Where do I start my child in the Bible?

The Bible isn't like other books that we read.  As a matter of fact, it is a collection of 66 books that tell the history and nature of man and the great redemption promised by God to both His people Israel and the whole world.  There are two promises or covenants (also known as Testaments) that are covered through the pages of Scripture.  The Old Testament covers the promises made to a people group who were to be God's special nation on earth, yet hints at a greater fulfillment of His promise to rule His people as their King, Redeemer & Savior (also known as the Messiah).  The New Testament shows the fulfillment of this promise through the life, death & resurrection of Jesus.  In the New Testament, the kingdom of God is transformed beyond merely a national identity to the redemption of the whole world through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.  Since Jesus has conquered death, the New Testament looks forward to the promise of God of eternal life with Him forever in heaven for all who believe on His name.

At the center of all the promises of God is the person of Jesus Christ.  He is the fulfillment of what we read in the Old Testament and the one who establishes the New Testament through His life, death and resurrection.  So it seems that beginning with the person of Jesus Christ will shed the most light on what the entire Bible is all about.  This is why I counsel parents to begin in the Gospels.  Because of the nature of the Gospel accounts, I usually suggest that parents choose one synoptic gospel (I personally choose either Matthew or Luke because of the Christmas story that is missing in Mark) followed by the Gospel of John.

There are four Gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.  The first three (Matthew, Mark & Luke) are called the synoptic gospels.  They are called the synoptic gospels because they go over many of the same accounts of Jesus' life.  They do vary slightly, but most of the stories relayed are the same, concerning Jesus' life, death & resurrection.  The gospel of John is different because it was written years after the first three gospels had been constructed.  The purpose of the gospel of John was to share different details about the life of Jesus not previously shared by the other gospel accounts. 

By beginning with the life of Jesus, your child will be able learn about who Jesus is and what He has done for us providing a solid foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible.  More importantly, they will be confronted with the claims of Jesus and the opportunity to believe those claims and so have life in His name. 

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.     --John 20:31