If you had the opportunity to read last week’s article, we thought about what Jesus being the “Son of Man” means. Based on how the Old Testament uses the phrase the majority of the time, this title demonstrates our Lord’s humanity. Demonstrating great humility, Jesus came to earth and lived as a human being. While being true, this is only a part of what Jesus being the “Son of Man” means. For Jesus, the title “Son of Man” demonstrates not only His humanity but also His divinity. This phrase links His humanity and deity together. Thinking of Jesus as the “Son of Man” does not mean that Jesus is an average human being; it means that Jesus is the ultimate human being, God in the flesh.
While the Old Testament uses “son of man” to refer to human beings the majority of the time, there is at least one exception. Daniel 7:13-14 refers to the coming Messiah as the “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.” Here, we find “one like a son of man” being presented before God, identified as the “Ancient of Days,” with the clouds of heaven. This “one like a son of man” is given three things by God: everlasting dominion, unfading glory, and a kingdom consisting of all nations that will never be destroyed.
Consider how Jesus perfectly fits this description. This prophecy seems to be specifically fulfilled in the ascension of Jesus, where “a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). Following Jesus’s ascension, Scripture teaches that Jesus received the three ideas of Daniel 7:13-14 from God: everlasting dominion, unfading glory, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Concerning Jesus’s eternal reign and dominion, we find that God “seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21). Concerning His unfading glory, Scripture teaches that Jesus now has a “glorious body” (Philippians 3:21); as Peter says, “To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:18). Concerning Jesus’s kingdom that will never be destroyed, in Matthew 16:18, He promised to build His church, “and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” Establishing a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36), God has “put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22). This kingdom is made up of all nations and is not restricted by language or nationality (Revelation 1:9). Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the vision recorded in Daniel 7:13-14. He is the glorified Son of Man.
Jesus being the “Son of Man” not only demonstrates His humanity but also His divinity. Jesus is not just a human being; Jesus is the ultimate human being. What kind of difference does that make in our lives? Concerning His dominion, as Paul says, “if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). Concerning His glory, He will one day “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Concerning His kingdom, as Christians, regardless of language, skin color, or nationality, God has “transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). We have the opportunity to be a part of His kingdom not only on earth but also as we step into eternity. As the Son of Man, Jesus gives us the opportunity to participate in His victory and glorification. As we said last week, thanks be to God for the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus!
-Tyler Alverson
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