The current cultural landscape has given rise to an attempt to make Jesus “relatable” in ways that are not only misleading but deeply troubling. A prime example is the “He Gets Us” campaign, which markets Jesus as a figure who empathizes with the struggles and challenges of contemporary life. While on the surface this might seem like a commendable effort to introduce Christ to a new generation, the theology underpinning this campaign is fundamentally flawed. As believers who hold to the authority of Scripture, we must confront this with truth and clarity.
Jesus Christ is not just a moral example or a comforting companion in our struggles. He is the living Son of God, the Savior of the world, who calls sinners to repentance and new life. The “He Gets Us” campaign misses the mark by presenting a partial and sometimes distorted view of who Jesus is, emphasizing His humanity at the expense of His divinity and reducing His mission to mere empathy. This is not the Jesus of the Bible, and we must call it out for what it is: a false teaching that misleads people and compromises the Gospel.
One of the most glaring issues with the campaign is its emphasis on Jesus’ humanity to the exclusion of His divinity. Yes, Jesus became fully human and experienced the struggles, pains, and emotions that we face. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” However, Jesus is not merely someone who “gets us” because He shared our experiences. He is also fully God, sovereign, holy, and perfect. His ability to sympathize with us is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning. His sinlessness and divine authority set Him apart, making Him not only a relatable figure but the only one capable of saving us from our sins. The campaign’s focus on relatability risks presenting Jesus as no different from any other human being who has faced hardship. This watered-down portrayal fails to capture the awe-inspiring reality of who Jesus truly is.
Furthermore, the campaign frequently portrays Jesus as a moral example and an advocate for social justice, which, while partially true, is incomplete. Jesus did indeed model perfect love, humility, and compassion. He reached out to the marginalized, healed the sick, and condemned hypocrisy. But His primary mission was not to promote a social agenda. It was to bring salvation to a lost and dying world. In Luke 19:10, Jesus declares, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” His life, death, and resurrection were not about creating a more equitable society but about reconciling humanity to God. The campaign’s emphasis on Jesus as a figure of inclusivity and social justice obscures the truth of the Gospel: that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance and to offer eternal life through faith in Him.
Another troubling aspect of the campaign is its portrayal of Jesus as someone who was “canceled” or misunderstood by society. While it is true that Jesus faced rejection, the reasons for His rejection are far deeper than mere societal misunderstanding. Jesus was rejected because He claimed to be the Son of God and called people to repent of their sins. In John 15:18-19, Jesus says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” The rejection Jesus faced was not simply because He challenged societal norms or upset the status quo; it was because His message confronted people with the truth of their sin and their need for salvation. To equate this with modern cancel culture is a gross oversimplification that trivializes the profound spiritual significance of Jesus’s mission and sacrifice.
The campaign’s emphasis on Jesus’s inclusivity is another area where it veers off course. Yes, Jesus welcomed sinners, tax collectors, and outcasts. He extended grace and compassion to those whom society had rejected. But His inclusivity was never about affirming people in their sin. Instead, it was always paired with a call to repentance and transformation. When Jesus saved the woman caught in adultery, He said to her, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Jesus’s love is not a permissive love that allows us to remain in rebellion against God. It is a transformative love that calls us to holiness and obedience. The campaign’s failure to emphasize this critical aspect of Jesus’s ministry distorts the true nature of His inclusivity.
Moreover, the “He Gets Us” campaign often portrays Jesus primarily as a figure of love and compassion, but it neglects to address the full scope of His mission. Jesus’s love is indeed central to who He is, but it is not a love that simply makes people feel good about themselves. It is a sacrificial love that led Him to the cross. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The ultimate expression of Jesus’s love is not His ability to empathize with our struggles but His willingness to lay down His life for our redemption. By focusing on Jesus as a moral example rather than a Savior, the campaign diminishes the significance of the cross and the necessity of faith in Him for salvation.
The campaign also attempts to draw parallels between Jesus’s experiences and modern social issues, such as political polarization, family strife, and economic inequality. While it is true that Jesus lived in a time of political and social tension, His mission was never about addressing these issues in a purely human sense. Jesus came to deal with the root problem: humanity’s sinful nature and separation from God. In Mark 1:15, Jesus begins His ministry by proclaiming, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Jesus’s focus was always on the eternal rather than the temporal. The campaign’s attempt to make Jesus relevant to contemporary issues risks reducing Him to a political or social activist, which is far from the truth.
Another critical concern is the campaign’s portrayal of Jesus as nonjudgmental. While it is true that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17), this does not mean He condones sin or avoids judgment. Jesus repeatedly called people to repentance and warned of the consequences of rejecting Him. In John 3:18, He says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” The idea of a nonjudgmental Jesus who merely empathizes with everyone is a distortion of His true character. Jesus’s empathy is always accompanied by His authority, His holiness, and His call to obedience.
The “He Gets Us” campaign’s overarching flaw is its failure to present the full picture of who Jesus is. By emphasizing His humanity, His relatability, and His moral example, it creates a version of Jesus that is palatable to modern sensibilities but stripped of His divine power and authority. This incomplete portrayal is not just misleading; it is dangerous. It risks leading people to a false understanding of Jesus and a superficial faith that cannot save. The Apostle Paul warned against this in Galatians 1:6-7, saying, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all.”
As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to stand firm on the truth of Scripture and to proclaim the full Gospel. Jesus is not just a relatable figure who understands our struggles; He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is not just a moral example; He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is not just inclusive; He is holy and righteous, calling us to repentance and new life. He is not just loving; He is just, and He will one day return to judge the living and the dead. This is the Jesus of the Bible, and this is the Jesus we must proclaim.
The “He Gets Us” campaign may have good intentions, but good intentions are not enough. The message it promotes is incomplete and, in many ways, misleading. It presents a Jesus who is easy to accept but who lacks the power to save. It substitutes cultural relevance for biblical truth, and in doing so, it leads people away from the Gospel rather than toward it. As believers, we must reject this watered-down version of Jesus and boldly proclaim the truth of who He is as revealed in Scripture.
In conclusion, the “He Gets Us” campaign’s portrayal of Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. It emphasizes His relatability while neglecting His divinity, His authority, and His mission to save sinners. It focuses on social issues and moral example at the expense of the full Gospel message, which declares Jesus as the divine Savior who died for the sins of the world and calls all to repentance and faith. As believers, we must reject any incomplete representation of Christ and remain steadfast in proclaiming the whole truth of His life, death, resurrection, and ultimate return.