THE PERSON AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS
JESUS THE SON OF MAN
Whereas most of us are familiar with the terms Son of God and Messiah, few of us are familiar with the title Son of Man. This is unfortunate because the title Son of Man was Jesus' favorite label for Himself. For example, Jesus calls Himself "Messiah" only sparingly in the gospel of Mark, whereas He calls Himself "Son of Man" no less than 14 times in the same gospel.
Why does Jesus prefer the label Son of Man rather than the labels Son of God and Messiah? Primarily because the Jews of Jesus' day had warped the meanings of these 2 last terms. For many Jews the title Son of God for all practical purposes meant the same thing as the title Messiah. They believed that the title Son of God was merely a title indicating that God had adopted the human Messiah to be His instrument. The title Messiah, they believed, referred to a political, military figure who would rout the Romans and any other power which came up against him. For this reason according to the first 3 gospels Jesus steered clear of using these 2 titles.
Why then did Jesus use the title Son of Man? First, because the people were unaware of its meaning (see John 12:34 where the people ask: "Who is this Son of Man?"). As a result, He could fill it with the meaning He wanted it to have. Second, because according to the OT it contained the very content "Son of God" and "Messiah" were actually originally meant to convey. It was a perfect title to convey both His humanity and His divinity.
THE HUMANITY OF THE SON OF MAN
The first major reference to the title Son of Man is in the book of Ezekiel where it is used over 90 times. In the book of the prophet Ezekiel this title definitely refers to the humanity of Ezekiel, and when applied to Jesus it also refers to His humanity.
The NT is very emphatic that Jesus really did become a man. In the Gospel of John alone (the Gospel which more than any other stresses His deity) John states that Jesus not only got thirsty (19:28) but that He also grew weary (4:6). During the temptations of Christ we see that Jesus also became hungry after He had not eaten for 40 days (Matt. 4:2). These are not the attributes of God; they are characteristics of real live human beings.
Why does God become a man? In order to help us understand Him better. Since He is God, His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The result is that we need help in understanding God. In the OT God speaks to us, and although it is God's perfect Word, Paul claims that it is nevertheless limited (Col. 2:17; see also Heb. 10:1).
Because man understands man, God now becomes a Man in order to take revelation to a higher point. Jesus is not just Man; He is also God. As a result Jesus can perfectly and more fully reveal God to you and me. This is what John means when he writes: "And [Jesus the] Word became flesh . . . and we beheld His glory" (John 1:14). In other words, it is only AFTER Jesus became flesh that we beheld His glory (see also John 1:18 and 6:46). Only when Christ returns and we see the Father in the face will we have more revelation of God than we do right now. HOWEVER, the fuller revelation we receive after Jesus returns will NOT contradict what we now know about God because of Jesus. New knowledge about God on that day will deepen and broaden what knowledge we have of Him because of Christ; HOWEVER, it will NEVER contradict what we now know about God because of Jesus.
In Ezekiel the term "Son of Man" also refers to humanity in all its frailties and weaknesses. It is no surprise then that often when Jesus predicts His coming sufferings and crucifixion, His human frailties, He uses the title Son of Man to refer to Himself: "And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders . . ., and be killed . . ." (Mark 8:31).
It should not surprise us when we see Jesus relating His sufferings to His humanity. Although Jesus is 100% man, He was 100% God before He became also 100% man. When He was solely in the form of God, He could not suffer for us, much less even die for our sins. God cannot suffer physical pain or death; whereas man can. For this reason Jesus becomes man so that He can die for our sins.
Why was it necessary that God become man before He could die for us? Since man got us into this mess, man must get us out (1 Cor. 15:21).
This is a major theme in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. In the 6th book of the Chronicles 9-year-old Digory (who is the professor in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) brings the White Witch into Narnia. Aslan informs him that since he a son of Adam has brought evil into Narnia, a son of Adam too must help get rid of the White Witch. For this reason you hear the animals telling Peter that they cannot go into battle without him.
The only problem is that ALL MANKIND is messed up and cannot pull himself up out of the pit he's fallen into. For this reason God becomes perfect Man, a Man who never messes up or falls into the pit. As a result THIS Man can pull us out and save us.
How does this relate to you and me? Because Jesus was/is man, He can sympathize with our plight. As a man Jesus has not only suffered temptation, He has suffered temptation in every way man can suffer temptation: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).
Now some will claim that Jesus' temptations were not really real. Again, Hebrews informs us: "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death" (5:7). That doesn't sound like somebody who isn't experiencing great stress from temptation.
Moreover, what event in Jesus' life does Heb. 5:7 seem to be referring to? The Garden of Gethsemane. Look at that episode more closely and you will see that Jesus in fact is very human. He doesn't skip lightly through the Garden experience. Rather He prays that God actually let Him off the hook and not die. Second, He is under so much stress that He sweats great big drops of blood. Finally, He is so exhausted after the episode that His Father sends Him an angel to minister to Him. None of this would be true if Jesus were only God.
It is one thing for Jesus to sympathize with us. If that's all He did, it really wouldn't be enough. Hebrews tells us though "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted" (2:18). The truth is that Jesus can help us first because He alone has experienced the full force of temptation. Why haven't we experienced it to the same degree He has? Because we cave in too quickly. Jesus NEVER caved in but also emerged victorious in His struggle with sin and therefore has experienced the struggle to the nth degree. Jesus can also help us second because He emerged victorious over His conflict with sin. As a result, He can help us achieve victory over temptation.
THE DEITY OF THE SON OF MAN
Based on Daniel 7:13-14
Although the title "Son of Man" does refer to Jesus' humanity, it also refers to His deity. This element is based upon 2 important verses in Daniel:
And I kept looking in the night visions
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away,
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
Look at the description of this son of man. First, He comes on the clouds of heaven, a biblical description of the coming of God Himself who comes upon the clouds of heaven. Second, His dominion and kingdom are forever, something which would not be true of a mere mortal. Although these are only 2 verses, they are nevertheless significant since they claim that the Son of Man is divine.
Jesus latches onto this element about the Son of Man when He stands before the chief priests in judgment. They feel like they now have the upper hand because they have been able to arrest Jesus and get away with it. When they ask Him pointblank if He is the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, Jesus replies:
"You have said it youself; nevertheless, I tell you,
hereafter you shall see
THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER,
and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN" (Matt. 26:64).
The chief priests definitely understand Jesus to mean that He is divine because at that point the high priest accuses Jesus of blasphemy and condemns Him to death.
Judgment as a Function of the Son of Man
As Jesus points out, judgment is the primary function of the divine Son of Man. As the Son of Man Jesus has come as judge of all mankind. In fact it is precisely because Jesus IS the Son of Man that He is going to be the judge of all mankind: "And He [the Father] gave Him [Jesus] authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man" (John 5:27).
It only makes sense that Jesus as the Son of Man is the One God has appointed to judge all mankind (Acts 17:31). Most of the time we justifiably sharply criticize people who judge others. How can I judge you if I have never walked in your shoes? In the same way how can God the Father and God the Holy Spirit judge me since they have never walked in my shoes. Whereas these two have never walked in my shoes, the truth is that Jesus HAS walked in my shoes. The author of Hebrews claims: "[He was] One who was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). Not only has Jesus walked in my shoes, He's never sinned. If He had sinned, He would never have been qualified to be my judge since one sinner can't judge another sinner. Jesus though has never sinned and is therefore perfectly qualified to judge you and me.
Judgment is one element in the Christian life we tend to overlook; however, judgment is right at the heart of Christianity. Paul quite pointedly states that we will not only be judged but that we will also be judged on the basis of our works (Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). How can this be since we are saved by grace and not by works?
Whereas it is true that we are saved by grace and not by works, it is also true that the grace of God changes a man. The man who claims that he is saved and yet has not been transformed one whit may have experienced grace; yet He has not experienced the grace of God. Grace transforms us because God's gracious Spirit comes to live in us. Whereas works don't save us, they nevertheless show us whether or not we are saved. Jesus claims that we will know the true follower of Christ by the life he lives (Matt. 7:16). If good works flow from a person, then that person has most likely been saved; if they do not flow from a person, then most likely that person has not been saved.
"But," you might say, "I didn't think that Christians were going to be judged." This claim is based either upon a wrong view of Jesus or upon a mistranslation of certain NT passages. For example, even though the New American Standard Bible translates John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not JUDGED," the King James Version translates it better: "He who believes in Him is not CONDEMNED." In other words, the Christian may face judgment; however, he does not face condemnation. [Peter claims that not only are Christians going to be judged, but that the fact that judgment starts with Christians first should tell us how rough judgment is going to be for the non-Christian (1 Pet. 4:17).]
It only makes sense that God has to hold us accountable FOR OUR OWN SAKES. Most parents understand that they have to use the carrot AND stick approach with their children. In order to promote good behavior, sometimes parents promise their kids a monetary reward, a car, new clothes, a computer, computer games, etc. Sometimes though that doesn't work; therefore, they threaten to ground them or even spank them if they get out of line. Whatever works. The main this is that it works.
In the same way, God the perfect parent uses the carrot and stick approach with us as well. He promises us an abundant life right now; He promises us heaven and rewards in the future. Yet He also informs us that a day of accountability faces each and every one of us, not just non-Christians, but also Christians. It is for our own sakes that He warns us about coming judgment because sometimes that is what it takes to straighten us up.
What kind of rewards are we going to get on the day of judgment? C. S. Lewis claims that the NT has 2 categories of reward: affirmation and splendor. In the first case we hear Jesus saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of thy master" (Matt. 25:21). Just think how thrilling it was to hear your parents compliment you after you had done something good in sports or in art or in school studies. The joy we felt at that moment gives us only a little taste of the joy we shall experience upon hearing Jesus' words of affirmation.
The second category of reward is that of splendor. Lewis writes that if we saw a Christian today the way he is going to be in heaven, he would be so splendid that we would bow down and worship him or her as a god or goddess. The reverse unfortunately is also true. If we were to see a non-Christian today the way he is going to look in hell, we would recoil in fear and horror at the sight. Judgment is coming. We just need to realize seriously that we are helping people on their way to one of 2 destinies--that of being like glorious gods and goddesses or that of being more horrible than our worst nightmares. Judgment is coming. We need to be serious about it not only for our sakes but also for the sake of the many we come into contact with.