John 3:16

“This may be a bold statement, but, well, if the entire Bible (and the Christian faith, really) had to be summed up in a single verse, it would be John 3:16. This verse speaks to the "why," the all-important reason behind why the rest of scripture even exists. So, we're here. We exist. Let's take it a step further and acknowledge that we were created, and that there is an all-powerful God behind it all. Why??? Well, this is why. Our creator loves us. And all he asks is that we believe. Believe in him, and believe in his son Jesus. He doesn't want us to live a shallow life that ends in death, but rather, to experience a Godly and prosperous life, followed by eternity with him. I don't know about you, but to me that sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

This verse also speaks to the ultimate sacrifice, the gift that God gave to humanity, the blood of his own son Jesus Christ. In the old testament (before Jesus), forgiveness for sins could only be achieved by sacrifice, and it was carried out in ancient times by the priests through the blood of animals. Nothing else could satisfy, and even the blood of lambs could sustain for a limited period of time. Before long, another animal sacrifice would be needed. That all changed with the arrival of Jesus. His death, his blood, and his perfection established a new path to forgiveness, and ultimately, salvation. By accepting his sacrifice and believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he is the one true path to forgiveness, we are saved from this world and a sinful path that would lead only to death. Instead, we are born again into an eternal life, and an everlasting future with God and Jesus. This is what it means to be a Christian.

(As the composer who has opted to represent this Bible verse through music, I certainly hope that I have done the text justice through an in-depth explanation, however if you still have questions, just ask.)

Musically, this composition is designed to touch primarily on the concept of unconditional love. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; God loved us that much. Despite our broken state, no matter what we've done wrong, regardless of how far we may have gone down the wrong path, God loves us. He gave his Son for us. This track is meant to capture that feeling, but to also weave in aspects of eternity, everlasting life, and, well, of sacrifice. This gift didn't come cheap, and the scripture tells us the level of pain and torment that Jesus had to endure in his earthly body for us to be able to receive this gift. One should not take salvation for granted. Nor should someone call themselves a Christian and then proceed to live a wordly, sinful life, far from God's plan. The sacrifice of Jesus is worth more than that. To be a Christian isn't just about believing a story, it's about walking with God afterwards and from then on, listening to his Word and living a life of obedience in line with his plan. So, yes, it's a lot to weave into a musical composition, but that is the ultimate point of the Words and Verses project. With God's help, the final musical composition will get the point across.”