The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God. Many have undertaken to set in order an account of what has happened among
us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses delivered them to us.
It seemed good to me also, most honorable Theophilus, having traced the course of all things accurately
from the beginning, to write to you that you might know with certainty what you
were taught.
The quotation above comes from two of the four gospels that tell
the story of Jesus: Mark 1:1 and Luke 1:1-4. They are from the World English
Bible, an updated version of a 1901 translation. I’ve chosen to use this
translation because it is in the public domain, meaning I can copy it verbatim
or paraphrase it as I choose without having to seek anyone’s permission.
My goal is to make this telling of the story of Jesus as
simple and understandable as possible. I’ve taken out all chapter and verse
notations from the text because they weren’t added until nearly 1,500 years after
the Bible had been written and they often inhibit the flow of the text. I’ve
also taken the liberty of changing the grammar from time to time to aid in
readability. I haven’t intentionally changed anything related to the content.
My purpose in publishing this is to encourage people to
discover the story of Jesus in all its richness. A lot of people are familiar with
some of the miracles Jesus did and the parables he told, but even many
long-term church members have never read any of the gospels in its
entirety, much less all four of them. Those who are not actively involved in a
church generally know even less about Jesus.
How about you? Does the quote with which Mark and Luke begin
their gospels speak to you? Do you consider your understanding of Jesus to be
fairly accurate? Do you know with certainty what you have been taught?
Prayer: Open my heart
and mind, Lord, to discover the good news of Jesus in all its wonder.
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