“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.
Daniel 7: 13-14
Scholars note ‘Son of man’ is simply a periphrastic term for “human, and the term is used for Jesus or by Jesus, 88 times in the New Testament. As the Son of Man he is also referred to as the Son of David twelve times in the NT. Beginning in Matthew chapter one, we find written ‘the book of genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham…..’ to establish Jesus as the prophetic fulfillment given to King David; I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-13
Jesus becoming fully man, born of a virgin, is an essential Christian Doctrine.
Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all because all sinned…..for if because of one man’s trespass (Adam) death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:12,17.
There needed to be a man who could meet the same temptations in this world and overcome every fleshly desire. One who loved righteousness, hated wickedness and delighted to do the will of the Father, as a man, in order to restore God’s order.
Our entire redemption lies in the work He accomplished, as the Son of man. Jesus had to become a man, tempted in every way that we are so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest after his resurrection. He had to be touched with every feeling of mans infirmity to identify with him as a man of flesh and blood. It was as the son of man Jesus was rejected, betrayed and suffered and condemned to death.
It was as the son of man that Jesus fulfilled his purpose on the earth. As the law required the animal sacrifice to atone for man’s sin there had to be an offering to pay the price for man’s redemption. This man, Jesus became flesh to die and destroy the works of the devil and through his death deliver those who all their lifetime were subject to death.
God’s design for Jesus was unto an eternal purpose. Not only has Jesus, the Son of man, redeemed man, but as a man he showed us how (and has given his disciples the ability) to live as he lived while we have opportunity on the earth.
His work on earth is finished. He has done his part and left His church to carry on the greater works because he has gone to His Father.
And the Son of Man returns….next week.