The Son Of Man

There is a beautiful praise song by Travis Ryan entitled, “Son of God, Son of Man” that goes like this: “Holy King on Heaven’s throne, heart of mercy to atone; so He takes on flesh and bone as angels sing Hallelujah. Son of God, Son of Man; Heaven’s Lion, perfect Lamb. Suffering servant, Great I Am; Son of God, Son of Man.” Such words inspire us to lift our hands in praise, but most of us probably can’t describe what that title or phrase actually means. However, when we sing about the Son of Man, we can sense something of the power and majesty of that name. We know it’s a title for our victory.

I am calling our message this morning, “The Son of Man,” and we will explore why this title is important for the believer. We are going to look at how this phrase “establishes Jesus’ messiahship,” how it “establishes Jesus’ humanity,” and how it “establishes mankind’s victory.” I want to let you know in advance that, because this will be an in-depth teaching, I will be drawing on numerous Christian resources. So, let’s go ahead and get started by looking at Mark chapter 14, verses 61-62.

Establishing Jesus’ Messiahship (Mark 14:61-62)

61 But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Probably the most commonly held understanding of the term “Son of Man” is that it’s used as a title for Jesus, referring to Him being the Messiah. In fact, “in the New Testament [it] is used forty-three times as a distinctive title of the Savior.”(1) We learn here in these verses that Jesus equates “Son of Man” with the title “Christ,” which means “anointed.” Christ is “the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered ‘Messiah’.”(2) The Jews thought the Messiah would be a militant king who would vindicate Israel from its foreign oppressors and establish a new kingdom. Jesus was not a militant king; but He was “a king with a kingdom,” and He used the term “Son of Man” to establish His messiahship.

In Mark 13:26-27, He said, “They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.” In John 3:13, Jesus stated, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

Jesus was indeed the Messiah, but He did not choose this term to openly declare His kingship and lordship. He used it because it was somewhat obscure. It was mentioned only in a limited capacity in the Old Testament to refer to the Messiah. If you have ever noticed, many times in the gospels, Jesus warned people not to share His identity (Mark 1:43-44) in what is commonly called “the messianic secret.”(3) For example, we read in Mark 9:9, “He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

The messianic idea of the “Son of Man” is derived from Daniel 7:13-14, in which Daniel said, “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” It is said that Jesus probably chose this Old Testament designation for Himself, because it dissociates Him from the title “Son of David” with all its political implications. “Son of Man” was not current as a messianic title in mainstream Judaism.(4)

This term was meant to be understood only by those to whom the Father had revealed it. In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Peter declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16), to which Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (v. 17). The term “Son of Man” can be utilized in reference to the Messiah; however, this is not the main emphasis that Jesus had in mind. There is another reason why He chose this title. So let’s begin to find out what that reason might be, as we now look at Luke chapter 18, verses 31-33.