While watching TV with my family this winter two commercials caught my attention. I took notice because of the language they shared and the need they both attempted to meet. One was for an online dating service. The ad focused on the phrase “get who gets you”. We all want someone in our lives who really sees us, hears us, and understands us. They guaranteed that they could find someone who would love and accept you as you are, someone who understands you and even shares your quirks and unique interests.
The second series of ads used the phrase “He Gets Us.” This campaign was attempting to show us how Jesus can relate to all our situations. Our experiences, problems, relationships, needs; all of it. Both of these ads were appealing to the deep desire we all have to be truly seen, heard, understood, and loved. One promised to find the person who could provide that for you. The second tried to comfort you with the fact that Jesus really does know, understand, and love you.
These very different sources were trying to meet the same need. They shared something else as well. They both missed something. Where was the other side of the relationship? When we only focus on and look at ourselves, we miss what a relationship is all about. The dating service said nothing about finding someone that you will see, hear, understand and love. They asked nothing from you, just promised to find someone to focus on you.
The other ads about Jesus said little about truly seeing, hearing, understanding, and loving Him. Yes, He gets us. The question is do we get Him? Jesus “gets us” because He created us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He came and lived among us. He has been where we are, faced all that we face, yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus knows, sees, hears, and understands us. He gets us. But what does that change if we don’t also get Him?
In Matthew 16, we are told of a conversation that Jesus had with His disciples. He asked them who the people around them thought He was. Who do they say I am out there? The disciples had heard a lot of people express their ideas on this, so they gave Jesus the list. Some think you are John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah or another one of the prophets. Those ideas, opinions, guesses were all wrong. Jesus listened to this response and then looked his friends in the eyes and asked “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Now we’re getting somewhere! The answer to that question changes everything. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus is not the ultimate good that mankind is capable of aspiring to as some have suggested. We cannot attain His righteousness, His perfect character, and His standing before God. That is the point. He came because we cannot attain this. He took our rebellion and failings on Himself, paying for our offences against God. He then offered us His righteousness instead.
Jesus is not simply a good teacher with nice ideas and suggestions for how to live and love well. If Jesus is not who He claimed to be and did not do what He claimed to do, how could we consider Him good? We need to look at Him carefully and listen to Him closely. We need to truly see, hear, and understand Him. We need to be sure that we get Him. Not a preferred version of Him or a caricature of Him, but the real deal. Jesus as He claimed to be. Jesus who did what He claimed He would do.
It is important that Jesus gets us. It is imperative that we get Him. As 1 John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Yes, Jesus gets you. Have you taken the time to be sure that you get Him?