Jesusly: The Act of Being Like Jesus

by Joe Amaral

a journey through the Gospel of Luke. As we follow Jesus, we discover the often hidden and deeper meaning behind many of his teachings and actions as we learn about the history and culture in which he lived.

As followers of Jesus, it’s important to know which Jesus to follow. Hollywood has portrayed him one way and modern Christianity showcases a completely different Jesus than we find in the Scriptures.

Luke shows us a Jesus who has no problem breaking barriers and going outside of the accepted social norm if it means meeting the needs of a person who has felt abandoned and rejected. Jesus seeks out the outcast. He’s drawn to the outsider and he sees the overlooked. This is the Jesus that I am encouraging us to imitate. To be Jesusly, we must replicate the actions and love of the Saviour towards those whom society has silenced and sidelined.

Imagine a world where people loved people the way Jesus did. What if all the people on the planet who follow Jesus started living and loving like he did?

Consider what it would be like for people who have felt rejected and discarded to feel loved and valued. Suppose the outcasts are welcomed back home with open arms. Can you picture a world where people who look and think differently than you do, feel seen and loved?

Understanding the history of Jesus is what helps us understand the Jesus of history.

May we all seek to be a little more Jesusly.

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 19, 2023

About the author

Joe Amaral was born in Portugal on the island of St. Miguel, and emigrated with his family to Toronto, Ontario, when he was two years old. A rebel against Christianity, he credits a youth pastor who "loved me unconditionally" with being a major factor in his conversion and subsequent decision to enter the ministry. He attended Eastern Pentecostal Bible College (now a Master's College and Seminary). In November 2002, he first visited Israel, and learned about the culture from his tour guide, a Messianic Jew. Today, along with his father-in-law, he operates a ministry called Operation Outreach, conducting tours of the Holy Land several times a year and teaching on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. He resides with his wife, Karen, and family in Ontario.