Before jumping into any language, you need to understand basic concepts like variables, data structures and syntax. This tutorial will walk you through those beginner concepts, and you can check out other content on the site when you're ready to move on to more difficult lessons. It isn't flashy like a lot of how-to programming sites these days, but the information is solid, well-written and easy to understand. Sometimes, there's something to be said for learning the old-fashioned way.
Programming 101 — The 5 Basic Concepts of any Programming Language [How to Program with Java]