“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
A footnote in my Bible says that John 3:16 is the most famous summary of the gospel. The good news in one sentence! The verse states what God did on our behalf and promises salvation and eternal life to anybody who believes in Jesus.
If you are a football fan you might be familiar with the following story. In 2009, quarterback Tim Tebow wrote the word John underneath his right eye and 3:16 underneath his left eye during a National Championship game. He shared that God had put it on his heart to do so. Tebow also shared how surprised he was when he was told that the verse (John 3:16) had been googled over 94 million times during that game.
Exactly three years later, in 2012, another miraculous occurrence happened. After Tebow’s team, the Broncos, won the playoff game against the Steelers, his PR agent reported some amazing statistics. During that game Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards, the reported yards per completion and yards per rush were 31.6 and 3.16, the television ratings for the game were 31.6, and the time of possession was 31.06. The verse began to trend on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and once again caused 90 million people to google the meaning of John 3:16. What a story!
Sometimes the thought of sharing the good news can be daunting and we may even struggle to know where to begin when we are talking with friends, family, neighbors, or strangers. However, as this story shows, John 3:16 is a great place to start. How might you share John 3:16 with others? Let’s get creative and ask God in prayer for some fresh ideas.
For reflection:
- God sent Jesus as a way of introducing Himself to us in a fresh way. As you reflect on what these verses tell us Jesus came to do (and not do)—how does this impact your view of Him as our high priest sitting beside God interceding for us?
by Anna Jaehnert
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