Introducing Jesus. Well, his gospels. Well, him too.

Mark 1.1, Matthew 1.1, Luke 1.1-4, John 1.1-18.

Let’s start with the introductions to the synoptic gospels, the three gospels in the New Testament which tend to sync up with one another.

Obviously there are differences in their intros. Mark starts abruptly, and in the very next verse gets straight away to John the Baptist, who leads into the story of Jesus. Matthew refers to the genesis of Jesus: His ancestry and birth. From here we go to a big list of who begat whom, stretching all the way back to Abraham.

Mark 1.1 KWL

1The start of the gospel of Christ Jesus, {son of God}.

Luke 1.1-4 KWL

1Because many attempt to compose a narrative

about the things which were fulfilled in our religion,

2just as the first eyewitnesses handed things down to us

and became servants of the word,

3I also think,

having closely, accurately followed everything from the start—

I write you¹, honorable Theófilus,

4so you¹ might know about what you¹ were taught.

An accurate word.

Matthew 1.1 KWL

1The book of the genesis of Christ Jesus,

bar David, bar Abraham.

Unlike the others, the author of Luke (whom we’ll assume it’s actually St. Luke, same as the other traditional authors; why not?) explained to his recipient exactly why he wrote his gospel. Others have done gospels, but Luke did an extra-thorough job to research the truth and present something accurate we can base our religion upon. So here’s the real history of Christ Jesus. Theófilus might be the recipient’s actual name, but in those no-freedom-of-religion days there’s just as much a chance it’s an alias: Θεόφιλος/Theófilus means “God-lover.”

John tends to go its own way, so its introduction is a bit longer and more theological.

John 1.1-18 KWL

1In the beginning is the word.

The word’s with God,

and the word is God.

2This word is in the beginning with God.

3Everything comes to be through the word,

and not one thing, nothing, comes to be without him.

4What came to be though the word, is life.

Life’s the light of humanity.

5Light shines in darkness,

and darkness can’t get hold of it.

6A person came who’d been sent by God;

his name is John.

7This person came as a witness,

so he might witness about the light,

so through him, everyone might believe.

8This person isn’t the light,

but he came so he might witness about the light.

9The actual light, who lights up every person,

is coming into the world.

10He’s in the world,

and the world comes to be through him,

and the world doesn’t know him.

11 He comes to his own people,

and his own people don’t accept him.

12Whichever of them do accept him,

he gives to them, to those who believe in his name,

the power to become God’s children.

13These people aren’t children by blood,

nor by carnal desire, nor by a man’s desire,

but are begotten by God.

14The word becomes flesh and encamps with us,

and we get a good look at his significance—

significance like we’d see in the only begotten son of a father,

full of grace and truth.

15John witnesses about the word,

and has called out, saying,

“This is the one of whom I say,

‘The one coming after me has got in front of me,’

because he’s before me.”

16For all of us receive things out of the word’s fullness.

Grace after grace:

17The Law, which Moses gave;

grace and truth, which Christ Jesus comes to be.

18Nobody’s ever seen God.

The only Son, God who’s in the Father’s womb

this one explains God.

It’s deep, so I’ll analyze John’s intro in more detail elsewhere.