Where should I start?

Photo by Travis Emmett

“I want to learn more about Jesus. Where should I start?” It’s a question people have asked me, including someone close to me quite recently.

Although I think my website is helpful, it’s not the best answer to tell you to explore what is here. Rather, I think you should read the stories of the life and teachings of Jesus.

You can find these in the Bible in the section called the New Testament, specifically in the “books” of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the first four books of the New Testament. They all tell the story of Jesus. I say start here because the best thing you can do is encounter Jesus, and these four books lend themselves to such an encounter.

If the prospect of reading all four is daunting to you, I would say start by reading just one for now, maybe John. But any would be great.

If you don’t have a Bible, you could buy one, but you can also easily read the Bible online here, here, and elsewhere. You can also download Bible apps onto your phone or tablet.

You can read by yourself, but you might get more out of it if you read it and discuss it with someone else. Consider inviting someone else to do this with you. It could be anyone. They don’t need to be an expert. They don’t even need to believe. They just need to be willing to read what you are reading and discuss it with you.

But if you’re not ready for that, just read. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and/or John. And if you read all four and aren’t sure what you believe or make of it all but are still curious, then keep reading those four books over and over again.

Jesus is the center of everything in the Bible, so it helps to really know about him and encounter him before you read too much of anything else.