Jeremiah 29:11 is becoming more popular on social media than John 3:16

As reported by Laura FitzPatrick of the London Daily Telegraph, February 25, 2019 (links in original):

In the beginning - and for centuries that followed - God’s sacrifice of Jesus to express his love on Earth was the most-adored Bible passage for many Christians.

But that is changing, thanks to messages of hope and prosperity being favoured on social media.

“Whereas once John 3:16 was the ‘poster-boy’ text of the 20th century, the latest star is Jeremiah 29:11”, said Rev Dr Peter Phillips, Director of CODEC Research Centre for Digital Theology of St John's College at Durham University.

“In print culture, John 3:16 has been the most popular Bible verse ever, but it has been knocked of its pedestal by the social age. People don’t want to put a verse about Jesus’ death upon the cross on social media, it’s a bit heavy,” he added.

The Bible is made up of more than 30,000 verses and one has historically captured the popularity of Christians above all others, appearing on fast-food and clothes brand packaging.

John 3:16 is famous for being the Bible’s most popular verse, according to Rev Dr Phillips and the Bible Society, and it was famously the late prominent evangelical Christian Billy Graham’s favourite.

Gotta channel my inner Helen Keller, and one of my favourite bible verses. #positivity #jeremiah2911 pic.twitter.com/muV4lbY1lx

— Ashley (@laviebella8) February 21, 2019

But the verse, which 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,” has now been overtaken in popularity by an offer of hope and prosperity, in Jeremiah 29:11.

Instead, Jeremiah 29:11, is the UK’s favourite passage, according to digital Bible provider YouVersion, who’s platform has 350 million users.

It reads: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It also tops the charts in nine other countries, including Canada and Australia, where religious individuals pick verses concerning personal feelings, rather than the glory of God.

According to experts, the switch is a product of social media and young people’s social performance of the Bible, in line with the trend of displaying wellness and spirituality online.

With apps like Bible Lens - which allows users to create new images using their own photos overlayed with quotes from the Bible - and YouVersion’s search-by-emoji function soaring in popularity, millennials have drastically changed how they approach the Bible’s teachings.

Rev Dr Phillips, who’s book titled Bible, Digital Culture and Social Media is published later this year, said: “We find that millennials tend to share therapeutic messages - it’s far more about their own identity and how faith can help them in their future.

“The result is a shift in public display of the Bible.”

He claims that it fits the general notion that digital-savvy people tend to cherry pick what they share online.

He added: “Users engage in social media to present something about themselves to the audience they themselves curate.

“Social media engagement with the Bible is itself part of the so-called photoshopped self - a form as front staging a person’s Bible engagement.”

But the popularity of Jeremiah 29:11 also comes down to the context of social media, according to the Bible Society, who claim the brevity of social media posts causes problems for passages like John 3:16.

“Passages like John 3:16 concern an eternal perspective and hope beyond death,” Rachel Rounds of the Bible Society told The Telegraph.

“These are not easy concepts to convey on social media which doesn’t really do context or nuance and that’s a challenge for politicians, scientists and the church alike.”

But YouVersion bosses pertain that John 3:16 is an important verse and “remains extremely popular”, as it usually falls in the top 20 verses globally each year, according to their data.

The above article illustrates why we always need to read scripture in context. Jeremiah 29:11 is not a message from God to humanity in general, and especially not to the unsaved, upon whom His wrath abides (John 3:36). This verse isn't even a message to the church, although I've often heard it used as such.

In Jeremiah 27, God is telling the people of Judah to submit to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and go into exile in Babylon. However, the Jews are receiving mixed messages about what's to happen. In Jeremiah 28, Hananiah, claiming to be a prophet of God, tells the people of Judah that within two years, the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar will be broken, and they'll be brought back from exile. Jeremiah has a public dispute with Hananiah, and then the LORD, through Jeremiah, denounces Hananiah as a false prophet, and prophesies that he will die within the year. Hananiah dies two months later, providing evidence that Jeremiah was a true prophet of God--and Jeremiah has been prophesying that the people of Judah will be sent into exile in Babylon as punishment for disobeying God.

In Jeremiah 29, the LORD inspires Jeremiah to write a letter to the Jews in exile, which includes the following (verses 4-14):

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

The Jews, who've been told by false prophets that they will soon be delivered, are now being told by a true prophet that they're going to be in Babylon for 70 years. They're not the vanguard of a liberating army, but most of them are going to be there for the rest of their lives, so they may as well make the best of it.

Those who prefer Jeremiah 29:11 to John 3:16 seem to like the thought that God loves them, but are unwilling to accept His terms. God demonstrated His love for us in sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8); to have peace with God (Romans 5:1-2) is possible only through belief in the work done by Christ in shedding His blood for our sins on the cross. The cross is, however, an offense to the natural man (Romans 9:33, Galatians 5:11, I Peter 2:8), and that's just as true in the 21st century as it was in the 1st century.