Who Do You Say That I Am? Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Who Do You Say That I Am?------------------- Date: 4/17/2003 Keywords: “Christ” “identity” Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 8:27-33* 27. Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” 28. So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 30. Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. 31. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32. He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Questions 1. Why do you think Jesus told his disciples not to tell others that he was the Christ or Messiah (verse 30)?   2. After Peter stated who Jesus was, Jesus begins to teach them something new. What was the new subject (verse 31)?   Practical help Understand first of all that you are at a Web site that was established because we, the writers, believe that the answer to recovering from pornography begins by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Who you say Jesus is will open or close the door to understanding and help for the problems you face. Peter recognized that Jesus was more than a prophet or a good man. This insight came to him after spending time with Jesus as well as by divine inspirations (see Matthew 16:15-17). We can have the same experience, I believe, by studying Jesus’ life and the lives of those who knew him best, his disciples. The way their lives changed as a result of knowing Jesus, is possible for us as well. If you don’t know Jesus, pornography is not your biggest problem. If you do know Jesus, and you struggle with pornography, there is hope for you because Jesus came to set you free. Will he do it in spite of your passivity in the process? He might, but it is doubtful. More likely, he is calling you to walk with him a while. In the process of knowing him better, the grip of porn will weaken and fall away. Why the slow approach? I think it is because He is interested in more than just removing bad habits from your life. He is interested in transforming you into someone who cares for people the way He does. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *Scripture taken from the New King James Version (NKJV), © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. ---