Mom, can I get a bible of my own? – I want to read it.
Along with getting a Bible, consider giving them this note. Consider reading the Gospel of John first. You should find a “table of contents” at the beginning of your new book. You might find two lists: Old Testament and New Testament. In the New Testament list – John is the fourth in the list.
Questions might pop into your mind, like why two lists, one titled old and another titled new? And why is John the fourth one on the new list? Great questions and truth be told, most Bibles don’t give you any short answers. So, let me address those questions first:
Why two lists? The first is the Old Testament, and the second is the New Testament. The Bible is a combination of many books written almost over two thousand years ago. The Old Testament’s central theme focused on the Hebrew nation. The New Testament picks up the story of one Hebrew named Jesus.
Modern readers often pick up any book, turn to page one, and start reading. That makes sense for most books in the last 150 years, especially for people from Europe and Western civilization. Ancient literature was usually written differently. The Gospel of John is easy to understand. John wrote this to people curious about history and a man named Jesus. Each gospel was written for anyone but focused on a particular group. As you read, a couple of thoughts or suggestions:
Consider reading a chapter at one time per day or per week. In John, “I am” is a central theme – for example, “I am the bread of life,” “I am the door,” and “I am the good shepherd,” and so forth. This theme was developed because people were asking about Jesus. Some people were looking for something from him; others were just curious about him, and some worried he was causing trouble with the government. (no different than famous people today.)
In the Old Testament, I suggest the Book of Proverbs. You can read one chapter a day in a month because it has thirty-one chapters. A favorite verse for many is Proverbs chapter 16, verse 20: “Whoever gives thought (or attention) to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”