Today we're beginning a new series of messages that will take us through the rest of summer. The title of the series is "Did Jesus Really Say That?" If you read through the gospels, you will discover that Jesus had a knack for stirring up hornets' nests with some of the things he said. If you were reading His words for the first time, you might be taken aback and ask, "Did Jesus really say that?"

"If a man does not hate his father and mother, he cannot be my disciple." Do what? Did He really say that? He talked about separating the sheep from the goats, taking up one's cross, loving our enemies, the unpardonable sin, giving to Caesar, and the only road to God. For the next nine weeks we're going to look at some of these famous quotes from Jesus the Master Teacher. Unless you're on vacation, you need to be here every Sunday. You don't want to miss these studies.

Our world is filled with controversial people. Let me show a few of them. Take our president, George W. Bush, perhaps the most controversial figure in the whole country. His relentless stance on the war in Iraq, his push for immigration reform, and his stance on the country's dependence on foreign oil all generate never-ending controversy around his leadership.

Here's another one—Rosie O'Donnell. She is controversial. Now here is someone who gets out of bed on the wrong side eight mornings a week. Whether she's fighting Donald Trump or Christian conservatives, she is no stranger to controversy. Wouldn't you like to be married to her?

Let's go to the sports world and look at Kobe Bryant, arguably the best active player in the NBA. He is controversial. He wants to be traded. Whether it was his relationship with the Shaq or his complaints against the management, ESPN loves to talk about Kobe.

Take a look at this next one. Who in the world is that? Oh, it's your pastor. He is controversial. He has a slush fund, surrounds himself with "yes" men, doesn't listen, doesn't visit the sick enough, brought his own son on staff which is blatant nepotism, gets his sermons from the internet, and doesn't preach from the Bible. You'd think if I got them from the internet, I'd at least pick some that were from the Bible. By the way, I've never known a pastor who wasn't controversial.

Let's look at one more. Would you say that Jesus was controversial? Jesus Christ is the most controversial person ever to live. He lived 2,000 years ago and people are still debating the validity of who He was and what He taught. Jesus is controversial. Out of all the things Jesus said, I don't believe any quote is as controversial as the one we're looking at today. It comes from John 14:6—"Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

Did Jesus really say that? And did He really mean what it seems like He said? What makes this statement so controversial? In a nutshell, Jesus claimed that He was the only way for a person to enter into a personal relationship with God. In our politically correct world today, people proclaim that there are many roads that lead to God. And people attack Christians left and right. Who do you think you are? How dare you claim that Jesus is the only way! That's nothing but religious arrogance and bigotry.

If you've been doing the church thing for some time, you've probably heard these words from Jesus before. But I want to stress to you today that these are not just mere words. This statement from the lips of Jesus separates Christianity from all the other religions in the world.

Jesus is controversial. To a Hindu, Jesus was one of 300 million gods. To a Buddhist, Jesus was an enlightened human being. To a Muslim, He was a prophet, but certainly not the Son of God. To a Jehovah's Witness, Jesus was the reincarnated angel Michael. To a Mormon, Jesus was the half-brother of Satan and a polygamist. But Jesus claimed to be God. Isn't why they killed Him? When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," in essence He was claiming to be God. I'd say that would make Him controversial. When He said, "No one comes to the Father except through me," He separated Himself exclusively from all other major belief systems in the world.

I know everyone loves Oprah, who somehow has attained the status of theologian par excellence. Now here is someone raised with strong Christian roots. Yet she says there can't possibly be only one way to God. In other words, she disagrees with Jesus. Which side will you take in that argument? Jesus or Oprah?

Those of us living in the 60s remember John Lennon's bold statement that set forth a public outcry across the country. He said that Christianity will soon pass away and claimed that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. He got shot outside his Manhattan apartment, came face to face with God, and said, "Uh-oh." "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." It all boils down to this. When Jesus made this statement, He was either right or He was wrong. But please understand, if He was wrong, then our whole Christian faith has been shattered and nullified. But if He was right, then He is worthy of our total commitment and allegiance.

Let's dig into the verse a little deeper. It's important to understand the context in which these words were spoken. It is the eve of Jesus' crucifixion. He is spending final, precious moments with His closest followers. He speaks words of comfort to them and challenges them not to let their faith slip. He was going to leave them for heaven where He would be getting their places ready. Then He informed them that He would come back to get them and take them with Him.

Then He said, "You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas challenged this last statement because it didn't make sense to him. He had given up everything to be a Christ-follower and even claimed that he would die with Jesus if need be. But he had no clue what Jesus meant when He said that the disciples knew the way where He was going. Thomas was in a spirit of despair. "We don't have a clue what you're talking about Jesus. How can we know the way?" That's when Jesus spoke these most controversial words: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".

Three times the word way appears in these several verses. Jesus not only shows people the way by revealing it. He is the way. In other words, it is Jesus who redeems people from their sins and allows them to enter into a relationship with God.

Way, truth, and life. Let's look at these three elements as they relate to Jesus. When He said, "I am the way," He was letting us know that He is the direct link between God and man. When He said, "I am the truth," He was stating that He is completely reliable in all that He does and is. When He said, "I am the life," He was reminding us that mere physical existence matters little. These bold statements take on deeper meaning when we remember that they were spoken less than 24 hours from the time He was nailed to the cross. He said, "I am the way," yet shortly afterwards, He was hanging impotently on the cross. He said, "I am the truth," when the lies of men were about to enjoy a spectacular triumph. He said, "I am the life," yet on the next day his corpse was placed inside a tomb.

So how is Jesus any different from all the other religions? Did He really mean it when He said that no one comes to the Father except through Him? And if He did mean it, on what basis can He make those claims? He can make those claims because He is the only authorized revelation of God in human flesh. He actually did something to address man's greatest problem—sin. And what makes Jesus different is that He was not subject to death. Death was subject to Him. He came back to life, thereby defeating man's greatest enemy—death. And because He conquered death, so can we—that is, if we are willing to humble ourselves before God as sinners and invite Him to enter our lives as our Lord and Master and King.

I don't know where you are in your faith journey. You may have bought into the theory prominent in our world today that there are many pathways to God you can take. You must understand that the religions in our world can't all be right because they teach things that are directly opposite from one another.

What makes Jesus different? It's not just that He made this bold statement. There have been hundreds of would-be Messiahs who have made similar bold statements. The difference? Jesus backed up His claims when He addressed the sin problem on the cross and then resurrected on the third day. Did any of the other religious founders and leaders do anything about the sin problem? Not at all. All they taught was that you better start accumulating your share of good deeds—salvation by works—if you want to go to heaven when you die. And these guys, by the way, are still dead, decaying in a graveyard somewhere.

So what? What does what you're saying have to do with me? Legitimate question. When you're willing to accept this bold claim of Jesus and invite Him into your life, you can begin to personalize these three "I am's" and let them influence how you live every day.

Jesus is not only the way, He is my way. I can trust Him to lead me through every situation in life. He will give me the wisdom I need to make every tough decision. Jesus faced temptations just like we face them. Yet He did so without ever yielding to them. Whatever you're going through, Jesus understands. He's been there. And if you feel like you've lost your direction in life, just come to Jesus because He is the way.

Jesus is not only the truth, He is my truth. He will clear up those areas of confusion. Life is filled with "whys." We may not understand why so many bad things happen to us. But Jesus has the way of clearing up the "whys" so that we have a deeper understanding that He is always busy molding and shaping us to be more like His Son. When false teachers try to push on you their belief system, just remember that Jesus is your truth. If school teachers or college professors try to convince you that God doesn't exist or that we evolved from monkeys, stick with what the Word of God teaches because Jesus is the truth. And when your marriage is suffering and you're tempted to call it quits, lean on Jesus who will remind you that He is the truth. He will give you the strength and wisdom to see you through your rocky marriage.

Jesus is not only the life, He is my life. With Jesus in charge, my life takes on new meaning. I don't have to spend everyday forcing myself to be happy and thinking that life is meaningless. Jesus is your life. He will fill you with joy, abundance, and significance. He will deliver you from addictions so that life will be worthwhile once again. He will bring you joy even when life is tough and unfair.

How can Jesus make these claims? And why are you able to make Him your way, your truth, and your life? Because He died on the cross for your sins. And He came back to life on the third day so that you also might have life.

John 14:6. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." What an outrageous claim! Did Jesus really say that? Yes, He did. That statement should compel you to give your life completely to Him, never turning back, and to serve Him all the days of your life.