Key Verses: Daniel 7:12-14, Matthew 26:64, Revelation 1:7, John 1:51, Psalm 53:2, Mark 14:62, Luke 19:10, Mark 10:45, Isaiah 45-18-23, Hebrews 2:17-18
The title “Son of Man” is crucial to understanding who Jesus is to us and what He came to do. It seems quite mundane or uninspiring. On the one hand it is a frequent term to refer to anyone of human descent, but that is not what Jesus is highlighting. The Son of God became the son of man in order – as man – to redeem and restore man to his originally designed status and glory.
The first time Jesus came as fully human while being fully God, embracing fragility while holding access to all power, choosing to lay it down. His life and sacrifice would be as human, His redemption and resurrection life giving ability would be as God. This intersection was never seen before and will never repeat again. This is why Jesus Christ is not just any messiah, He is not just any son of God- He is THE Christ. Behold, The Son of Man. This Son of Man would live the life of fallen humanity yet without sin. He emptied himself and embraced the state of humanity without succumbing to it. In a final act of redemption, He persevered to the end of earthly existence as a ‘spotless lamb’ by carrying the penalty of all the world to the cross. He did all this as a Son of Man- so sin and death’s hold on humanity could be broken. He also did this as The Son of God who could reconcile people into inheritance in God. The second time He comes he does so as “the Son of Man in glory”. In events where He was on the spot to give a response to authorities- He confirms that He was the heavenly being like ”the Son of Man” who appears before the Ancient of Days in the clouds and was given authority over all the nations of the earth to rule over them. It’s this two-part identity that makes Jesus unique from any other messianic agent God used in history.
