"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."—John 3:16 (New International Version)
That verse, one of the most popular in the Bible, is very close to the heart of Heisman Trophy winner and former professional football player turned professional baseball outfielder Tim Tebow.
More than that, that particular verse is also the subject of an amazing story told by Tebow when he appeared as guest on entertainer Harry Connick, Jr.'s television show, "Harry," on Monday.
Tebow began his story by highlighting his use of that verse during the college football national championship in 2009, CBN News reported.
"We were playing for the national championship in college on January 8, 2009, and I decided to wear John 3:16 under my eyes, and during the game, 94 million people Googled John 3:16, and it was a pretty cool moment," Tebow told Connick.
Three years later, Tebow was with the Denver Broncos playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2012 NFL playoffs. The Broncos won over the Steelers, 29-23, in dramatic fashion with Tebow making the winning 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime. Tebow finished that game with 10 completions in 21 passes for a career-high 316 yards, his most memorable performance as an NFL player, according to The Washington Post.
After that game, Tebow was heading into the post-game press conference when Patrick, his public relations representative, stopped and asked him, "Timmy, did you realise what happened?"
Tebow answered, "Yeah, we just beat the Steelers. We're going to play the Patriots."
That was not what Patrick meant. He asked, "No, do you realise what happened?"
"Alright, Patrick, what's up?" Tebow said.
Patrick then told him that "It's exactly three years later from the day that you wore John 3:16 under your eyes."
"I was like, 'Oh, that's really cool,'" Tebow replied.
Patrick then told him about the miraculous appearances of those numbers in that game.
"No, I don't think you realise what happened. During the game, you threw for 316 yards; your yards per rush were 3.16; your yards per completion were 31.6; the ratings for the game were 31.6, and the time of possession was 31.6.
"And during the game, 90 million people had already Googled John 3:16, and it was the number one trending thing on Facebook and Twitter," Tebow recalled Patrick telling him.
"And a lot of people will say, 'It's coincidence.' I say, 'big God,'" Tebow said.
