Many years ago in the technological dark ages of the 1990s, America Online (AOL) became the most popular internet/email/instant messaging platform. When setting up an AOL account, the user had to choose a screen name. My friends chose names such as “soccerboy” and “guitarguy.” When it was time for me to choose my name, I gathered all of my creative resources and came up with jcdaman30. My choice of this name would declare to everyone I encountered that I was in fact da man (and they would also know my basketball jersey number). This became my online identity during my high school years.
When Jesus spoke to people, He had a favorite title He would use to refer to Himself: the Son of Man. He refers to Himself as the Son of Man over 80 times in the Gospels — far more often than any other title. We do not initially think of this particular title as one of the more significant titles of Christ. On the surface, it does not seem to be exploding with significance like some terms such as: Messiah, Son of God, Lamb of God, or Immanuel. Instead, it is almost surprising that He would refer to Himself as the Son of Man so regularly. It almost seems like He is intentionally emphasizing His humanity. People might assume that “Son of God” refers to Jesus’ deity, while “Son of Man” refers to His humanity. This assumption is only partially true. The Gospels actually use the title “Son of Man” to refer to Jesus’ humanity and His deity.
Son of Man in the Old Testament
To understand the significance of the “Son of Man,” it is important to examine how the Old Testament uses the title. Occasionally the phrase is used to indicate the obvious: The person is the son of a man, a human (Num. 23:19; Job 16:21; Ps. 146:3).
However, the Book of Ezekiel is notable in its use of the title, because God addresses Ezekiel as “son of man” over 90 times. Ezekiel is consistently portrayed as a prophet who endures much suffering for the people of Israel. It is possible that Ezekiel may be a pattern or a “type” of the coming Messiah, who is identified as a suffering Son of Man in the New Testament. The NT, though, does not directly make a connection with Jesus and Ezekiel.
It seems that the most relevant OT passage on the Son of Man as the coming Messiah is Daniel 7, which looks forward to the coming of “one like a son of man.”
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And 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 one that shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13–14).
Daniel gives the expectation that several features will be prominent at the coming of “one like a son of man”: (1) He will come with the clouds of heaven. (2) He will be presented before the Ancient of Days. (3) He is given dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom. (4) All peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him.
What is clear in Daniel 7 is that the son of man is no mere man. If he comes from heaven and is given dominion and glory over an everlasting kingdom so that all people will serve him, he must be a divine being.
Son of Man in the New Testament
We get a glimpse of the significance of the “Son of Man” when we observe how Jesus uses the title. A few of Jesus’ uses of “Son of Man” seem to be merely using the title without significance to the meaning of the term (e.g., Matt. 13:37, 17:9; Luke 6:22).
However, the vast majority of the uses of this title in the NT refer to either (1) the glorious coming and authority of the Son of Man, or (2) the suffering of the Son of Man. These two categories seem to represent the concepts emphasized in the OT references to the Son of Man.
The glorious coming and authority of the Son of Man …
Jesus clearly states that He is the Son of Man who came from heaven and has authority over all people. The Son of Man is “he who descended from heaven” (John 3:13, cf. 6:62). “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt. 9:6), and “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8).
In language clearly alluding to Daniel 7, Jesus says that the Son of Man will come “on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 24:30, 26:64) with His angels (Matt. 13:41, 16:27, 25:31; cf. John 1:41) and with great glory (Matt. 16:27, 24:30). After His coming, He will be seated on His glorious throne to execute judgment (Matt. 16:27, 19:28, 25:31ff.). The Father has given Jesus “authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27; cf. Matt. 13:41). When Stephen is being killed, he sees “the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). The Son of Man clearly is a person who exercises the same authority and prerogatives as God. Rather than emphasizing His humanity, the title of Son of Man seems to be closely associated with His deity.
This understanding of Son of Man also sheds light on what Jesus is asking His disciples in Matthew 16. Jesus first asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13). Because the Gospels so clearly connect Jesus’ ministry with the expectation of the coming of the Son of Man, I think Jesus was most certainly alluding to the reference to the coming Son of Man in Daniel 7. Peter correctly identifies the Son of Man as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).
To identify Jesus as the Son of Man is not merely to identify Him as a man; rather, it is to identify Him as the divine Messiah, the Son of God. Immediately after this statement, “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matt. 16:21).
The suffering of the Son of Man …
Jesus also speaks of the suffering of the Son of Man. Jesus summarizes the purpose of His ministry: “The Son of Man came … to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). The Son of Man would be “delivered into the hands of men” (Matt. 17:22) and would “certainly suffer at their hands” (Matt. 17:12). He would be “delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death” (Matt. 20:18; cf. 26:2, 45). The sign that Jesus gave them was the sign of Jonah: The Son of Man would “be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). In John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of His suffering and death as being “lifted up” (John 3:14). When Jesus speaks of His impending death, He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23).
Conclusion
“Son of Man” then becomes Jesus’ favorite title in order to both assert His deity and His humanity. The title itself at a basic level identifies Jesus as man — He is the son of a human. The Son of Man in Daniel 7, however, is clearly much more than a human. He must be a divine being. The way Jesus uses the title in relation to the divine figure of Daniel 7 indicates that Jesus is highlighting His deity. Rather than simply stating, “I am God,” Jesus repeatedly identifies Himself with a title that, on the surface, highlights His humanity but also strongly affirms His deity. He is the one who fulfills the OT expectations for the Messiah and who exercises authority over all creation.
Who is the Son of Man? The Son of Man is the divine Messiah, the Son of the living God. He will suffer and be killed for His people, and He will also come in power and great glory to receive dominion and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him.
— Jonathan Cheek is a member of Ridgewood Church in Greer. He holds master’s and doctor’s degrees in theology from Bob Jones University. He and his wife, Renee, have been married 18 years and have two daughters.