Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:13-15)
Jesus Christ is both fully man (the Son of Man) and fully God (the Son of God). He told His disciples, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) This was just one of many unequivocal assertions that He was, indeed, much more than just another Jewish prophet or good teacher-- He was claiming to be God!
The Jewish religious leaders certainly understood that He was claiming to be God. Offended and threatened by His claims of deity, His miracles and His authoritative teaching, they "began conspiring against Him, as to how they might destroy Him." (Mark 3:6) Even the demons recognized His deity; "Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout 'You are the Son of God!'" (Mark 3:11)
The late C.S. Lewis said that Jesus' claim to be God leaves only three options. Either He was a lunatic, He was a masterful deceiver, or He really is God. The problem with the first two options is that Jesus publicly performed many undeniable miracles-- casting out many demons, healing hundreds, even raising the dead. There is no reasonable or logical explanation other than He is who He claimed to be. A mere man, even a lunatic or the best deceiver, couldn't possibly do the miracles Jesus did.
The Jewish scribes, still refusing to believe that Jesus was God, were nevertheless forced to acknowledge His super natural powers. Their explanation was "He is possessed by Beelzebul (Satan), and He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." (Mark 3:22). Jesus refuted that illogical argument saying; "...How can Satan cast out Satan?" (Mark 3:23)
The only reasonable explanation is the truth that Jesus is God, the Son of the living God and the Christ (Messiah). The question then is, what do you do with His statement that "no one comes to the Father but through Me"? Unfortunately, the vast majority of people still continue to reject Jesus as the only way to God the Father. In rejecting Him, they reject the Gospel of forgiveness of sin and justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone; "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
One of the most sobering verses in Scripture is the warning passage in Hebrews to those who, after hearing the truth about Jesus Christ, continue to reject Him and the Gospel; "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgement..." (Hebrews 10:26).
The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, separated from God because of our sin and, without faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, moving towards "a terrifying expectation of judgement". The penalty for sin, even one sin, is death. Not just physical death, but eternal death... Eternal separation from God in a literal place called hell. Not our religion, church attendance, baptism, confirmation, nor any other good works can remove the guilt of sin and save us from eternal hell.
But the good news (the Gospel) is that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be. At the Cross, He paid the full penalty for sinners. And those who believe in Him, excepting by faith His deity, death, burial and resurrection, have forgiveness of sin and are justified in Him. Because they have believed the Gospel, they now have eternal life and will spend eternity in heaven.
The question is for each of us;
"...But who do you say that I am?" Maranatha! 