I AM THE WAY

In the movie Talladega Nights, race car driver Ricky Bobby begins to say grace at a meal with his best friend, Cal, his sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, and his wife, Carley. Here’s how the conversation goes…

Ricky:     Dear Lord Baby Jesus . . . We thank you so much for this bountiful                     harvest of Domino’s, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell.

Carley:     Hey, you know sweetie, Jesus did grow up. You don’t always have to call                 Him “baby.” It’s a bit odd and off-putting to pray to a baby.

Ricky:     Well, I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I’m saying grace. When you say         grace you can say it to grown-up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded                 Jesus or whoever you want . . .

Cal :         I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-shirt, ‘cause it says, like, “I wanna be                 formal, but I’m here to party, too.” ‘Cause I like to party, so I like my Jesus         to party.

Walker:     I like to picture Jesus as a ninja fighting off evil samurai.

Cal:         I like to think of Jesus, like, with giant eagle’s wings. And singing lead                 vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd, with, like, an angel band. And I’m in the front                 row, and I’m hammered drunk.

Carley:     Hey Cal, why don’t you just shut up?

Cal:         Yes, ma’am.

When you ask people today who they think Jesus was, their responses usually aren’t as outlandish as the characters in Talladega Nights, but they are still interesting. Some will reply that Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived. Others will call Him a wonderful moral example, a prophet, or even the Son of God.
But when you ask these same people whether they have read the biblical accounts about Jesus’ life and ministry, many will admit they have not. Those 4 documents, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and known as the Gospels, provide us with eyewitness accounts of what Jesus did and said. If we want to find the real Jesus, it’s crucial to consider these written records.
Over the next week, we are going to focus on 1 of those records — the one written by John, and we’re going to look at 4 (of 8) amazing statements in which Jesus Himself describes who He is and then backs up His claims.
We’ll start with the first one tomorrow. See ya’ then!