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Get to know Jesus. He’s like no other figure of history. His works and teachings are amazing! If you’ve never read the Bible before, start with the New Testament, and read the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, beginning with Chapter 1 of each book. Don’t bounce around within any one book. The word “gospel” means “good news.”

The Gospels are all biographies of Jesus’ life, written by different authors. Matthew and John were disciples and knew Jesus intimately. John was one of the closest friends of Jesus in the group of 12 disciples. Mark was a close friend of Peter, who was one of the 12, and who was also in Jesus’ inner circle, with John. Luke was meticulous historian and a close friend of Paul, to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection from the dead. Luke also wrote the New Testament book of Acts, chronicling the early history of the Christian church.

Luke’s friend, Paul, spent some time with the 12 disciples after his conversion. Paul was very well educated and later became an evangelist and teacher, preaching across Europe and the Middle East. He wrote many of the books of the New Testament, originally as letters to the various churches.

Many events, such as the crucifixion and resurrection, are repeated in all four Gospels. Other events are recorded in one or more. Yet, all the accounts support each other. To have a full picture of Jesus, all four Gospels should be read.