The Write Place

The he gets us ad caused quite a stir, and if there’s anything would be editorialists know it is to jump into a good fray when we see one. Much to my relief most Christians understood the significant issues with the Superbowl ad from “He Gets us” (though considering the NFL’s very pro-woke stances, I’m still concerned so many watch the Superbowl). I hope you can see more and more how they don’t get Jesus.

Let us dive right in to this ad about footwashing.

Oh where to begin

When you consider the actual context of the imagery used, biblical or otherwise, the imagery doesn’t add up. Foot washing occurs one place, the Gospel of John at the last supper. It was done by the lowest servant in a culture where people wore sandals or went barefoot, and walked everywhere. Jesus performed it on his followers, as an example of servant leadership.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,^[a] but is completely clean. And you^[b] are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant^[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.John 13:1-17

Jesus ‘ ministry was dominated by the call to repent and believe which does appear in the ad, in the actions of those it labels “Hate.” Take how there are pro-lifers outside of an abortion clinic doing what Jesus did, calling out sin and telling people to repent. The ad calls this “Hate” and is quite delighted with its own hatred of the obviously evangelical and conservative Christians it despises. It misrepresents Jesus’ behavior and message, saying not that he flipped tables or confronted sinners and Pharisees, but that he washed feet and condoned everyone’s lifestyles as they were.

The imagery actually puts the unrepentant then in the position of belonging in the church already. The message is in reality, the subtle twists of the devil to make people feel like God is okay with their sin. It’s a redefinition of everything. Love no longer means hating evil, it means affectionately condoning it.


Notice something as well, their message is do what Jesus did. The message defaults to works, doesn’t it? It seems all warm and fluffy, open and accepting but like all false Gospels it is actually a system of works. You have to do the work of accepting to be accepted, or you are “hateful” and will be condemned.

When we look into who is producing this, we find DEI, a false Gospel. It is in fact the Social Justice Gospel all over again.

Also notice she announces her pronouns, which is also part of the Woke gender-gnostic movement. This certainly does not come from people who want the biblical Jesus, and who have no interest in accurately representing him. Much less does this group have any desire to win people to the God of the Bible.

Exposure to the wrong Jesus is bearing false witness about God, breaking the third commandment (Exodus 20:7). We are also being loving to the wolves at “He Gets Us” with this warning, because they are committing a very dangerous offense that puts a millstone around their necks (Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:1-2). People will think they know Christianity without ever having truly experienced it. At this point, they are sadly on path to be those for whom Christ will say, depart from me, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22-23).

The use of the word Antichrist is never a singular person, but a spirit. That which defines itself in opposition to Christ as he is, is definitely antichrist because it opposes and replaces him. They may, and often do use the name Jesus, but redefine who he is, cloaking a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Consider.

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.1 John 2:22

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

1 John 2:18


and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.1 John 4:3

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.2 John 1:7

They may use the name Jesus, but not the Jesus of the bible. They use a false Gospel.

The Gospel is infinitely richer. The believer can say.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.Romans 5:6-11

What is intended to be an introduction to a false Gospel by veritable wolves is a time for Christians to share the corrective that the true Christ may be known instead.

This was done to the name of Jesus by the fortune telling spirit that Peter cursed (Acts 16:16-18), the Judaizers who added the works of the law to salvation (Galatians 3:1-29, et al, it was a big deal) and the Nicolaitans who added pagan practice (Revelation 2:6,15-20)

Some are saying at least Jesus’ name is out there and the conversation is starting, but this misses the reality of what is happening. Would you say “Well they misrepresented you Justin by saying you’re a four-foot-tall compulsive arsonist, but at least they’re getting your name out there?” Of course not, and often people will only remember the slanderous misrepresentation.

It is a horrific thing to blaspheme God and that is what is happening. It is the wrong Jesus being represented. We are to redeem the situation, by taking offense and going on the offensive. God can and will use that to spread the word of who he really is. So long as we call it what it is, don’t pretend it is a good thing, and preach the Gospel against it because the name of Jesus is publicly being slandered.

There is irony, God does get us, and this is why we have to be saved from his wrath, and why without compulsion he chose to do so in the incarnation. I can’t think of a better way to end then what God says himself.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life,^[a] and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own,^[b] and his own people^[c] did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵John 1:1-14

And the words of John the Baptist that tell us who he is.

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!John 1:29