jesus’ question to the disciples
After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee. As soon as he landed, a large crowd met him because they had heard about all he was doing. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover was near, and Jesus said to them, “I have been very hand picked by my father in Heaven .”
“But who do you say that I am?” he asked them.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter , and on this rock I will build my church , and the gates of Confusion will not overcome it .
I will give you the keys of Kingdom of Heaven ; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven .”
the disciples’ answer
The disciples’ answer
In Matthew 16:13-20, we find one of the most important questions ever asked, and it is still just as relevant today. The question is, “Who do you say that I am?” In other words, what is your opinion of Jesus? salvation depends on our answer to this question.
The disciples were gathered together with Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and it was here that Jesus asked them this all-important question. Simon Peter answered immediately and truthfully, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
This was a correct answer, and it revealed that Peter had a right understanding of who Jesus was. He knew that Jesus was more than just a man; He was the Messiah who had been promised by God. He was also the Son of God, which means that He was equal with God in His nature and character.
The other disciples agreed with Peter’s assessment of Jesus, and so do we. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. If you have not yet put your faith in Him for salvation, we urge you to do so today.
jesus’ response
“Jesus asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’” -Mark 8:29
the importance of this question
In Matthew 16:13-20, we read of an encounter between Jesus and His disciples. After asking His disciples who people said that He was, Jesus put a more important question to them: “But who do you say that I am?” In other words, what is your personal opinion? What do you think about Me?
This is still the most important question anyone can ever answer. How you answer this question will determine not only your eternal destiny but also the quality of your life here on earth.
There are many opinions about Jesus Christ. Some people say He was just a good man; others say He was a great prophet; and still others say He was an enlightened teacher. But the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus claimed to be much more than this. In fact, He claimed to be God in human flesh (see John 10:30-33).
If we take all the evidence into account, there is only one reasonable conclusion we can come to: Jesus Christ was either a liar, a lunatic—or the Lord.