By Ron Hutchcraft
The game could be a nailbiter or a yawner. But you can always count on those Super Bowl Commercials.
Here they come - from Mountain Dew to mayonnaise... TurboTax to Taco Bell... DoorDash to Doritos. All designed to be entertaining and effective.
They'd better be. They cost eight million dollars for 30 seconds! All to introduce you to and interest you in what they offer.
That got me thinking - about the most expensive "advertisements" on the planet. They cost far more than a few million bucks.
I saw one of them this morning. In the mirror. If you follow Jesus, so did you.
In the Bible's words, "We are Christ's ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Delivering His Message. Representing Him to people who need to know what He's like and what He offers.
We can be a reason someone chooses Jesus, or we could be a reason they reject Him.
Jesus has left His reputation in the hands of those who follow Him. For whom He paid an unspeakable price.
"He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross... He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God" (1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).
An unlosable love relationship with our Creator... every wrong thing I've ever done, forgiven! Finally, a life with meaning. Finally, a forever in Heaven guaranteed!
That's the most important Message on the planet. The greatest Good News our hearts could ever hear.
The message that is represented - in a sense, "advertised" - by the people whose lives and eternities He has changed through the priceless gift of His death and resurrection. The people who God commands to "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ" (Philippians 1:27).
Live in a way that's worth the price He paid!
Some of those Super Bowl commercials will get the message across effectively. Some will not.
Same with the Savior's "ambassadors."
They're looking at us and deciding what Jesus is like.
Which leads me to ask, "What will people think Jesus is like based on what I am like?" or "How will people see Jesus based on how I represent Him?"
Condemning or forgiving? Angry or tenderhearted? All about rules or all about a relationship? Insensitive or compassionate? Negative or joyful? All about division or all about peace? Wanting to be heard or wanting to listen? All about yourself or all about them?
They can't see Jesus. They can see you. So how they feel about you will likely be how they feel about Him.
Is there any opinion, any attitude, any cause, any hypocrisy worth the soul of someone we know?
You may be reading this as someone who has not yet begun a relationship with Jesus. Possibly because of a Christian you know.
They may be an ineffective "advertisement." But that's not Jesus.
His repeated invitation was always, "Follow Me." Not His followers. Not His leaders. Not His rules. Not His religion. "Follow Me," He said.
You may have grown up around the Good News - but you've seen so much that has turned you off and obscured Jesus. Or maybe you've never had much exposure to who Jesus really is.
Life's most consequential choice is not about a religion or the religious.
It's all about Jesus. Before whom each of us will stand one day. To be with Him - or away from Him - forever.
He's the One who died to remove the wall between us and God. The only One who ever conquered death by walking out of His grave. He is life with hope and unlosable love here on earth. And Heaven when we breathe our last.
That's the Good News we who love Jesus are called to advertise.
And that's the Good News you don't want to miss.