THE MASTER’S CLAIM AS SON OF MAN
The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man (John 12:34).
In various instances, the Lord Jesus referred to Himself as “the Son of man,” and the Jewish people understood the profundity of those words. They knew that He claimed to be the Christ. For example, in Matthew 8:20, He said, “…The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Also, in Mark 14:62, He said, “…I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Luke 9:26 tells us, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed….”
However, it’s crucial to understand that in these various instances where Jesus referred to Himself as “the Son of man,” it wasn’t a generic term denoting His humanity. He wasn’t describing Himself as “a son” of man but as “the Son” of man, indicating a specific reference to Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven….”
Daniel’s vision of “the Son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven is closely connected to Jesus’ proclamation during His trial before the high priest in Matthew 26:59-66. The high priest had asked Jesus if He was the Christ, the Son of God, and He replied: “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “…But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64 NIV).
The high priest immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy, tore his clothes and declared that Jesus was worthy of death. The council agreed, affirming that Jesus should be condemned to death. By calling Himself “the Son of man,” Jesus was actually asserting His identity as the Christ.
This distinction was clear to the Jewish congregation who recognised the weighty implications of the Lord’s claim. The ‘Son of man’ was a title of the Christ. Jesus is God in human flesh, our great God and Saviour who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:13-14).
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to us as God in human flesh. I acknowledge and confess that you are the Christ, the embodiment of Deity, my Lord and my God, and the reason for my existence. Thank you for your everlasting love, grace and tender mercies. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 16:13-16, Mark 8:38, Luke 5:24
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 15:5-13, Psalms 94-98
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Philippians 2:12-18, Isaiah 64
