Ah, John 3:16. The first bible verse I ever memorized way back in AWANAs at Hillcrest Baptist Church on the Westside in Jacksonville, FL.It's still a good one, and perhaps the reason it's so popular is that it captures the essential message of Christianity so well:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.
There are at least four basic truths here:
1. God loves us.
2. He sent His son.
3. We must believe in the Son.
4. Faith in Christ results in eternal life.
There are some elements of the gospel that are just as important, but not present in this one verse:
There is no explanation of why God had to give his Son, no description of sin. However, these important doctrines are discussed in surrounding verses in the same Chapter of John, in Nicodemus's discussion with Christ.
But the essential message of Christianity is not sin, but freedom from it through Christ, because of God's love, which IS the main point of this verse.
