John 3:16

== Influences ==
[[File:In-n-out Burger verses - 1.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The bottom of a paper cup from [[In-N-Out Burger]] featuring "JOHN 3:16".]]
John 3:16 is considered to be a popular Bible verse{{sfnm|1a1=Borthwick|1y=2020|1p=3|2a1=Bruner|2y=2012|2pp=22, 851, 879|3a1=DeRuvo|3y=2009|3p=131|4a1=Köstenberger|4y=2004|4p=128}} and acknowledged as a summary of [[the gospel]].{{sfnm|1a1=Borthwick|1y=2020|1p=7|2a1=Harris|2y=2015|2p=27|3a1=Pawson|3y=2014|3p=39}} In the United States, the verse is often used by preachers during sermons{{sfnm|1a1=Borthwick|1y=2020|1p=3|2a1=Pawson|2y=2014|2p=6}} and widely memorised among evangelical churches' members.{{sfn|Voorst|2017|p=40}} 16th-century German Protestant theologian [[Martin Luther]] said the verse is "the gospel in miniature".{{sfnm|1a1=Knuth|1y=1991|1p=172|2a1=Voorst|2y=2017|2p=108}} The author [[Max Lucado]], who described the verse as "a twenty-[five] word parade of hope", wrote in 2007 that the conciseness of the verse made it easy to remember.{{sfn|Lucado|2007|p=8}} In 2014, John 3:16 was among the ten most-searched verses on [[BibleGateway.com]], a popular Bible website.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2014/january/cheer-up-john-316-top-10-bible-verse-searches-bible-gateway.html |title=Cheer Up, John 3:16: The World's Top 10 Bible Verse Searches of 2013 |date=21 January 2014 |work=Christianity Today |last=Tracy |first=Kate |access-date=16 March 2022 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420164744/https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2014/january/cheer-up-john-316-top-10-bible-verse-searches-bible-gateway.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2017 report by ''[[Christianity Today]]'', the verse was a popular choice for passwords.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/january/beware-of-making-jesus-your-password.html |title=Beware of Making Jesus Your Password |date=6 January 2017 |work=Christianity Today |last=Smith |first=Stephen |access-date=16 March 2022 |archive-date=7 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107172518/https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/january/beware-of-making-jesus-your-password.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote  = "The text ... has been used by various Christian groups as a gospel in miniature because it provides a type of summary for the entire gospel ... You have seen 3:16 on billboards or banners during national televised events because [they] rightly see it as an inexpensive means of mass evangelisation. Due to the millions of people who watch such events, they have been savvy in their communication skills in reaching larger audiences."
| source =—Judith Schubert in 2016{{sfn|Schubert|2016|p=169}}
| width  = 25%
}}
The verse has been frequently referenced by consumer products and public figures. In the United States, where Christianity is dominant, evangelists often write "John 3:16" on signs and walls to attract people's attention. Voorst added, "They hope that some people will recognise as a Bible reference, look up the verse, and come to faith in Jesus Christ."{{sfn|Voorst|2017|p=108}} The American footballer [[Tim Tebow]] wrote John 3:16 on the [[eye black]] during the [[2009 BCS National Championship Game]], making it the most popular [[search term]] for more than 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/sports/ncaafootball/12tebow.html |title=Tebow Returning to Florida for Final Year |last=Thamel |first=Pete |author-link=Pete Thamel |date=11 January 2009 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=27 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227060539/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/sports/ncaafootball/12tebow.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The verse has been printed on the shopping bags by [[Forever 21]] fashion retailer<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/business/forever-21-bankruptcy-chang-family.html |title=One Family Built Forever 21, and Fueled Its Collapse |date=23 October 2019 |work=The New York Times |last=Maheshwari |first=Sapna |author-link=Sapna Maheshwari |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=27 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227034114/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/business/forever-21-bankruptcy-chang-family.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and on paper cups' bottom by [[In-N-Out Burger]] fast-food chain.{{sfn|Voorst|2017|p=108}} One of professional wrestler [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]]'s catchphrases was based on a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#promo|promo]] delivered at the [[King of the Ring (1996)|1996 King of the Ring pay-per-view]] that referenced John 3:16.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vieira |first=Benjamin |date=2023-02-10 |title=The Origins & History Of Stone Cold's "Austin 3:16" Catchphrase, Explained |url=https://www.thesportster.com/wwe-stone-cold-austin-316-catchphrase-origins-history-explained/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=TheSportster |language=en}}</ref>

Many books have been written that are based on John 3:16. [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] computer scientist [[Donald Knuth]] published ''3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated'' in 1991, examining and illustrating the sixteenth verse of every third chapter in biblical books.{{sfn|Knuth|1991|pp=5, 8}} In 2009, Lucado wrote ''3:16: The Numbers of Hope'',<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/new-you/max-lucado-316/ |title=Max Lucado on Rediscovering the Power of John 3:16 |last=Huckabee |first=Tyler |date=17 February 2022 |work=[[Relevant (magazine)|Relevant]] |access-date=17 March 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301162327/https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/new-you/max-lucado-316/ |url-status=live }}</ref> where portions of the verse are titled in its chapters.{{sfn|Lucado|2007|pp=xi–xii}} Pawson wrote ''Is John 3:16 the Gospel?'', analyzing every word and grammatical structure and remarking it is the "most misunderstood verse".{{sfn|Pawson|2014|p=6}} ''John 3:16: What's It All About?'' and ''Mission 3:16'', were written by Harris in 2015 and Borthwick in 2020, respectively.{{sfnm|1a1=Borthwick|1y=2020|1pp=139–141|2a1=Harris|2y=2015|2pp=xi–xii}}