Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
There's some stiff competition, but John 3:16 might be the most famous verse in the entire Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Forever 21 has it on the bottom of their shopping bags, In-N-Out Burger displays it on their cups. And every once in a while, you'll see someone hold it up at a baseball game. Yup, John 3:16 gets around.
The Bible isn't known for being brief, but John's Gospel is home to the shortest verse in the Bible. The King James Version of John 11:35 simply reads: "Jesus wept." No tissues, either.
A fragment from John's Gospel created in the second century is the oldest piece of New Testament writing ever discovered. But big things come in small packages. Though it's an amazing piece of history, the fragment is less than four inches long and only contains five verses from the gospel. (Source.)
We told you it was famous. On January 9, 2012, "John 3:16" became the most searched term on Google thanks to openly Christian quarterback, Tim Tebow, who threw for 316 yards in a playoff win against the Steelers the night before. Was it luck or is God secretly a big Broncos fan?
The four gospel writers are often represented as animals in art. John is usually the eagle (maybe it's because he's so lofty). The other choices are lion, ox, and man, so we'd say John lucked out. Here he is in The Book of Kells (bottom right-hand corner).