[Rick Shabi] The most watched Super Bowl in history occurred a few weeks ago with 120 million people watching. It was a great game, but in the first quarter of that game, an ad appeared that showed people washing each other's feet and claiming that Jesus washed feet. It was placed by the Christian website, He Gets Us. If you saw that commercial, or even if you haven't, you may have heard about the many comments and questions it has generated. What did that mean? Did Jesus really do that? If He did, was He just showing that we all need to just love each other? If you know what Christ said and what He intended to teach us when He washed His disciples' feet, you may be wondering, Jesus gets us, but do you really get Him?

Christ really did kneel down and wash His disciples' feet that last night before He was crucified. He did it for a reason and left us a clear message about what He wanted us to learn and then do. If you say you follow Jesus and love Him, shouldn't you know what He did and why? If you take the time to really understand Him, you would know the meaning of life and the answer to the question that many today, people like Elon Musk, Jordan Peterson, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and so many more like you are asking. Have you wondered why so many are looking into the Bible for answers in this troubled time? What is life? What is man? Why are we even here? What did Jesus Christ teach? What does the Bible say? What are the answers to these questions in life?

Well, the Bible is the right place to look, the only place to search for truth and the meaning of life and what's going on. You should know what's in there, and we will show you what you may not have been taught before. So let me ask again, do you really know Jesus, or do you just know of Him? We'll get back to why He washed His disciples' feet and why we should in a few minutes, but first let's take a look at Jesus Christ from the Bible, the only authoritative, true source of information about His life that we have.

First, where does that slogan, "He gets us," come from? It is from the Bible. We find it in Hebrews 4:14-15. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who is pastor of the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." We all know that Christ died, that He was resurrected after three days and nights in the tomb, and He then ascended to heaven where He and His sacrifice were accepted by God. You can read that for yourself in John chapter 20:15-17. We know Christ now sits at the right hand of God. He has passed through the heavens. We all know that and we all agree on that.

In the next verse in Hebrews 4, we learn how He knows us very well. Verse 15, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." He suffered the same temptations and trials that we do. He was lied about, He was mocked, He was jeered, and He was in all points of man with all the temptations that every man and woman feels, yet without sin. He gets us, no doubt about that. He knows what it's like to be human, have pain, have feelings, and the lust of the flesh, and eyes, and the pride of life. He gets it. And he gets us because He lived it, He understands it, and knows what we go through in this life. That's established, and that's a given.

But the question is, do you really get Him? Do you understand Him and what His sacrifice for you means? Do you know why He came to Earth and offered Himself for us weak, pathetic, sinful human beings who really depend on Him for everything, but try our best to deny that? If you're looking to Jesus as your Savior, which you should because He is the only Savior of mankind, there is no other name by which salvation is granted. None. Acts 4-12 says that clearly. "Salvation is by no other name than Jesus Christ." Only Jesus Christ.

So let's look at a few things today that I want you to think about as you ask yourself. Jesus gets me, but do I get Him? 1 Peter 2:21-22, "For to this you were called. If you say you know Him, listen to the reason. For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow His steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth." He was sinless, never lied, kept God's law perfectly, and left us an example that if we are looking to Him for salvation, we must follow in His steps. We must strive to be like Him, living a life dedicated to righteousness and following His way.

Paul also says this in Ephesians 4:13. There he says that His purpose for us, God's purpose for us, people who claim to follow God and Jesus Christ is to, "Come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature and fullness of Christ." Do you see what that verse says? Do you see the significance of those verses? You may say you love Jesus Christ, but are you doing what He said? Are you trying and striving to be like Him? Notice what Christ says in John 14:15. "If you love me," if you love me, "keep my commandments." He says it again in verse 23 of the same chapter. You might ask, what? Those old commandments that we don't want to obey? Who keeps those anymore? Weren't those done away with? No, they we weren't done away with, and we can prove it if you're interested.

Who keeps those commandments? Those who love Jesus Christ and those who will be with Him when He returns. Revelation 14:12, the last book in the Bible, it says, "Here is the patience of God's people, His saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Do you want to be there? Then you see how you need to live your life. When you say you accept Christ's sacrifice, it's more than just saying you believe in Him. You must learn Him. You must dedicate yourself to learning His words and His way. In Luke 6:40, Christ said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." Everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. That means you study the Bible and you study Him. How was he like? What did he do?

So let me ask again, are you "getting" Jesus? Are you living your life becoming like Christ? Are you following the example He set? Have you been taught to observe all things that Christ commanded? If not, whoever is teaching you is steering you wrong and you are not on the path to salvation. Salvation, remember, comes only through Jesus Christ. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. It is vitally important for you to know the truth about what Christ taught and then do it.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Christ said some surprising and alarming words to those who think they are following Him, but really are not. From the Bible, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Christ said, 'Lord, Lord, haven't we prophesied in your name? Haven't we cast out demons in your name? And haven't we done many wonders in your name?' And then, Christ says, I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'" Many use His name, but Christ says, "Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." Lawlessness is defined by living apart from His law, His way of life, that He set us an example. It is doing things your own way and not living by what His word says. Ask yourself, are you living his way or your way, or your teacher's way? We'd better know the difference and choose the right way if we're seeking salvation.

In Mark 1:15, Christ said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel." Repent and believe the gospel. Do you believe the gospel? Do you even know the gospel that Jesus Christ taught? And remember, repentance is not just saying a short little prayer like many churches teach today. It is acknowledging you were wrong, asking for forgiveness, and then turning to God and living by the words in this Bible, with your heart, mind, and soul. Christ spoke of repentance many times, and so did Peter. Notice what Peter says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Notice he doesn't say that all should come to eternal life. Indeed, God and Jesus Christ would like everyone to receive eternal life, but he says repentance in that verse. Turning to Him, doing the things he says that are written in this Bible. Repentance. Turning to Him is the first step to eternal life and salvation. Without it, without turning to Him, there is no salvation, there is no eternal life. The time is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Look in the Bible for yourself and believe His words. Don't believe my words or the words of other men. Look in the Bible. We can help you understand what Christ said and His plan for mankind. Just look us up at ucg.org.

But before I end, let's go back to that Super Bowl commercial and see what Christ was saying when He washes feet. We don't have to guess. The answer is right here in the Bible. Let's look at it in John 13:13-17. Christ says, after He has washed the disciples' feet on that night before He was crucified, He said, "You call me teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things,blessed or happy are you if you do them."

Do you get that He was showing that He was here to serve mankind and that we are here to serve too? To serve Him with the same humility with which He served God and all of us. Christ is love, and He knows the way to a life of peace, joy, harmony, and love. He will establish that when He returns to Earth. You can get close to God and experience all His blessings now, but you have to look into your Bible. Repent, He says, and really and truly turn to Him. He gets us, now you must get to know Him.