As another year winds down, I think it is safe to say that John 3:16 has retained its title as the #1 most-quoted Bible verse in all of Christendom. Indeed, it has been a solid little performer as a pithy Christian catchphrase for a long, long time. I understand that archaeologists recently dug up an ancient chariot from the reign of Constantine that had “John 3:16″ on the rear bumper, right next to a “Smile, God loves you!” sticker and a parking permit for the Billy Graham Crusade.

I have to wonder, however, if John 3:16 is getting a little long in the tooth as the top Bible reference of Christianity. Is it possible that the public’s familiarity with this classic verse has caused it to blend into the surrounding landscape of mundane trivia? Perhaps it is time to replace it with a lesser-known reference that might actually force people to open a Bible if they want to know what the verse says. I mean, think about it. Even major corporations change their commercial slogans once in a while to keep their image fresh and noteworthy.

As a matter of fact, just last month I was thinking about the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It!” slogan after I ate a Big Mac and ended up sick to my stomach. I hate to admit it, but those PR folks at McDonald’s are a very savvy group. Even while suffering the classic symptoms of food poisoning, I couldn’t be mad at them. “Honey,” my wife would say, “how are you doing with the nausea and cramping?” To which I would reply, “I’m lovin’ it!”

Needless to say, the McDonald’s slogan doesn’t work for me anymore.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a big fan of John 3:16. But it isn’t the only great Bible verse out there. For instance, one of my first big crushes was on Acts 13:48. A few years later, I was waffling between a special fondness for 2 Timothy 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8. Then I had some friends who turned me on to Romans 1:16 and John 14:6. Fact is, there are too many verses to choose from. If I didn’t know better, I might think that God wanted us to consider every verse in the Bible with equal awe and reverence.

Lately, however, I’ve zeroed in on a new favorite Bible verse to rival good ol’ John 3:16. It’s Second Kings 11:2. Yeah, that’s right: Second Kings. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It comes right after First Kings in the Old Testament. For those poor undisciplined Christians who have failed to memorize this pivotal verse, here it is with the preceding verse thrown in for context:

“1) When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring. 2) But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.”

A bold choice, you say? Well, that’s how I roll. Indeed, this passage involves some heavy theological lifting that leaves most other verses wanting. Not only will you get major tongue strain when you try to pronounce the long string of challenging names, but there is some serious family drama going on here that would make the Sopranos cringe with discomfort. Eat your hearts out, John 3:16 fans. My new favorite verse is riveting stuff.

According to this passage, “Grandma” Athaliah wasn’t the kind of matriarch to knit scarves or bake apple pies during her golden years. No, she was a little more, shall we say, ambitious. When she found out her son, King Ahaziah of Judah, was dead, she decided that the only way to preserve her newfound power in the kingdom was to make sure all the king’s heirs—her own grandchildren—were snuffed out. So she massacred them! The only problem was, little Joash was secretly hidden away by his Aunt Jehosheba and escaped the fate of his siblings. Nice family, huh?

So why is this Bible verse my new favorite? Probably because it proves the point that we shouldn’t put so much emphasis on “popular” verses like John 3:16. The fact is, Second Kings 11:2 will never make it on any Christian’s list of top 100 favorite Bible verses. It is an obscure, little-known verse hidden in the historical narrative of the Old Testament that seems to say absolutely nothing about our theology. And yet, this verse is just as important and profound as John 3:16 in revealing the great overriding truth that is woven throughout every verse, chapter, and glorious page of the Holy Scriptures:

God is sovereign and His word will not return void.

All the way back in the Garden, after Adam and Eve had fallen into sin, God made the gospel promise that one day the seed of the woman would bruise the head of that usurping serpent, the Devil. This promised Messiah was spoken of again and again throughout the history of Israel by their many prophets until the day when Jesus Christ finally appeared to fulfill those prophecies in exact detail. And God orchestrated it all to perfection.

You see, if little Joash had been killed by his grandmother, then the messianic line would have been severed and the prophesied shoot from Jesse’s stump, the Branch of David, would have been cut off and destroyed. Yet by the might and grace of our Lord God, the helpless Joash was preserved under the bleakest of circumstances… just as Noah was miraculously preserved from the flood, just as David was preserved from his murderous enemies, and just as young Jesus was preserved from the hands of the godless King Herod.

Honestly, if you look carefully at this situation with Joash, you will be hard-pressed to explain how the boy could have survived it, except by the protective Hand of God. How else could Grandma Athaliah have been so blind to the fact that Joash was missing from among her slain grandchildren? Does Athaliah’s inexplicable oversight not smack of Divine Providence?

As a close friend of mine noted concerning this story of Joash’s survival, the history of the world has been filled with dynasty after dynasty that suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth because a royal heir was killed in youth or was never born to carry on the kingly line. And yet, in the annals of Hebrew history, no such disaster befell the lineage of Christ, despite the constant assaults against it by evil men and the serpent of old.

What we see in 2 Kings 11, therefore, is another striking display of God’s sovereignty and power as He brings about His amazing plan of salvation and restoration through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the building of His Church. Praise be to Almighty God for His faithfulness!

As God assures us in Isaiah 55:11:

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Wow, that Isaiah 55:11 is amazing! I think I’ll make it my new favorite Bible verse… at least until I read the next one and fall in love with it, too.