In the eyes of the religious leaders, Jesus signed his own death warrant at his trial. They demanded of him under oath: “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mt.26:63). His reply was both emphatic and prophetic: “Yes, it is as you say. But…you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt.26:64). They cried: “Blaspheme…he is worthy of death” (Mt.26:65-66). Jesus was claiming to be ‘The Son of Man’ of Daniel 7:13-14. This Son of Man would inherit God’s everlasting kingdom. At least 78 times Jesus is referred to (mostly by himself) as “The Son of Man.” This has a few layers of meaning. 1. Son of man is a common designation for ‘Human being.’ This is important since Jesus was God in the flesh. It was prophesied that he would be born of a virgin (Isa.7:14), and John, making sure that his readers understood that Jesus was flesh and blood, wrote that he ‘heard, saw, looked at and touched’ Jesus (1Jn.1:1). Jesus indeed lived, walked and ate among men. He was physically tortured, hung on a cross and rose from the dead. 2. Thus, he is our perfect and sympathetic High Priest: “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). He is our perfect sacrifice for sin: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor.5:21). 3. He is The Son of Man—The Messiah prophesied by Daniel. The reference that got him killed. And 4. Jesus stated his mission as The Son of Man: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk.19:10). Where is The Son of Man now? Stephen saw him and cried: “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). He is coming back on the clouds—there we will meet him (1Thess.4:17). Praise God!
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