The sporting world was shocked when former New England Patriot tight end, Aaron Hernandez, was discovered dead, hanging in his prison cell from a bed sheet with the Bible verse John 3:16 written in red ink on his forehead. This special verse was also found written in blood on one of the walls of his cell.
This verse reads, “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.” It has been appropriately called “the gospel in a nutshell” . . . “the golden text of the Bible” . . . and “the diamond of the Scriptures.”
Many have asked how God could possibly forgive a man who had so cruelly taken the life of an innocent person. Would God do that? Is it true? From a human perspective it doesn’t seem likely or even possible, but from God’s perspective the answer is an unqualified “yes” (see I John 1:9).
In order to understand what John 3:16 really means, and whether or not Hernandez could be fully forgiven for such a despicable deed, we need to go back to the original context of how John 3:16 was originally communicated. It was recorded by John, a fisherman, who was one of Christ’s twelve disciples. John refers to himself as an eyewitness when Jesus was speaking to the Jewish leader Nicodemus. The miracles and teaching of Jesus had convinced this Jewish leader that Jesus knew the secret to eternal life.
Jesus shared the mysteries of God’s love with Nicodemus by telling him why He had come to the earth, and how he could have eternal life. In other words, Jesus was on a rescue mission to save a lost world. So, what did Jesus tell Nicodemus about eternal life? He didn’t tell him to become more religious. Neither did He tell him to give more money or to do more good deeds. What any person, including Nicodemus, must do to have eternal life is to accept God’s love as expressed in the words of John 3:16.
God in the beginning created Adam and Eve in His image, pure and holy. But their disobedience injected sin into the DNA of the human race. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death (separation from God), but the gift of God (His love as demonstrated at Calvary) is eternal life.”
John 3:16 is the most popular verse in the Bible. This is because it focuses on God’s love as demonstrated at Calvary. It paints a beautiful picture of God’s love by using eleven superlatives:
- “For God” . . . . . the greatest lover.
- “So loved” . . . . . the greatest degree.
- “The world” . . . . . the greatest need.
- “That He gave” . . . . . the greatest act.
- “His one and only Son” . . . . . the greatest gift.
- “That whoever” . . . . . the greatest opportunity.
- “Believes in Him” . . . . . the greatest opportunity.
- Should not perish” . . . . . the greatest promise
- “Have eternal life” . . . . . the greatest possibility.
The most wonderful truth I know is that God loves every person everywhere – and that includes you. All He asks is that you accept His love and love Him in return – and eternal life will be yours.
The Paper Pulpit 
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