At the same time, the message this commercial presents isn’t wrong. Jesus didn’t teach hate. He did teach us to love everyone, no matter what. He washed the feet of the one who would betray him and the one who would deny Him. In John 8, Jesus is presented with a woman caught in adultery. His first response isn’t to scold her, but to offer her what she needed most in the moment—kindness and understanding. She needed someone to show her grace. Only after that was accomplished did Jesus say “Go now, and leave your life of sin.”
Many people in our world are not going to even consider a message of repentance until their hearts have been softened by the grace of a God who intimately knows our darkest parts and still loves us. Romans 2:4 says that “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” Recognizing His love for us draws us to love Him, and loving Him is what makes us want to repent and turn to a life of obedience.
So, no, those ads are not the complete gospel, but they are an introduction to the unconditional love of Jesus for hurting people. Let us pray that this ad will cause people to genuinely consider Jesus for the first time, and in doing so, that they will discover the full gospel through scripture, the church, and the lives of Christians around them.