Some call it "the gospel in a nutshell." Others credit it as the very verse that made them a believer. And many see it as a message the world desperately needs to embrace.
John 3:16 is believed to be the most popular and arguably the most recited verse in the Bible. It's a verse that compelled one famous preacher to write a book entirely on the short passage and to launch a major initiative around it.
"John 3:16 has always been that one verse that I thought summarizes, encapsulates, [and] carries the heart of the Gospel like no other verse," Lucado said Monday on Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club."
"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 states.
"[It] is such a great verse because it gives us an itemization of the key doctrine to the Christian faith," he added.
Challenging both nonbelievers and veteran Christians to explore the "Hope diamond of the Bible," Lucado says, "If you know nothing of the Bible, start here (John 3:16). If you know everything in the Bible, return here."
2 comments:
Whoever says that is nothing but a free ticket into eternity does not understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. Nowhere in the Bible does it state that the Christian walk would be easy nor is it free. It cost the invaluable price of Christ's death and resurrection. It will cost your life.
Ask not what Jesus can do for you. Ask what you can do for Jesus.
The idea that christianity is all about nothing but a free ticket to eternity perfectly captures the selfishness and self-centeredness of our age. Turn the page to Luke 6:31 instead--or actually, to the entire sermon on the mount. Let the founder himself tell you exactly what christianity is really about.
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