanding of Jesus includes His holiness, not just His humanity?
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping me share the full gospel message?
5. How can I follow Jesus’ example by showing compassion to others while also lovingly sharing God’s truth?

Reflecting on these questions encourages believers to consider the depth of Jesus’ character and mission. While it is important to present Jesus as relatable and empathetic, it’s equally essential to honor His call to repentance and His role as Savior. In balancing these aspects, we share a fuller, biblical picture of Jesus that meets people’s needs and invites them into a transforming relationship with God.