Reflections on John 3:16
John 3:16 will help answer the question of why Paul called this the most excellent way. This passage is the most famous and the most familiar passage of the Bible. It is quoted the most and it's reference numbers are seen at football games, parades, graffiti, and the like. Max Lucado calls these numbers, "The numbers of hope." In his book 3:16
In his book 3:16 Max shares some reflections on 3:16 from some famous people:
CeCe Winans said, "To me, John 3:16 is the very foundation of my faith. It is because of God's love that he gave and it's because of God's love that I am saved forever."
Sheila Walsh stated, "This is the first verse I learned as a child and it changed my life. To most 10 year olds, these would be sweet words to recite to Mom and Dad to make them smile. To me they were a lighthouse in the darkness, a concrete promise when everything else seemed untrue and a hope that could not be extinguished. Over forty years later I wrap the truth of these words around me every day as I look for others who are lost at sea, betrayed and hopeless. All the literature in the world cannot compete with the treasure contained in these twenty-five words."
Mac Powell (lead singer of Third Day) stated, "I love John 3:16 because it is the gospel in a nutshell. It shares God's great love for us, and our great need for him."
Jeff Foxworthy (Comedian) stated, "This is the promise that bears hope for the hopeless. When we finally realize "I can't do this on my own" this is the Father responding, "I know, so I've done it for you."
Greg Laurie, Pastor stated, "God's love is not some mere sentiment, but rather something that He showed in a tangible way. God offers to us the gift of eternal life. To receive a gift, you must reach out to accept it, and then open it."
Don Moen, singer/songwriter, "John 3:16. What an amazing scripture-God loved us while we were quite unlovable. He reached out to us when we were unreachable. Knowing that we would fail Him, deny Him, and spurn this unconditional love, he still gave...unconditionally!"
Max shares this about our verse from his book 3:16:
A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible , return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God's treatment is prescribed in John 3:16. He loves. He gave. We believe. We live. The words are to scripture what the Mississippi River is to America-an entryway into the heartland
Source: Max Lucado, 3:16-The Numbers of Hope.