Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” ~ Luke 9:20
In Luke 9:20, Jesus asks His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” This question is not only directed at them, but at every person who walks the earth. It is the most important question anyone will ever face because it directly determines one’s eternal destiny. Recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God—as Peter did (Matthew 16:16)—is the only response that leads to eternal life. Scripture clearly teaches, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
There are many voices in the world offering answers—philosophers, religious systems, skeptics, and atheists alike—but if their answers contradict the truth of God’s Word, they are tragically wrong. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This is not merely an academic or cultural issue. It is a matter of heaven or hell. As Acts 4:12 declares, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Everyone is accountable before God, whether they acknowledge Him or not. “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10), and at that time, the answer to the question of who Jesus is will bear eternal weight. To deny or ignore Him is to reject the only hope of salvation: “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). But to believe in Him, to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, is to be saved (Romans 10:9). The stakes are infinite. The truth about Jesus is not one of many truths—it is the truth, and eternity hinges on our response.
So who is Jesus? He also openly claimed to be God in human flesh. When Jesus said in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am,” He was directly identifying Himself with the name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.” This was no vague claim—those who heard Him understood that He was declaring Himself to be the eternal God. Jesus is fully God and fully man, the one Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). To know Him is to know the truth, and to believe in Him is to receive eternal life (John 3:16). There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).