Jesus Christ, Son of Man

Jesus Christ as the Son of Man in his human nature

OT use of “son of man” to mean “human being”

Numbers 23:19 ESV

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

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Jesus Christ describes himself as Son of Man to stress his humanity

Matthew 8:20 ESV

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

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Blasphemy against the Son of Man is forgivable

Matthew 12:32 ESV

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

See also

Jesus Christ as the Son of Man in his prophetic ministry

The OT use of “son of man” as a title for Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:1 ESV

And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”

Jesus Christ preaches God’s word

Matthew 13:37–43 ESV

He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Jesus Christ offers the words of eternal life

John 6:27 ESV

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

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Jesus Christ as the Son of Man in his suffering and death

Jesus Christ as a servant

Matthew 20:28 ESV

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Christ came to suffer, die and be raised

Luke 24:6–7 ESV

He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

See also the sign of Jonah; the transfiguration

Predictions of Jesus Christ’s death:

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Jesus Christ as the Son of Man in his authority and dominion

The vision of the son of man

This passage provides the main OT background to Jesus Christ’s understanding of himself as the “Son of Man”. His main uses of the title emphasise his dominion and authority, and also paradoxically that this glory will be attained through the humiliation of the cross.

Son of man meaning “son of Adam”

Jesus Christ as Son of Man (in the Hebrew “son of Adam”) inherits the promise originally given to Adam of dominion over creation, which Adam forfeited because of his fall into sin.

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Jesus Christ had authority on earth

Authority to forgive sins.

See also authority over the Sabbath

Jesus Christ is now ascended into glory

Acts 7:55–56 ESV

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

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Jesus Christ will come to judge and reign over all

Matthew 16:27–28 ESV

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

See also ; the second coming; the day and hour unknown; Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin; ; ;