You can build an entire religion around any single verse in the bible. You won’t have Christianity. You’ll have something else. If you clip out everyone’s favorite bible verse, John 3:16 and toss away the rest of the scripture, you’ll end up with the religion that many modern churches proclaim as the “gospel”. It’s not the gospel of Christ. It’s the gospel of Sesame Street.

On Sesame Street, everyone is welcome. People and puppets mingle together without conflict. Everyone is friends with everyone else. They sing songs, play games, and teach each other the difference between near and far. Sesame Street is diverse! There are people (and puppets) of all shapes, sizes, and colors! There is somebody on Sesame Street who is just like you. Come and play. Friendly neighbors are everywhere and everything is a-okay.

If anyone on Sesame Street cracked open a Bible they could read everyone’s favorite verse, John 3:16 –

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

Then, they would stop reading. They have short attention spans and get bored quickly. They can’t focus long enough to follow a train of thought when it requires a sentence longer than…

Sesame Street gospel never reads John 3:17 –

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world…”

Imagine the uproar among the puppets at the mention of condemnation. What did Grover ever do that deserves punishment? Why would anyone condemn Elmo? The most fictional aspect of Sesame Street is that it exists without sin. There are no “bad guys” on Sesame Street. Nobody commits any crimes. Policemen exist only to help lost children find their mothers or explain the importance of the letter “P”. Sesame Street police never wear riot gear. They don’t carry guns. They don’t need them.

In the beautifully diverse world of Sesame Street, there are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus but no Evangelical Christians. So the children, puppets, and make-believe adults would interpret scripture all by themselves. That would result in a “gospel” exactly like the one you probably hear at your church on Sunday morning:

“See where it says God loves you? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a puppet or a person. God is madly in love with you. You’re a great person. You’re different from everybody else and that makes you special. Look around! What’s not to love? Talking cows, Islamic Imams, Jewish Rabbis, homosexuals, purple monsters, and celebrities live in peaceful coexistence. God knows a good thing when he sees it. He sees it in you!”

Puppets don’t ask, “If God loves the world, why would He condemn it?” That’s why puppets shouldn’t lead Bible study. Puppets shouldn’t write theology books either. And you shouldn’t learn your Christian faith from a puppet (or a person who thinks like a puppet).

You don’t live on Sesame Street. You know exactly why the world should be condemned. More specifically, you know why YOU should be condemned. You know your ugly secrets. You know your selfish ambitions. You know what you would do if there was no possibility of punishment. You don’t deserve God’s love.

You can’t understand John 3:16 until you understand this isn’t Sesame Street. You’re not an innocent, foam rubber creature with a delightful laugh and a spotless criminal record. You’re not easy to love. But God, somehow, miraculously, thankfully, loves you anyway.