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He Gets Us: Experiencing the confounding love, forgiveness, and relevance of Jesus

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Jesus understands our lives because he was human too. He faced the same hardships and personal struggles that we encounter on a daily basis. He felt our deepest sadness and experienced our darkest solitude. Above all, Jesus gets us. In Jesus' time, communities were deeply divided by bitter differences in religious beliefs, political positions, income inequality, legal status, and ethnic differences. But where was Jesus in all of this? Did he align with the religious elites? Or did he start an uprising to overthrow them? Neither of the above. Instead, he went from town to town, offering hope, new life, and modeling a different way to live and to change the world. Instead of pursuing power, money, or religious authority, he shared a loving and sacrificially generous way of living--he championed a better way. But how can we understand the Jesus of the Bible today? Inside the pages of He Gets Us , you'll find 14 of the most frequently asked questions about Jesus, Each chapter includes an FAQ, detailed responses from contributors of He Gets Us and selected writings from New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado, a QR code that takes you to a profound video that you can watch and share with others, and timeless Scripture verses. Whether you're exploring faith for the first time, seeking answers to life’s difficult questions, or looking for a deeper relationship with Jesus, He Gets Us will be your guide every step of the way.

144 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2023

270 people are currently reading
299 people want to read

About the author

Max Lucado

1,201 books5,420 followers
With more than 150 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His most recent book published in August 2024 and is titled What Happens Next.

https://www.facebook.com/maxlucado/

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Jen.
3,448 reviews27 followers
June 24, 2025
My thanks to libro.fm and Thomas Nelson for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.

I have to agree with the other reviewers who stated that this book wasn't Biblical. It was not. There was a LOT of assumption and supposition that really isn't backed by anything in either the Bible or the society of the day.

Example: Stating that Jesus was invited to the wedding where He did His first miracle because He knew how to have a good time and party was where I decided to DNF this at 49%.

There was nothing in there stating what the societal norms for inviting guests to a wedding. In fact, the Bible in this story CLEARLY STATES the usual practice of serving the best wine first, so the guests are too tipsy to notice as the day progresses that the wine quality has lowered, so we can't say that the Bible doesn't discuss the usual practices of the day, so we have to make up things.

From what I recollect (I could be wrong, I am not a scholar of Biblical times), the mother of the bride was responsible for making sure the food and drink didn't run out. Since Jesus' mother tells him about the wine shortage issue and she tells the servants to do whatever he says to do, it has been suggested that the wedding was for one of his sisters.

Why is that theory not mentioned in this section of the book? It sure makes more sense than, "the people getting married liked Jesus because He knew how to have a good time" has nothing to really back it. If the Bible isn't clear, look to the time period and what society was like then. That is more realistic a reason than "He liked to get down and party."

Another quibble I have with this book is it was clearly written in the midst of the Pandemic and it shows. This book is incredibly dated and just doesn't seem pertinent to the Post Pandemic world.

The narrators also did nothing for me. That is a personal thing, if I don't like the voice of the narrator/s, it does tend to lower my enjoyment of the audio book.

I'm sorry, I love Max Lucado, but this book completely missed the mark.

1, skip this one, pretend it doesn't exist and read another one of his better offerings, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Camila I..
17 reviews13 followers
October 5, 2025
Hi everyone! This isn’t going to be a review per se, because this is a devotional, not a regular book. Instead, I’m just going to share some quotes that stood out to me and some of my thoughts on the subjects mentioned. Enjoy!

Chapter 1:
“So what do we do? Control everything? Never board a plane without a parachute. Never enter a restaurant without bringing our own clean silverware. Never leave the house without a gas mask. Never give away our heart for fear of a broken one. Never step on a crack lest we break our mother’s back. Face Anxiety by taking Control. If only we could.” (Page 7)

“Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees.” (Page 13)

This chapter reminded me of the following quote from one of my favorite books:
“‘You can’t just say ‘stop’ and expect me to––’ ‘Lena, listen to me!’ His hands squeezed her arms. ‘You’re wound so tightly, worrying about every little thing, trying so hard to hang on to control, but you were never in onto to begin with. It’s an illusion. The sooner you realize that the sooner you’ll put everything into God’s hands and find some peace and maybe even get some sleep at night.’ He released her and lifted the sack. ‘Now will you drive me into town, or should I drive my bicycle?’”
- Pieter de Vries (Chasing Shadows [by Lynn Austin], page 63)

Chapter 2:
This chapter seems kind of fishy to me, honestly. Yes, it’s true, Jesus was born to a teen mother, but the context is entirely different. Mary wasn’t married when she was pregnant with Jesus (because her situation was unique), but she was engaged. She may have been a teen by modern standards, but by their standards she was a woman soon to be married.

Yes, Jesus was born to a teen mother, but by not specifying any more, the book appears to be condoning that behavior, which the Bible explicitly says is wrong. Standards were different back then. She was shunned not by the age at which she was pregnant, but by her unmarried status. Jesus had a teen mom, but to be honest, that’s not very relevant to today’s society, because things were different back then. She wasn’t considered a teen, but a woman in her own right.
It just felt like it was taking two facts that don’t fit together and trying to draw a conclusion out of it, except that it left the conclusion to the imagination.
Jesus loves every person, not their sin. Jesus loves teen moms, but he doesn’t love their sin.

Chapter 3:
But we’re never alone, though we may feel like it. We always have Jesus and He never leaves us. (I would have liked it if they specified this).

Chapter 4:
“It is one thing to have a conviction; it’s another to convict the person.” (Page 26)

Chapter 9:
“When you are called to the table, it might be an emissary who gives the letter, but it is Jesus who wrote it” (Pages 60-61)

We are called to be Jesus’ emissaries!

Chapter 10:
“More often than not, if the one in the right volunteers to wash the feet of the one in the wrong, both parties get on their knees. Don’t we all think we are right?” (Page 66)

“Relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished, but because the forgiven are merciful.” (Page 66)

Chapter 11:
“ ‘The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something false against Jesus so they could kill him’. Paint that passage black with injustice. Paint that arrest green with jealousy. Paint that scene red with innocent blood” (Page 74)

There’s no faster way to make me furious than to experiencing or even read about injustice. It’s what made my blood boil in Kingdom of Cinders (Deborah Grace White) and what makes my blood turn cold as I think about the issues with the modern educational system. It’s what makes my heart go out to those falsely accused and makes me want to fight the accusers. It’s what drives me mad when those in power abuse it just because they can. Or when they’re so stuck in their own world they don’t even realize their actions have real life consequences on real people.

Injustice is the sure-fire way to make my eyes light up with flames. Because I’ve been there. I am there. And if I can do something— anything to ensure someone else doesn’t have to live through it, I will.

It’s easy to get angry at a system that’s rigged against you. So very easy. It’s much harder to treat it with the respect Jesus says we must give the government or the friendship we must offer to friends. I guess the more we read the Bible and pray and get close to God, the easier it’ll be. Or at least, I hope… I’m still working on it.



This is the end of my thoughts on the devotional. Overall, it was an interesting, thought-provoking read. I know some of these comments won’t make much sense without context, but I hope the quotes were edifying and thought provoking.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this review are my own and have not been influenced upon in any way, shape or form.
- Camila I.
Profile Image for Fit For Faith 〣 Your Christian Ministry..
200 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2025
An encouraging book, with many beautiful facets of the Good Message. A book that rightfully challenges believers. But after having read it 3 times, the central question remains. To whom is it written?

To believers, who are surprisingly more often addressed than unbelievers?

Or is it written to unbelievers as the campaign rather suggests? It certainly uses a well elaborated concept with a (sometimes too) liberal language to address those.

But apart from many beautiful truths, there is no direction. Is an unbeliever already in the right place or are there steps he or she needs to take? What about repentance? What about belief that could turn into faith? What about leaving the old life behind? Are they already one of those children of THEOS the book is speaking about? Why does the book focus on the death and not the resurrection?

It is sad to see so much money being invested and at the end to receive a message that could have 1:1 been preached by someone who propagates universalism. Several passages indeed make the reader feel that IESOUS' atonement is automatically applied to everyone, no matter where he or she stands.

If the Good Message is not a challenge to the unbeliever and a guidance into a specific destination, then this partial Good Message does not help. The campaign may explain this truth at a later stage, but many people will read this book only. Why do we then miss the chance to give a firm hand to the unbeliever and to guide them into salvation?

SPECIFIC ERRORS

Chapter 4:

Assumption that Mary was a 'teen mom', although both travelled without parents to a census (minimum age of 20 to be registered), booked an inn on their own and Joseph is described as 'just' (which implies knowing good or bad = Age of Majority).

Chapter 6:

False doctrine of not judging insiders: "Stop pinpointing the shortcomings of others [...] If you judge others, you judge yourself guilty [...] It's one thing to have a conviction, it's another (in his eyes a bad) thing to convict a person."

Chapter 7:

Erroneous teaching that IESOUS literally slept in the Tabernacle: "The word for 'dwelled' traces its origin to the Tabernacle. Jesus did not separate Himself from creation, He pitched His tent in the neighborhood."

Chapter 11:

"Jesus was not exclusive, He was radically inclusive" [correct in the particular context of inviting sinners, but not as general interpretation of the Good Message; He was often radically exclusive].
Profile Image for Robert Smith.
19 reviews
February 15, 2023
This was terrible. This wasn't biblical. This is false teaching. This is a false Jesus.
406 reviews5 followers
November 23, 2024
Based on the He Gets Us Movement and their ads, this is an amazing read! The "He Gets Us" movement has proclaimed that "From the beginning, we've wanted to share the real Jesus of the Bible." They are passionate about the authentic Jesus of the Bible--undiluted and untarnished by political belief or denominational views. In this book, there are a number of questions asked and then answered by the He Gets Us folks, along with a QR code that links to a video that discusses the question in a modern day context. Following that, there is a meaningful bit of writing by the amazing Max Lucado to further elucidate with his thoughts on the same questions along with scripture references (and a reference guide with the very scriptures printed out to read) to support his ideas. Great for all who follow, who accept, who deny, who disdain, who question everything there is to know about Jesus and his way. It is a safe place to question and argue and explore. Everyone should read this book!
Profile Image for Luke Wood.
19 reviews
March 8, 2025
He Gets Us has been a source of controversy, yet the controversy comes from both side of the ideological spectrum. Conservatives see it as too left-winged and liberals see it as too right-wing and that’s why I love it. I wanted to know more about what “He Gets Us” was about, so I found their book for cheap on Amazon.

Here’s what I found: Quoting chapter 4, “From the beginning, we’ve wanted to share the real Jesus. At some point along the way, we realized that despite our best efforts to show a true and complete picture of him, that image became a bit unbalanced. Not incorrect but incomplete.” I believe this is what the message of “He Gets Us” is truly about. It’s not spreading an ideology, but spreading the love of Jesus.

Overall, the book itself was great. There were some disagreements I had with the book, but the illustrations used were phenomenal. I definitely learned new things from this book and I would recommend it to both Christians and non-believers alike.
Profile Image for Monica H (TeaandBooks).
836 reviews83 followers
March 27, 2023
He Gets Us is a mix of writing by Max Lucado and a group called He Gets Us who hope to reintroduce people to the love of Jesus, His love and His forgiveness (condensed from the back of the book). It is a short book divided into four parts: Real Life, Struggle, Hope and Activism and Justice.

The writing is plain and straight forward. It is easy to understand and relate to in our world today. There are corresponding Scriptures related to each chapter in the back of the book. I think it is a good introduction to Jesus for those who are unfamiliar. It is full of QR codes to click on but I didn't do that as I don't have a reader on my phone. I imagine that would appeal to younger people though.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Amazon Vine Program. All opinions within this review are my own.
Profile Image for Jen Severn.
204 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2023
Our small group has been going through this He Gets Us devotional all fall & it’s been real good. If you are looking for a book to go through on your own or with a group, this was good for us. Here’s a short video… but I recorded a long video explaining exactly how I led our group through this study. I wrote discussion group questions and those are included here for free too. The questions I wrote will serve as a nice starting springboard for personal reflection and group discussions. I print a set of questions for everyone in the group and we go through the questions & the book together. No homework! Just show up! Our discussion have been excellent.

Link to my review & how to lead a group through this devotional is here⬇️

https://youtu.be/rqfP6icIqTk?si=SL6Fi...

Here’s a link to the (to be edited soon) discussion questions for each chapter for your personal reflection or to use with a group. https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Profile Image for Jackson Switzer.
92 reviews
July 29, 2024
This book is inspirational and teaches about Jesus’ perfect understanding and compassion very well. I hesitate to endorse it fully because the overall sense one gets while reading it is that the authors are ignoring major aspects of Jesus’ message, emphasizing that which is most palatable about Him. Anyone who wants to seriously understand Jesus must wrestle with His call to defend the truth, not only to be kind; His call to repent, not only to forgive; His call to believe His identity as Son of God, not only to emulate Him. Put simply, I believe 99% of what is written in this book is true, but I also believe it only covers 10% of who Jesus is, and thinking of Jesus only in the ways this book addresses, you run the risk of leading yourself astray.
Profile Image for Nae.
365 reviews23 followers
March 22, 2023
✨ Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy of this gem of a book— @thomasnelson 💛

Often times as we go through difficult moments in life we’re left to wonder does Jesus even get it? Does he even understand what I’m facing in life? When I saw the title of this one, I knew I had to have it because it’s very reassuring to be reminded that he does get it— 𝑯𝒆 𝑮𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝑼𝒔! It was nice to be reminded of all the ways he too has experienced the same things we tend to go through; loss of a loved one, betrayal of a close friend, he’s been stressed, he’s been through it all as he’s walked this life before.

This was a short read but it packed a punch! I loved all the scriptural references and the real life examples weaved throughout the entire book. The chapters are short & concise & very easy to read. I think this book is a necessary read for all especially those wanting to know who Jesus is at his core.

This was my first book by Max Lucado but it won’t be my last!
Profile Image for Tenille Tsujimoto.
57 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2024
Very heavy on the bible scripture and truth be told I couldn't argue one way or another if it was all accurate. It was a quick read. I am a huge fan of Max Lucado's children's books so when I came across this one I thought why not. I do appreciate the fact that there is Jesus who does understand our struggles reagrdless of how big they feel to us. But the book seemed to go in several different directions. And they kept saying - "available on the QR code at the end of this book" which got annoying. I just didn't feel like there was a clear audience or direction of what they were trying to achieve.
Profile Image for Saskia Dillen.
5 reviews
July 3, 2025
When I purchased this book, I didn't read into what it was about, which was my own mistake. I love Max Lucado's writing, and enjoy the relatable and easy way that he shares his contributions. I did not realize that this book contained selections of his writings. I didn't enjoy the integration of the QR videos in order to wrap up each chapter. Looking up additional online resources is not my goal when purchasing a book. The chapters were short and topics seemed superficial and rushed. I loved the Max Lucado connections, but felt that the short passages didn't really allow for deeper reflection. A quick and easy read, but not one I would recommend.
Profile Image for LAMONT D.
1,181 reviews17 followers
October 14, 2025
This book is a little bit different since it incorporates Lucado's writings on various themes along with the contributors from "He Gets Us" (www.hegetus.com) and their questions related to the topic of each chapter. There is also a QR code for each chapter that you can go to that allows you to view a quick YouTube video produced by this platform (per their website they are all about: "A new way to explore the story of Jesus' life and teachings"). This book is easy to read, and you normally cannot go wrong reading what Max Lucado has to offer.
Profile Image for Alex.
6,638 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2023
When I saw this in my library catalog I thought it was a new book by Max Lucado, but it's not at all. This has little questions that are answered very shortly by some anonymous people (with a QR code to watch a video, which I never did) and then a snippet of one of Max's books that relate to the subject.

So, it wasn't what I was expecting, but I still liked the overall message of the book. And, I always love seeing Max's words, even if I've already read them!
Profile Image for Evan Hoekzema.
390 reviews3 followers
September 28, 2023
An uniquely encouraging book, especially for someone who feels like they’re on the outside looking in when it comes to faith, or has been hurt or messed up by religion.

Max Lucano and the ‘He Gets Us’ team combine to offer a short devotional-esque book that uses connecting questions as the driver for each chapter. Using Scripture as a backdrop and Jesus’ experiences as the guide, it offers a picture of who Jesus is and how he understands what we’re facing.
5 reviews
February 15, 2024
Faith comes from hearing, hearing from God!

I started out by knowing that God is good. Now I know just how good.. It had been hard for me to forgive myself, but now that I accept forgiveness from God through Jesus, I can. I did not know how what I did was hurting God, but now I know and He still forgives me. That is powerful! I was blind, but now I see, it was God's Amazing Grace.
Profile Image for Katie.
116 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2023
good content, especially the end touching on politics, but at the start some connections of how Jesus gets us was not super clear. max lucado’s voice is also still new to me.

helpful scripture reference guide at the end. didn’t know about the seven woes to pharisees and that Jesus healed the high priest’s ear when Peter cut it. want to look more into the different gospel accounts
1,430 reviews2 followers
August 10, 2023
Roberts review just shows he is the one that doesn’t understand biblical truth. Nobody gets everything right but this was a great book on the truths of who Jesus is. Sorry Robert, but you are the one who doesn’t get Jesus. from your review, I don’t see you being one that studies, the Bible, and that is beyond sad.
Love you anyway, and so does Jesus. Hope you come to know him in a personal relationship.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,387 reviews6 followers
August 17, 2023
A small book, 127 pages, that packs a punch. He Gets Us shows how Biblical Jesus can be relatable to our present time. Topics such as Was Jesus ever stressed?, Did Jesus have fun? and Was Jesus fed up with politics? brings the teachers of God and Jesus into our daily lives. A pretty thought provoking book.
Profile Image for Andy Murphy.
316 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2023
He Gets Us

What do we know about Jesus? Most people think of Him only as a baby or on the cross. Did He suffer the same issues that we do today?

This collection of essays does a great job answering many different difficult questions. Did Jesus get lonely? Was He ever sad? I actually got the most out of Did Jesus laugh? This was a really fun and quick read.

Content Warning: none
130 reviews
Read
June 5, 2023
He gets us: A short read talking about that humanizes Jesus and discusses the human feelings and situations he encountered like we do. A good refresher on his relatability and that his teachings are timeless.
Profile Image for Lynsee Manning.
318 reviews4 followers
August 15, 2023
A concise and modern look at the "fully man" prom of the hypostatic union, to point towards the point of Christ knowing how we feel and understanding the things we face. I would recommend it to a young believer or teen/young adult.
Profile Image for Carol Weber.
6 reviews1 follower
December 16, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book 📖 😊

As I read chapter after chapter taking notes, I realized that I was learning things from the Bible in a very memorable way. I treated my reading of "He gets us " as an enjoyable Bible study!
Profile Image for Gamal.
5 reviews
June 8, 2024
Great read!

Max Lucado has always been one of my favorite authors and this time he does not disappoint. This book is a great explanation of who Jesus really was. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in learning more.
Profile Image for Kristina.
1,329 reviews6 followers
June 14, 2024
Very easy read. It was enlightening to remind and understand a little more on how Jesus get us. Max Lucado has a way of breaking it all down so easy to apply in life. After the pandemic, it is good to refocus on what truly matters. And how life has truly. It changed since a Jesus’ time.
Profile Image for H. Duncan.
4 reviews4 followers
September 7, 2024
Only read the first five chapters of this book as a joint read with my teen son. It’s going in the trash. There are so many points of false and non-biblically based writings that’s it’s embarassing Max Lucado allowed his name to be put on this book.
Profile Image for Amber.
53 reviews8 followers
February 14, 2023
Great book, another winner from Max Lucado!
Profile Image for Randi Menke.
65 reviews1 follower
February 17, 2023
Great movement for reintroducing Jesus as He truly was to todays skeptical culture
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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