Matthew 16:13 — Who Is Jesus?

This article is adapted from a message preached on January 11th, 2026. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.

A gospel message is a message of good news about Jesus Christ. Most people today have at least heard of Jesus or know something about Him. Some know Him well, others only vaguely. Whether you feel familiar with Jesus or not, that’s okay—because the central question remains the same for everyone:

Who is Jesus?

• Is He simply a teacher from ancient history who said some good things long ago?

• Is He a mysterious figure that later generations turned into a religion?

• Was He a prophet, a lunatic, or even a fraud?

This is not a new question. People have been asking it for nearly 2,000 years. In fact, people were asking it during Jesus’ own lifetime.

Jesus Asks the Question Himself

Jesus once asked this very question of His closest followers:

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” Matthew 16:13–16 (NKJV)

The people of Jesus’ day largely viewed Him as another great prophet—someone sent by God who taught powerfully and performed miracles. But when Jesus turned the question toward His disciples, Peter’s answer went further.

“You are the Christ.”

That word Christ means God’s Anointed One, often referred to as the Messiah.

The Meaning of the Messiah

The Messiah was not an unexpected idea. For centuries, the Jewish Scriptures—what we call the Old Testament—had spoken of a coming individual chosen by God. Many Jews believed this Anointed One would free them from oppression by foreign powers. In Jesus’ time, that power was the Roman Empire.

But they misunderstood the kind of freedom God was promising.

The Messiah did not come to free people from other nations. He came to free people from something far deeper—from sin, from the human desire to do evil, and from the consequences that flow from it.

The Human Problem Revealed in Scripture

From the opening pages of the Old Testament, we see God creating a perfect world—good, whole, and without evil. Humanity, however, chose to break that perfection. What followed was not just isolated wrongdoing, but a corrupted nature within every human being—a sin nature.

This desire to do evil enslaves humanity. It harms us, and it stands in opposition to a perfectly holy God.

God later entered into a covenant with the people of Israel. He promised to dwell with them, bless them, and be their God—if they remained separate from evil. What followed was a long, repeating cycle:

• The people obeyed for a time

• Then they turned away

• Consequences followed

• Repentance came

• God forgave and restored them

Over hundreds of years, this pattern revealed a hard truth: humanity cannot fix itself. Even with laws, instructions, and divine help, the sin nature remained undefeated.

Yet throughout this history, God repeatedly promised that One would come who would finally deal with sin—not temporarily, but fully.

Why Jesus Came

Jesus is that promised One.

He did not come to offer another list of rules. He came to bring true freedom—freedom from sin’s guilt, power, and curse. Freedom that does not depend on human effort, but on God’s work.

Why did God provide a Saviour?

God did not wait for us to reach Him. He came to us.

See what God has done

Shortly after the conversation in Matthew 16, Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again on the third day. Slowly, His followers began to understand something astonishing:

Jesus was not just a prophet. Jesus is God.

God Himself stepped into human history, taking on human life, because humanity could not save itself. Out of love for His creation, God entered a broken world to rescue it.

The Cross and Substitution

God is perfectly just. Evil cannot be ignored. Every wrong must be accounted for.

So Jesus did something no one else could do. Living without sin, He became the perfect substitute. He willingly took responsibility for the sins of others—your sins and mine.

On the cross, Jesus bore the judgment humanity deserved. His purpose was not to claim earthly power or immediate worship, but to give His life in place of ours. When He rose from the dead, He proved that the work was finished and accepted.

Because of this, Jesus now has the authority to offer forgiveness—a full pardon—to all who will trust Him and follow Him.

The Question Returns to Us

So we return to the original question: Who is Jesus?

Jesus is God, who took on human life so that He could die in our place.Jesus is the One who paid the debt of justice we could not pay.Jesus is the Savior who offers forgiveness and freedom by grace.

This choice is not forced. God respects human freedom. But rejecting Jesus means bearing the consequences of sin personally. Accepting Him means receiving forgiveness, life, and reconciliation with God.

This is a time of grace—a moment where that forgiveness is freely offered.

So what will you do with Jesus?

Will you believe what He has done for you?

Will you trust Him and follow Him?