Son of Man

Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you're enjoying a restful and profitable Sabbath. Hello to everyone who's online. Hopefully you'll be able to join us again soon. What kind of games do you like to play? Now, there's a game night coming up in a little while. One of the types of games that I grew up that I just enjoyed playing a lot was word games. I know if you enjoyed doing word searches, I spent a lot of time as a kid playing Scrabble, and so love any kinds of games that have to do with words.

Back at work, we used to, with the crew of people I worked with in Denver, we used to have a game that we'd play with each other before we were heading out to lunch or for a meeting with a client, and we would assign a phrase that had to be said during the meeting as a challenge.

You can imagine where that would go sometimes. The phrase I got one time was, you do the crime, you do the time. And so, over the course of a lunch talking about accounting matters with a client, I had to figure out a way to say that phrase. I think I ended up weaving it into some discussion about something that had been in the news where somebody had done a white-collar crime or something like that. Well, today's sermon is going to be about words. In fact, it's going to be around about three words. So, if you had to speak for the next hour and a half about three words—nobody caught that. I'm not going an hour and a half. If you had to speak for the next half hour or so about three words in the Bible, what three words would you pick and why? I'll let you stew on that for a little while. The three words that I've chosen are related to one of the largest theological battles in history that many of us have probably never given thought to. It played out over the course of a couple of centuries. It involved scholars, rabble-rousers, mobs, soldiers, emperors, and priests. It even included stories of deacons leading mobs to burn neighboring churches.

Next time, Joel Mango calls you for a church activity, ask that extra question.

There are a few hints, a few breadcrumbs left in the Bible about this as well. 1 John 4, verses 2 and 3, the apostle John his epistle wrote, by this you know the Spirit of God.

Every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. And every Spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. He leaves another clue in 2 John, verse 7, where he wrote, For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. What three words would you choose? The theological battle that I'm talking about is a battle about the nature of Christ. And this did go on for hundreds of years. I'm not going to bore everybody with all of the details of that. We can talk about it afterwards if you'd like. We understand, of course, that Jesus was fully God and fully man. And that's what we teach as a church. There were many heretical teachings, though, especially in the early years, the centuries immediately following Jesus Christ. A few examples would include one called Docetism, which was the idea that Jesus only appeared to be human. His body, his suffering, and his death were all an illusion put on for the people around. Another one was called Adoptionism. And this was the idea that Jesus was a mere human who was adopted as God's son at baptism or resurrection. And probably the one that got the most airtime and caused the most consternation in the history of Western Christianity, broadly defined as Arianism.

And this was the idea that the son was created by the father and did not actually eternally exist. And that's in part what led to the Council of Nicaea and some of the additional wrangling that went on after that. So those three words again, right? What are those three words?

Any guesses? Glenn's usually good for a guess. The three words are son of man. My topic for today is son of man. And the purpose really is to understand how Jesus revealed himself. How he revealed himself as fully human and fully divine through his identity as the son of man and what it means for us in our Christian lives. We're coming, of course, pretty close to the Passover actually when you look at the calendar. Less than three months, probably just over 10 weeks. And it's a time that we're going to turn our mind towards some of these things. So a good time to think about this topic. So let's start here in this first section and look at the usage of the term son of man in the Old Testament. How was it used? What did it mean? Where was it used?

The most general use of it is just basically a poetic synonym for a person. A good example of this would be Psalm 8 verses 3 through 5. A Psalm, probably many of you will recognize Psalm 8 starting in verse 3. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him? You've made him a little lower than the angels. You've crowned him with glory and honor. In this passage, the term son of man is used as a parallelism, right? A poetic way to say the same thing about man. Just another turn of phrase. It's used about a dozen times in the Old Testament, in this way. We're not going to turn and read through all those. It's actually a very simple phrase in Hebrew, ben adam, which literally just means son of a human being. Son of a human.

So nothing really special about that. In a more focused way in the Old Testament, it's used in Ezekiel to very specifically identify the humanity of Ezekiel. What's really curious is it's used 93 times in the book of Ezekiel. Not really something I'd focus on before I was working on this message, but let me give you one example. We'll go to Ezekiel 2. We'll just read a passage here starting verse 1 down through verse 8.

You'll see how often this phrase, son of man, just keeps coming up in the book of Ezekiel, and we'll talk about why in a moment. He said to me in verse 1, son of man, stand on your feet and I'll speak to you. The Spirit entered into me, sent me on my feet. I heard him who spoke to me, and he said to me, son of man, I'm sending you to the children of Israel to a rebellious nation. They and their fathers have transgressed against me this very day.

And then in verse 6, and you, son of man, don't be afraid of them or their words, their rebellious house. Verse 7, you'll speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse. And in verse 8, but you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Don't be rebellious like that rebellious house. Why all this repeating of the term, son of man? Most commentators you'll read will say that the point of this was to drive home to Ezekiel, that he was just a guy. He was being given all kinds of incredible visions. When you read through the book, you see the visions that he has of the very throne room of God and the things that he sees.

And that this term was being repeated over and over as if to say, Ezekiel, you're receiving all this incredible stuff. You're receiving it for a purpose. I'm sending you out with a message, but you are just a man. And this is coming through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's coming because God chose you as a prophet or a vehicle for a purpose, but you are just a man. How many of us have ever worked with somebody who got chosen to take notes in meetings that upper management was holding? And because they're sitting in those meetings, they're privy to all of these very important things going on, and they start to think of themselves as they start circulating with everyone around them.

I'm really important because I get to sit in all the leadership meetings, and I'm taking notes, and I get to hear everything that's going on. And of course, what do all the co-workers think? You're just a note taker. You're one of us. You're not in there. You're not in there making decisions. You're just one of us. You think you're important because you got invited to take notes in this meeting.

I don't want to belittle Ezekiel and what he was called to do as a prophet, which was incredibly powerful. At the same time, 93 times, 93 times it's recorded here as God calling him son of man, as though he's saying, Ezekiel, you're seeing this incredible stuff, but you have a place, you have a job, I have empowered you for that job, and you are a human being like everyone that you're speaking with.

Now it gets a little more interesting as we look at the third usage of the term son of man in the Old Testament. Some of you might have thought of this. It's in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 is a really different context. You probably know as you start looking at it, as you turn there, you look at the early verses of Daniel 7.

It's the image of the four beasts, and it goes through and has this image of that represents world ruling governments and empires, and then it shifts to the government of God that's going to last forever and displace those and rule over them. So Daniel 7, let's start in verse 13. Here Daniel is inspired to write, I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.

He came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And to him was given dominion and glory in a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away. His kingdom, the one which shall never be destroyed. There's not much of a mistake of what's being talked about here in terms of prophecy. We know we have the ancient of days up there that's God the Father and the son of man whose kingdom will be forever. When we connect this up with the scriptures we see in the New Testament, what we see in Revelation, it's clear that this son of man being talked about is Jesus Christ himself. So we see a progression here, a few different things being talked about again as we see the son of man talked about in the Old Testament. First of all, a simple human being, just a poetic turn of phrase, it just means a human. Secondly, used repeatedly in Ezekiel's case to make a point to him, a very similar point that despite all the things that you're having revealed to you divinely, you are just a human being. And then lastly, a reference to the divine being that would come and will eventually live forever. So with that Old Testament background, let's look at the New Testament and look at the idea of the son of man in the New Testament. Now, I'm sure you can already start thinking about all kinds of scriptures and passages and events, pour into your mind here as you're thinking about son of man. How is the term son of man used? It's actually used in a very specific way in the New Testament. Have you ever thought about it? I didn't until I started looking into this topic. For the pure numbers of it, it's used 82 times in the New Testament. Interestingly, it's used one time as a direct reference that an individual makes to Jesus Christ. And the other times, aside from twice in Revelation where it's in a vision, the other times are all Jesus Christ talking about Himself. The word son of man in the New Testament is almost entirely used for Jesus Christ to describe Himself. Why? It's kind of unusual, isn't it? Have you stopped to think about that before? Why would He do that? Why would He use that term?

Let's go through three different meanings and reasons for that. The first one, not unusually, after we see how it was used in the Old Testament, was to signify His humanity.

To signify His humanity. Again, this ties this whole idea of Jesus Christ being fully God and fully man. John writing, anyone who doesn't accept the fact that God came in the flesh through the person of Jesus Christ is an antichrist. Matthew 8. Let's read verses 18 through 20. This is just one of those many passages where Jesus Christ refers to Himself as the son of man. Matthew 18, starting in verse 18, when Jesus saw the great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. And then a certain scribe came to Him and said, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to Him, Foxes have holes, birds in the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. And what He's referring to, if you want to put it in the vernacular, is, buddy, are you sure you want to follow me? I'm kind of wandering around here, and I just, I sleep where there's place to sleep, where I've got an opportunity. I don't have a home. Can you really do this? I'm a guy who's wandering from place to place and undergoing a fair amount of human discomfort doing it, is what He's really telling him. And so the point here is His humanity.

The fact that not having a home was something relevant. He knew it was relevant to the person He was talking to. It was relevant to Him as well. This is just one of many of those examples that shows His humanity. I'm not going to turn to all of these, but I'll just briefly recite them if you want to look at them later. One is in Matthew 11 verse 19. There's a parallel verse in Luke 7 verse 34. This is the passage where the scribes and the Pharisees are coming to Him and talking about who He's eating with. And He says, the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, look, a glutton and a wine-bibber and a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

So they didn't like the way that He went around eating and drinking as a human being, the way He was participating in normal, everyday life and the people He was associating with. Another section, Matthew 12 verse 8, a scripture, where He refers to Himself as Son of Man, proclaiming Himself as Lord of the Sabbath. Again, a very human activity that He's undergoing in this passage. He's walking through the grain fields with the disciples on the Sabbath. It doesn't say in this passage that Jesus was hungry. It does mention that in other places, after He fasted for 40 days. But it does talk about Him just going through the grain fields. The disciples are hungry. They're grabbing some grains, rubbing them in their hands so they can eat them. Presumably, He was hungry and eating as well, although that verse doesn't specifically say it. Matthew 17 verse 12. This is the tail end of the account of the transfiguration.

Where Jesus takes a handful of the disciples. Elijah and Moses appear. He's glorified before them. And He says at the end of that passage, I say to you, Elijah has come already, and they did not know Him, but did to Him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. Jesus would suffer as a physical human being. He would suffer just as we feel suffering. And the last one I'll look at or mention to you is Luke 22, 22. Luke 22 verse 22. This is the end of Luke's account of the last Passover that Jesus Christ kept shortly before He was crucified. And the very end of this passage, He says, And truly the Son of Man goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he's betrayed. So here He portrays Himself as the Son of Man, as a human, as somebody who's subject to events that are determined outside of Himself. He didn't have the power to dictate how everything was going to happen, just as we as human beings don't. And He's making that point very clearly. I have to go as it's been determined by my Father. You know, sometimes we feel helpless in the middle of circumstances. Jesus Christ, even though He could have exercised power, He knew that was not His to do. And He knew He had to follow that will, that path, that the Father was setting forth for Him. So the number and type of references that are made here in all these Son of Man passages where Jesus is talking about Himself, we're seeing so much of normal life that's going on as these things are happening. He's hungry, He's traveling, He's criticized, He's sleeping uncomfortably, He's eating meals with other places, with other people. And He's subject to events that are outside of His control because He's fulfilling His destiny. Now there's much more to it than purely His raw humanity, of course, and that's the second use of Son of Man by Jesus Christ, and that's to signify His divine identity. So we saw, of course, in Daniel 7, this prophecy, the people that He interfaced with would have understood this prophecy, this idea of the Son of Man coming in clouds that would be the ultimate Messiah who would come. And after Jesus was taken by the soldiers after His last Passover, He ended up in front of the high priest, you recall, in the Sanhedrin, and they start parading in all these false witnesses to cast all kinds of different aspersions at Him, assert that He was doing all sorts of things. But their stories just didn't square up, you know, they're just grabbing people and saying, you know, come tell us something against Him, and we can try and jin up some reason to penalize Him. Finally, though, false witnesses, others are brought forward, and He ends up being accused of blasphemy. And we've, I'm sure, read this passage before, but let's turn to Matthew 26, and we'll look at here how Jesus speaks. And we might not always connect it this way, but He is referring directly back to Daniel 7, which is part of what prompts the reaction that comes after this. Matthew 26, starting in verse 63. Jesus kept silent, and the high priest answered and said to Him, I put you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus said to Him, it's as He said, Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Pretty much a direct quote out of Daniel 7. And then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy.

What further need do we have of witnesses? Now you've heard His blasphemy. What do you think? And they all answered and said, He is deserving of death. Those words that He spoke, a direct connection back to Daniel. He might as well have just said to them, Guys, I'm the Son of God. I'm going to return and bring God's kingdom. It's me. Using that term, Son of Man, using this entire phrase that He spoke, He was harkening back to Daniel 7. He was saying, That is me. That's why they reacted as strongly as they did because of the blasphemy that He was speaking. And you know, you might have heard this said before, but that's why people who might assert, Well, you know, Jesus Christ, I think He was a great teacher and a very wise person, but I don't really believe anything else about Him. In passages like this, Jesus Christ gave two very stark decisions that we have to make about Him. He was either a totally delusional nut, or He was the Son of God.

Great teachers, wise men, don't go around saying, I am the Son of God who will come down on the clouds of heaven. So we're forced into a choice of one of the two. There's not a middle choice here that Jesus was sort of a wise guy and not God, but I should follow some of the things He said, because that's not how He portrayed Himself or how He laid Himself out. And that's why the Sanhedrin also was reacting the way that they did. Again, commentators, expositors, Bible commentator, commentary, talks about the fact that this explanation makes an allusion to two passages, one being Psalm 110 verse 1, which we've probably heard before, the Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand. That's an expression in the Psalm of David that expresses the idea that God and the being that would become Jesus Christ are the things that are there in heaven together, and Daniel 7 13, which of course we read earlier. Interestingly, this same body in the near future would encounter another tense situation with that same phrase, the Son of Man, in the one time in the Bible where another human being utters that phrase to refer to Jesus Christ. So let's go to that third use of Son of Man. So in the second use, He used it talking about His divinity, who He was, and what He was going to do. Stephen the Deacon, we probably remember this account as well. He performed miracles. He was beginning to anger the religious authorities with some of the things that He was doing just in that very short time period after the Holy Spirit came to the New Testament church. And again, the religious authorities relied on false witnesses. They pulled them together and relied on them to gain, you know, bring forward false stories about Him so that they could punish Him. And so in Acts 7, we'll go down towards the end of that chapter. You might remember Acts 7 is an entire chapter where Stephen is recounting of the history of Israel and God working with Israel. And he winds up this discussion with this same body of religious authorities that heard Jesus Christ proclaim Himself the Son of Man and cried for Him to be crucified for blasphemy. And in front of that same body of people, Stephen in Acts 7, verse 55, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven, saw the glory of God, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said, look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. So what he's saying to the Sanhedrin is, remember a couple years ago or however long ago it was when Jesus was in front of you? It wouldn't even have been a couple years, I would guess.

Remember when He was there standing in front of you and said that He was this Son of Man, He was this divine being? I see Him in vision. He's right there. It's happened. And He is at the right hand of God. And of course, they rushed at Him at that point. They took Him out of the city and they stoned Him because, again, of blasphemy. Interestingly, the same blasphemy using the same verbiage as what Jesus Christ had used earlier. This is from Jameson Fawcett and Brown's commentary. They write, this is the only time that our Lord is by human lips called the Son of Man after His ascension. And why here? Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, speaking now not of himself, but entirely by the Spirit, is led to repeat the very words in which Jesus Himself, before this same counsel, had foretold His glorification, assuring Him, assuring them that the exaltation of the Son of Man, which they should hereafter witness to their dismay, was already begun and actual. So again, making that same point, that He was driving home the fact that what Jesus said earlier to you, same group of people, I see it. It's happened. He's there. And of course, when we go on to Revelation 14, we know that John has similar visions, visions of Jesus Christ as a spiritual ruler at the right hand of God. Let's read Revelation 14. This is one of the two references there to the Son of Man. We'll start in verse 14. Revelation 14, starting in verse 14.

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man. So again, we see the clouds and the Son of Man, just like we saw in Daniel. Having on His head a golden crown in His hand a sharp sickle, and another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap, the harvest of the earth is ripe, and he who sat on the cloud, thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Talking here about end time events that would happen, but talking clearly about Jesus Christ as the Son of Man, who has been seated at the right hand of God. So as we look at these New Testament references to the Son of Man, to sum up this section, Jesus refers to Himself repeatedly by that name. All but one reference by Stephen to the Son of Man outside of Revelation are Jesus Christ speaking about Himself. And He's talking about His humanity.

He's then predicting His divinity, or asserting His divinity. And then Stephen, and later John, in his vision from Revelation, is testifying that it has come to pass exactly as it was foretold. So we see this progression of humanity, revelation of His divinity, and then finally the revelation that that divinity has been achieved, and that He is there at the right hand of God.

So as we wrap up this message, what's the relevance of this for us? This is more than just an interesting set of facts. It's more than a theological argument. There's a reason why it's so important. Why is that? What is the importance of the fact that God was fully human? Jesus Christ was fully human, as well as being divine. First item I'd like to invite us to think about for a few minutes and maybe take it and mull it over during the week is that this existence of the Son of Man is a pattern that we have the opportunity to follow. We're already, literally, sons of man because we're human beings. So in that sense, that part, check the box, we've got that part done, we're human. At least most of us claim to be. But what's exciting, what's hopeful, is the fact that just as Jesus was resurrected and changed to spirit, we can follow that same pattern. Just as He is the risen Son of Man, the Son of Man sitting on the clouds at the right hand of God, we can repeat and will repeat—that's the promise to us—that same pattern. Look at Romans 8, 17. Romans 8, 17. And this ties together this idea of humanity and divinity or glory in the same way that it was lived out by Jesus Christ. And that's the thing that we've got to carry with us. It's hard to sometimes conceive of this idea when we look in the mirror and we see what's looking back at us, that there's any hope or divinity or glory to come in what we see staring back at us in the mirror. But that's exactly what we're told in the Bible. Romans 8, 17. If children then heirs, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ—and here's where He's laying it out—if indeed we suffer with Him, we share the humanity with Him, we share the pain that He shared, we may also be glorified together. And the hopeful thing that I see written in there that I think about is the fact that we know we suffer. We suffer emotionally, we suffer mentally, we might suffer with anxiety, we might suffer physically, we suffer in so many different ways. And we're shown clearly that Jesus Christ suffered as well. Another interesting study to go through, read the Gospels before Passover, and look at just the pure humanity of Jesus Christ, the things that He suffered at other people's hands, the names He was called, how He suffered in every possible way, and He was glorified.

That's the pattern that's going to be repeated in us. Philippians 3 ties together, again, these two things, humanity and divinity. Philippians 3, and that's why Jesus Christ is called the firstborn among many brethren. Philippians 3, starting in verse 10, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

And here's where He lays out again the same pattern, in case we missed it in that early part, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

That's the humanity part of it. We're conformed to death just like He was. He was human. He died. We're human. We die. He was raised in glory, and we will be as well. For our citizenship, in verse 20, is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body, human and physical, to spiritual and perfected, according to the working by which He is able, even to subdue all things to Himself. So there's a very simple but very profound truth here in this tying together of humanity and divinity that all comes together in these three words, Son of Man, in a pattern that was laid out with Him, coming as fully human suffering, dealing with the same things that we deal with as human beings, and being perfected, and laying out a pathway that we're going to follow. Secondly, before we wrap up, the intercessory power of Jesus Christ. We heard about prayer in the first message. One of the important things about prayer is not just our own prayers, but the intercessions that go before God. What does that mean? That means people coming in, someone coming in on our behalf, someone to come in and to sometimes maybe interpret our prayers, to plead our case, to be there before God the Father, to add additional context on our behalf, however you want to word that. Let's look at Romans 8 again in verse 34.

Clearly laid out in the Scriptures, Romans 8 and verse 34, who is He who condemns?

It's Jesus Christ who died and furthermore has also risen. Again, those two things put together, who is even at the right hand of God who makes intercession for us.

That idea is not there by accident next to this combination of humanity dying and being risen.

We know that by reading Hebrews 4. This verse is probably already rattling around. In some people's minds in this context, Hebrews 4 will start in verse 15. I always like this verse because it's got this sort of weird double negative thing going on in it. Again, being a bit of a language geek. I love this turn of phrase in the Old and New King James. Hebrews 4 verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. So if we want to make that a little simpler, we will simply say we've got a high priest who understands and can sympathize. But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. All points tempted as we are. He experienced the things that we experience as human beings. That's why He can intercede so effectively on our behalf. He understands what it's like to be within this weak physical condition.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That therefore really connects these things together. It's that understanding that we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses that directly results in and enables us coming boldly before the throne of grace. Do we ever think we can't come before God because of something just so terrible that we've thought or done or seen in ourselves in our humanity? This verse tells us, don't let that get in the way. Come boldly.

And that boldness involves also laying ourselves out entirely before Him, knowing Jesus Christ, who went before in full humanity, can help to explain this and intercede with God and make everything right here in mercy and in grace. And so if we ever feel like we should be hiding from God because of something we've done, look what Adam and Eve did in the garden after they sinned. That's the natural human reaction. We do something wrong, we run and hide. We do it from the time we're little kids, don't we? If you've got a toddler and they're hiding in the corner, the first thing you think is, what did he or she do? It's something just natural within us as human beings. We're being told here, don't do that with God. He understands. Jesus Christ understands. He's there to intercede for us. He understands all of our humanity. There's nothing we can lay before Him that He's not going to understand and have mercy and grace if we lay that before Him and we ask for forgiveness. So, in conclusion, this sermon was about a simple three-word phrase, and it wasn't 90 minutes long. Son of man. Son of man. I encourage you to think of those three words as you go through the upcoming weeks. The theme of the Son of Man is used throughout the Old Testament and New Testament, drives home the point of the humanity of Jesus Christ. Literally, it emphasizes that He was flesh and blood. Figuratively, it pointed to His divinity. And the usage of the term in the New Testament takes us from His humanity through His claim and revelation of divinity to the revelation that that has happened. His glorified state exists today in heaven and is waiting for us as our destiny. This reality of Jesus is fully human and fully divine, provides a path that we can follow from humanity and suffering to our promised glorification as the children of God. And it gives us assurance of our ability to come boldly to God's throne through the intercessory power of Jesus Christ, who experienced and understands all of our weaknesses. These three words are the primary way that Jesus is recorded as referring to Himself. So, as we begin to shift our minds to the Passover, let's spend additional time understanding and meditating on the depth of Jesus' identity as the Son of Man.