Tell me a story about Jesus

Who doesn’t love a good story? We resonate with stories we tell and share and those described well by a good book or movie.
Summer is when there can be an opportunity to dig into a good book again. Some flexibility might come with the summer schedule or extra leisure time outside or on vacation, and you take it as a chance to catch up on your reading list.
If you lost track of your Bible reading plan for 2023, summer could be a time to read whole books of the Bible and appreciate the author’s organization of the narrative.
Often Christians are used to hearing a few verses at a time in church services or memorizing a favorite verse. Still, one can appreciate those favorite passages’ larger picture when reading the broader context.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are a great place to start to enjoy the narrative quality of the Bible. Of course, the Gospels are more than a story, but they are also not less than a story.
A narrative arc is used uniquely in the four perspectives of Jesus’ earthly life. Matthew includes the most references to the Old Testament and Jewish customs and laws. He focuses on Jesus’ fulfillment as the Messiah (the long-awaited promised king of Israel in David’s line), a call to discipleship, and inaugurating the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mark keeps the story going rather quickly, focusing on “Who is Jesus?”
Luke paints the broadest history, starting before the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Luke’s approach centers around the mission Jesus has to fulfill. (Luke continues the story after Jesus’ ascension in the book of Acts and the beginnings of the New Testament church – one could call Acts “Luke II”.)
Then John labeled the “Book of Signs,” with the first half focused on Jesus’ public ministry and the second half on quality time spent with his disciples and the events preceding and following the cross. John is most concerned with answering the question, “Where does Jesus come from?”
So I encourage you to read one of the Gospels in its entirety (or listen to an audio version — which is how the first audiences would have received the message).
It might be easiest to start with Mark since it is just over an hour to get through. Like any good story, pay attention to the settings, characters, and plot development. You may get more insight into the purpose of particular parables or miracles by knowing where the author placed them between other scenes.
Then afterward you can ask yourself, “Did anything new stand out after reading it as a whole? How do you learn or change from reading the story? What do you believe or do as a consequence of the story?”
I hope you have a renewed appreciation for the historical narratives of the person, work, and teachings of Jesus Christ in these gospel accounts. Happy summer reading!