Customer Reviews

3:16: A Study for Small Groups [316]

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It's a match made in heaven (or that's what Thomas Nelson Publishers must believe). In 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, one of the world's best-known and best-loved Christian authors takes on the world's best-known and best-loved Bible verse. Max Lucado has authored over 50 book with sales exceeding an incredible 50 million copies in print. His books are regularly on the New York Times list of bestsellers and continually dominate the Christian charts (where he has had up to eleven books present at one time). 3:16 is as close as we could expect for a sure-thing bestseller. An unparalleled marketing campaign will all but guarantee it. It is no coincidence that the book will release on 9/11, allowing people to contrast numbers of despair with numbers of hope. The book will also stand as the centerpiece of a major global ministry initiative launching on Palm Sunday, 3/16/08. This book is going to make a splash.

In 3:16 Lucado unpacks ("exposits" would probably not be quite the right word) what he calls the "hope diamond of the Bible," the verse that is known and cherished by more believers than any other: "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." Of this passage he says, "If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here." Good advice, and advice that immediately shows that this book is written for a dual audience, both those who know the Bible and those who do not; those who love God and those who do not. It is written to show the reader the value of understanding and living in light of the words of John 3:16.

Through twelve logically structured chapters Lucado interacts with this verse, moving easily through each of the major words or word pairings in the text. Lucado is a good writer and one who communicates well, often through story and example. It is little wonder that he has gained such popularity as he does an excellent job of communicating in a way that is bound to appeal to just about any reader. The book concludes with 40 brief readings (adapted from selections from Lucado's previous books) that are intended as supplementary devotional reading over a 40 day period.

While I rarely employ such a format, I am going to divide this review into two parts, pointing out first what I perceived to be the book's strengths (beyond those already offered) and then a few of its weaknesses.

Strengths

I was glad to see that Lucado largely gets the gospel right, aptly expressing the work of Jesus and its tragic necessity. He expresses the hopelessness of man without God and the fact that rebirth, like birth, is a passive act to which we contribute nothing. He emphasizes the exclusivity of Christ against all other religious claimants, unashamedly declaring that Christ is the only way to the Father. He is clear that some people are saved and some are not and in consequence he writes about the joys of heaven and the horrors of hell, never attempting to apologize for the existence or utter hopelessness of hell. He is refreshingly old fashioned in much of his theology.

This leads to a related point, that Lucado is not afraid to discuss theology that is too often regarded as outmoded today. As already mentioned, he writes about the reality of hell and about Jesus' claim to be the only Savior. He writes also about the substitutionary nature of Jesus' work--that He took our sin upon Himself and received in Himself the punishment due to sinners--and of the reality of those who are sinners. "Bad news..." he writes after looking at a few of the Ten Commandments, "Your test score indicts you as a thieving, lying, adulterous murderer."

Lucado often turns to good and trusted sources in his footnotes. Perusing the footnotes I noted references to James Boice, Donald Barnhouse, James White, John Blanchard, Randy Alcorn and other sources of sound theological wisdom. Though he often refers to these authors more for stories and anecdotes than theology, it is heartening to see him seeking to learn from such trusted, biblically-minded authors.

Weaknesses

Lucado writes of God's promises and often does so without distinction between those who know God and those who do not. This is doubtlessly a consequence of writing for a dual audience. He uses Bible verses that are clearly written to Christians but does not make that distinction. This is true not only in the words of John 3:16 (does God love everybody in the world without exception or everybody in the world without distinction?) but in other passages as well. This kind of talk can be dangerous--it can have consequences. To assure readers that they qualify as beneficiaries of God's promises whether they know Him or not can cause a great deal of confusion. While Lucado is very clear that Jesus is clear that there are those who are saved and those who are not, it is strange that he does not better delineate who certain promises are for.

There are aspects of Lucado's theology that are a little bit suspect when I compare it to the Bible and to the broad stream of historic Protestant theology. In broad terms, his theology seems to downplay the sovereignty of God in favor of the free will of man. So while humans are sinful, they are not so sinful that without a prior work of God they will never turn to Him. As Lucado explains it, God waits for us to turn to Him, never infringing upon our free will, even saying "God, eternally gracious, never forces his will." Yet this introduces the complication that dead men, men who have perished spiritually, have no good desires and dead men can never be initiators. If we are dead, God must make the first move, even if this involves forcing His will.

I felt there were a few places in the text where it may have been wise to exercise just a little more precision or where the author was just plain inaccurate. For example, Lucado speaks of Jesus going to hell--a common belief but one that seems to owe more to the Apostle's Creed than to the Bible. He also states that, because of the fact that the Father and Son are both God, in God giving His Son God gave Himself. I know what Lucado is attempting to communicate, but it could definitely be said better and in a way that would not breed confusion, especially among those who have little prior theological background.

Lucado employs at least twelve translations of the Bible. I realize that in a format like this there may not be opportunity to explore the meaning of a text and thus it is sometimes most convenient to simply turn to a translation that says things in the way the author feels they can best be said. But often I found the translation used was not the most accurate one and this is especially true when Lucado turns to The Message. A couple of the passages he quoted from that paraphrase bore only a vague resemblance to a more accurate translation.

Conclusion

Those concerns aside, I feel that 3:16 is quite a strong effort and one God is sure to use despite its imperfections. While perhaps not a book I would choose to hand to a person interested in exploring Christianity, I can say with some confidence that it is also not a book that will lead people far astray. Lucado presents the good news of Jesus Christ's atoning death and does so in an attractive way. The millions who are sure to read this book will come face-to-face with one of Scripture's most powerful statements and through it will come face-to-face with the Savior. Though it does not present the whole story, 3:16 will certainly have a lot of value as a means of stirring hearts and beginning spiritual conversations. With marketing efforts focusing, at least in part, on airports, keep an eye out for people reading this one when you travel. The words of John 3:16 have brought many souls to the Savior; I trust this book will serve to help bring many more.

The author of 3:16 The Numbers of Hope, Max Lucado conveys the central message of the New Testament that is contained in John 3:16 in a poetic way. The 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." He summarizes the basic Christian faith in a way easy to grasp, but a way that deeply touches the heart: Jesus Christ, the son of God, came into the world to deliver people from sin through his crucifixion and resurrection. This was the holy plan of redemption from the beginning of time.

Max Lucado dedicates a chapter to each phrase that is contained in this verse and explains it with stories from the Bible and everyday life. He starts with the most famous conversation in the Bible, the one between Nicodemus and Jesus regarding "spiritual rebirthing." He then continues on to explain the love of God that moved him to give his one and only son as a sacrifice for all. The author explains how this gift is available to `whomever' and is not limited to only a select few.

While reading this book, I almost felt like I was listening to Max Lucado talk with me face to face. His style welcomes the reader into a heart to heart conversation, where truth is the mediator. He has the ability to transform any abstract idea into a tangible message that finds its way straight to the heart. An example of this is apparent in the following sentence: "...perish... a sobering word. We'd like to dilute, if not delete, the term. Not Jesus. He pounds Do Not Enter signs on every square inch of Satan's gate and tells those hell-bent on entering to do so over his dead body. Even so, some souls insist." (10)

I have read almost every book that this inspiring author has published. It is always a joy and encouragement for me to read his words that help make the message of the Bible as clear to me as the water of a lake on a calm crisp spring morning. Whenever I start reading one of his books, I cannot stop until I am done from cover to cover. It's almost like starting a bag of chips and not being able to stop until the whole bag is gone. His writing is addictive in a most positive way.

Lucado demystifies the Bible stories in his books. I would recommend anybody who would like to get a fresh look at well known stories and lessons of the Bible to read them. He will not disappoint any reader who hungers for the truth. I especially recommend 3:16 The Numbers of Hope for its crystal clear explanations of God's promise and redemptive plan.

This book was a pleasure to read both for me, as a Christian who was saved several years ago, and now by a family member, who is struggling with faith. I just know that hope will engulf her and His light will shine upon her and give her soul rest in the hope of eternity. I found answers to things that I thought I knew about the resurrection but was incorrect and I also found myself sharing this book as a bible study with a friend. We both had different views on the contents and what we shared were feelings that helped us both and just created MORE hope. There is nothing you can possess that is greater than God's promise of eternal life. The Kingdom Wins!!! Amen!

This is a great book. It is written very simply and helps those of us who are not so great at disecting bible verses to understand and relate to the stories he uses.
I highly recommend this book!!! I received it as a gift after my grandmother passed away and it was perfect! I would love to get one for every friend I know!

Max Lucado is one of my favorite Christian authors, in that he has a style of writing that takes you beyond the words and into the emotions of people and places. In 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, he uses the verse John 3:16 for a number of mini-sermons that place emphasis on each word and phrase of the verse. It's an excellent read, and forced me to stop and actually contemplate all that the verse means again...

Contents:
The Most Famous Conversation in the Bible; No One Like Him; Hope for the Hard Heart; When You Get Booted Out; The Only One and Only; The Heart He Offers; Heaven's "Whoever" Policy; Believe and Receive; God's Gracious Grip; Hell's Supreme Surprise; What Makes Heaven Heavenly; The Last Word on Life; The 3:16ed Life; Only Jesus - 40 Days with the Son; Notes

Lucado is able to break down the verse in ways that you might never think of. Each chapter starts off with a story from his life or some illustration from life that anyone can relate to. From there, he turns the illustration in a spiritual direction and shows how the words of John 3:16 in many ways encapsulates everything that the Bible teaches and stands for. To me, the best value comes from his ability to paint color with his words, to give us a scene from the Bible and bring the characters and the message to life in a way that brings fresh perspective. I guess since I've always had a hard time doing that on my own, I appreciate and value it all the more when I come across it in someone's writing. For non-Christians, this book will succinctly provide the message of the Gospel. For Christians, you'll once again be reminded in fresh ways of God's love...

An excellent read...

If you've been to a Christian bookstore in the past two months, you've probably seen Max Lucado's newest book: 3:16 - The Numbers of Hope. Thomas Nelson has given this book substantial promotion, and it looks like the campaign is just beginning. Soon to follow is a teen edition, not to mention the trinkets that typically accompany our evangelical fads.

But leaving aside the faddishness of evangelicalism today for a moment, let's get to the book itself. 3:16 will probably be Lucado's best-remembered work. He borrows graciously from his previous works, especially in the devotional half of the book. 3:16 is a good introduction to Lucado's winsome writing. Lucado's ability to communicate is outstanding. I recommend that pastors read him, if only to learn from the delightful way in which he expresses theological concepts.

From a theological standpoint, 3:16 doesn't break new ground, thankfully so. Lucado affirms the major Christian doctrines of the faith. He speaks rightly of Christ's substitutionary death, the "Great Exchange" (our sin for Christ's righteousness), the need for faith, the exclusivity of faith in Christ for salvation, and the existence of both heaven and hell. Lucado is a traditional, conservative evangelical. Yet, he manages to package these doctrines with grace-filled illustrations, explaining Scripture while challenging and comforting his readers all at the same time.

Those of us who lean Reformed may grow weary of Lucado's constant appeal to humanity's free will and choice. At one point, he states boldly that God never forces himself on anyone. So, although he claims that salvation is a work generated and based solely in God, he makes it clear that the choice of salvation is exclusively in human hands.

But let's not get hung up on technicalities. The gospel shines forth in the book. I was thankful to see an emphasis on the resurrection and not just the cross (something that Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life completely neglected).

3:16 is an easy book to read and digest. I have no doubt it will make an impact on many a lost person and that God will use it to bring people to himself. God bless Max Lucado for using his gifts to preach the gospel!

Max Lucado does an excellent job of expounding and amplifying on what many consider the most beloved verse in the Bible. It gives to us, who will receive it in faith believing, the plan of reconciling God with man, namely the gift of God's Son for the salvation of mankind. As a correlative verse to this esteemed text is another 3:16 found by the same writer in I John 3:16. It expands the Gospel verse to include what Christians should be committed to do; that is, "By this we know the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (fellow Christians)". These two verses embody the core of the Gospel message that Jesus summarized when he stated "You shall love the Lord our God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Again, thanks to Max Lucado for reminding us what is expected of us to trust in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior and what is expected of us as it relates to our fellow man. 3:16, now and forever!

Max Lucado's 3:16: The Numbers of Hope tantalizes many a reader in Christian bookstores the world over. Lucado is an international bestselling author and knows how to pick a title.

3:16 is a reference to the sixteenth verse from the third chapter of John: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (RSV). Lucado, a minister at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, wrote a book appropriate for its intended audience of Caucasian, protestant baby-boomers. He dissects 3:16 in the most obvious of ways. Much of the narrative consists of Lucado's personal opinion rather than those of scholars or biblical historians. Readers should expect lengthy, off-the-cuff impressions of 3:16 that could have come from any faithful layman.

Lucado reminds me of C.S. Lewis, had Lewis come of age in the 1980s and attended a megachurch. No one can deride Lucado's natural, simple prose--not altogether different from Ernest Hemmingway. The book is so conversational that it could be assumed much of 3:16 was borrowed from actual sermons at Oak Hills Church or conversations with parishioners.

What is lacking in 200 pages is historical context, theology or connection to the rest of John's gospel or the New Testament. Lucado's anecdotes range from mildly amusing to memorable, but how much more effective would the text be if he brought 3:16 to life in an intellectually forceful manner? Numbers of Hope need not have been any longer to increase its effectiveness as a devotional read. Clever editing would have made room for two much-needed, substantive chapters within the small frame of this popcorn-fluff text.

Lucado is at his best when summarizing the life of Christ in the final third of the book. Every day mentioned in the gospels is accounted for and placed in chronological order. The mystery is why the passage closes Numbers of Hope rather than serving as a natural introduction.

Some readers will love Lucado and all his work. He sheds a perspective on 3:16 that deserves consideration. A sprinkling of Greek words is spread throughout the book, just so we know that he has some grasp of the original languages--but not enough to really tell us anything unique. 3:16 is certainly one of the most powerful verses of the Bible. It deserves better treatment than Lucado is able to deliver. For a great read, try What the Gospels Meant instead.

Be aware: this book is the "For Teens" edition. No where in the description is this noted. I purchased this copy and received the teen version. When I went back to check, it was on the cover of the picture, but not listed in the title.

The Numbers of Hope - has been like good medicine. Max Lucado has a gift of depicting the miricle of the gift of hope and salvation, granted to the world by the Creator- that those whom want to believe can find so tangilble. When I first read this book, I felt so many can gain such a sense of hope from it's pages. I found myself giving my copy away, again and again to someone whom wanted it so much. I knew I would purchase for myself another copy as soon as it was possible. I have purchased this wonderful work three times and soon the situation will present itself again. Max Lucado's ability is beautiful and amazing. Read this book. It will make you very happy you did!