It may not be the most-read Bible verse in the world, but the beauty and message of John 3:16 are, to my mind, without parallel. I always hear it in the voice of the King James Version, which is how I first read it over half a century ago:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Well, all right, that may soundeth a bit ancient to more modern ears, especially those who were first introduced to this verse sometime after 1980. Chances are, they first read it in language more akin to that in the New International Version:

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.

Beautiful, isn’t it? The verse has a poetic cadence to it and the words have the lovely straightforwardness that we see throughout the Bible. But it’s the love and commitment of God, and the promise to us that rises out of His love for us, that makes this verse so compelling and powerful.

So, a couple years ago when I reached Revelation on my third read-through of the Bible, I began to think about what to do in my morning Bible-reading time once I was done reading the Bible’s stunning last book. A thought came to me that wouldn’t let go: It might be fun to trace one specific verse through every book in the Bible. The verse that came to mind, really with no thought at all, was 3:16, because of John 3:16.  I could have settled on a different one – maybe 29:11, because of this verse, which many count as the most-read Bible verse in America:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

But so many books in the Bible don’t have a 29^th chapter! Maybe 4:13, then, because of this beauty:

I can do all things through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

But as I read through all the various lists of the 10, 15, and even 100 most-read Bible verses, a funny thing happened.  I came to love John 3:16 more and more. Its pull on my heart grew. Its resonance in my spirit deepened. How can 26 such simple words carry so big a promise? I don’t know. Could the whole of Christian belief be said more clearly, with fewer words? I don’t think so.

So, I bought a pretty little leather-bound journal, picked a couple pens out of my pen cup, opened up my Bible and turned the page to the first of many 3:16s to follow, in Genesis:

To the woman He said, “I will greatly increase your pains during childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.

Whoa! That’s some heavy stuff – not exactly in tune with the sensitive, politically correct thinking of today. This might not be so much fun after all, I thought. Couldn’t God have given me a more uplifting verse to begin with?

Here’s what happened next: I found out He sent me just the right verse. As I spent some time thinking about Genesis 3:16, I realized that if God was telling me anything when He planted the idea in my mind of looking at all the 3:16s in the Bible, it was really this: “Spend some time. Don’t hurry. Think about My Word for a little bit. You’ve got time, and I promise, it will be worth your while.”

That’s the beauty of all these 3:16s. No, it’s not that God blessed all the Chapter 3s or Verse 16s in the Bible with some special, deep meaning. Please, don’t think that. Don’t start buying lottery tickets with those numbers, don’t wait until March 16 (3/16) to get married or make a big investment or life decision, and please don’t name your next-born child Three Sixteen. That’s not the beauty; it’s this: If you take your time with any verse, anywhere in the Bible, God will start speaking to you about that verse and through that verse, and it will unfold wonders before your eyes.

You’ll see in the meditations that I wander from 3:16 to other verses. Incongruous as it may seem, this is a part of really digging into a verse. As I searched for context to fill out the meaning of the verse, I found other verses that added that context – or sometimes, just resonated in my heart – and I spent time on those verses as well. As I said earlier, this book isn’t about 3:16 – it’s about the richness of the Bible.

I ended up spending almost a year – 364 days to be exact – to read 66 verses, the 54 3:16s in the Bible, and 12 other verses in books that don’t have a third chapter with at least 16 verses. That comes out to about five and a half days per verse, and just over four pages of hand-written notes, on average, per verse – and there are 23,145 verses in the Bible!

Think of how much God wants to tell us!

Genesis 3:16 turned out to be a great lesson in spending time on a verse, one that carried me through the year that followed. If I took my time to understand, God would bless that time – and He did! He allowed a powerful thought to come to my mind when I studied the Bible’s first 3:16: Sin matters to God. That wasn’t there on my first reading of this rather difficult and uncomfortable verse; it’s an understanding that came as I approached the verse unhurriedly, with an open mind and an open journal. It was unexpected and surprising. What would I find next, in Exodus? Would it be as good? Better, even? Never have I been so excited by my Bible reading!

I offer this book you in the hope you’ll spend more time with each Bible verse you read. You’d do well to go beyond my thoughts on these verses because, believe me, there’s lots more in them than what’s in these pages.  I’m not some big-deal seminary graduate who preaches to a crowded church every Sunday. I don’t preach at all. I’m just a guy with a Bible who loves God and wants to get closer to him. So, I hope you’ll read what I was moved to write about the 3:16s that follow and that you’ll be moved to probe your spirit for what the verses open in your heart.

One more thing: A lot of what came to mind as I spent a full year on this handful of verses had to do with the contrast between sin and purity, of taking God’s narrow, difficult path instead of Satan’s wide, easy one. Maybe it’s just me and my life that triggers that response to God’s Word in me; maybe you’ll find my sin-centered interpretations don’t speak to you. But whether they do or do not, as you read various admonitions in the pages that follow, don’t think that I’m above sin or that I’m shaming you for your sins. That’s not it at all. I’m telling myself to stop my ongoing falling short of the glory of God, and to choose the righteous path instead of the sinful one. If, when you read those passages, you start recognizing ways you can make your life less sinful, then we’ll both know God is working the same way in us.

I hope you will get a lot out of the pages that follow. Then, when you’re done, try this:  Open your Bible, pick a random chapter and verse, and read it carefully over a few days, thinking about what you’re learning new in each re-reading. I’m sure it will be the start of a journey that’s every bit as exciting and wonder-filled as this travelogue through the Bible’s 3:16s.

God bless you!