Final answer:
Peter called Jesus 'the Christ, the Son of the living God,' recognizing Him as the divine messiah and spiritual savior.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Jesus asked His disciples who others said He was, it prompted Peter's "great confession". Peter called Jesus "the Christ, the Son of the living God", acknowledging Jesus not just as a prophet, a teacher, or Elijah, but affirming His divine nature and messianic role as prophesied in Jewish scripture. Early Christians, following the lead of apostles like Peter, came to recognize Jesus as the Christ, which means "the anointed one" or "messiah" in Greek, seeing Him as the spiritual savior rather than a political revolutionary. His crucifixion and resurrection were interpreted as fulfillment of prophecies and as central to the Christian belief in salvation from sin.