Son of Man
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 1:43-51
When Nathanael first met Jesus, he was amazed that Jesus already knew who he was. He was so impressed, he proclaimed Jesus to be “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). Jesus replied in a mocking way, essentially saying, “Really? You were really impressed that I saw you under a tree? You were impressed by so little? Stick with me and you will see amazing things” (my translation of John 1:50). Jesus continues by saying one simple little sentence that is packed with an unbelievable amount of information. In a single sentence, Jesus claims to be the connection between heaven and earth, the Messiah, and when we unpack the words further, we see He claims to be God. His statement is so remarkable, it graphically reinforces John’s beautifully poetic introduction of Jesus as the Word at the beginning of the chapter, the One who inspired Scripture, because it is unlikely anyone else could have effortlessly communicated so much with so few words.
Nathanael was impressed when he met Jesus. Had he decided not to follow Jesus, his first impression would have lingered but he would not have seen heaven opened and the spiritual and physical blend through Jesus. He would have been impressed, but he would have missed so much. As I ponder the exchange, I wonder whether many of us stopped with our first impression of Jesus. We met Him and were impressed, but did we leave the relationship there, rather than continue on the path following Him and through Him seeing extraordinary new things – the kingdom of God unveiled before our eyes. How are you continuing to grow with Him? Let’s take a closer look at this remarkable statement.
John begins his presentation of the Gospel introducing Jesus as the eternal Word, who was in the beginning, who has always been, not created. He introduces Jesus as God, the holy Creator of everything, whose essence is life, and whose life is the light of all people. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). John concludes his introduction writing, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:18).
Jesus is God. He is God the Father’s only Son. He is and always has been of God’s essence. The Father and the Son each possess God’s glory. Through Jesus, God the Father is made known to us.
After that amazing introduction, John describes John the Baptist introducing Jesus to everyone as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and encouraging his followers to follow Jesus. Andrew, Peter and Philip follow Jesus, and Philip encourages Nathanael to join them.
As Nathanael approaches Jesus, Jesus greets him as if He knows Nathanael. Nathanael is surprised, and he asks Jesus,
“How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:48-51
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). It is a simple sentence, and like everything Jesus says, it is packed with meaning. Jesus combines images from two seemingly unrelated verses in the Old Testament – Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28 and Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7. By joining them we see God’s glorious truth in an entirely new way, and we see that Jesus truly is the sovereign, holy, eternal One.
Let’s begin with Jacob’s dream described in Genesis 28. As he traveled from Beersheba to Haran, Jacob stopped for the night and slept using a stone as a pillow. That night he dreamed, and, in his dream, he saw
a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! Genesis 28:12
Jacob saw heaven and earth meet. He saw angels traveling from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. He saw the spiritual realm entering the realm of time and space. The reality that heaven is all around us and we simply are unable to see it is evident in the exchange between the angel Gabriel and Zechariah. A portion of their conversation follows:
“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” Luke 1:19
Zechariah was the priest chosen by lot on that particular day to enter the sanctuary and offer incense to the Lord. While he was inside the holy place, the angel appeared to him and they spoke. As he stood on earth, the angel said that He was in the presence of God. He was able to see both Zechariah and God, but Zechariah could not see God.
When Moses asked to see God, God told him that no one could see His face and live (see Exodus 33:20), and John reminds us that no one has seen God writing,
No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. John 1:18
Jesus makes God the Father known. Through Jesus we see God. Through Jesus we experience God. Through Jesus we commune with God. In Jacob’s dream the angels traveled by means of a ladder. When Jesus spoke to Nathanael, he replaced the means of transit from a ladder to the Son of Man. The angels travel from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth on the Son of Man. He is the avenue, the path, the way, the ladder connecting heaven and earth.
Who is the Son of Man? Let’s look again at the conversation between Nathanael and Jesus. Nathanael called Jesus rabbi, Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus did not correct him. He did not say “please do not say that” or “no, I am not.” And by His acceptance of the titles, we are led to believe they are true. Son of God is a term used in a variety of ways in the Old Testament. It refers to both heavenly beings and humans who are obedient to God. It also refers to humans who are chosen by God, which certainly includes the anointed One, Messiah or Christ, but it does not necessarily reflect divinity. When Nathanael used the term, it likely revealed his expectation regarding who the Messiah would be – a human in the line of David chosen by God – not a human of divine origin who existed before possessing human life. (This is different from the times Jesus claims and Scripture describes His unique Sonship with the Father, which is a claim of divine essence).
But Jesus refers to Himself as Son of Man, and by doing so He draws from another reference in the Old Testament connecting the heavenly realm and the earthly realm, this time from one of Daniel’s visions. Daniel writes,
“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
In the vision, the son of man is a heavenly being who looks like a man, and upon whom God gives glory, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that never ends. This sounds like Jesus in many ways because it restates characteristics attributed to Jesus in other parts of Scripture – Jesus shares God the Father’s glory, He has all authority in heaven and on earth, all people should serve Him, every knee will bow to Him, His dominion will never end, and His kingdom will not be destroyed.
Daniel 7 also presents Jesus as divine in two specific ways. First, God’s holy word explains that He does not give His glory away. Through Isaiah, God says,
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8
If God gives His glory to “no other,” yet Daniel says God gives His glory to the Son of Man, the only plausible explanation is that the Son of Man is God. This interpretation is supported by Jesus’ prayer on the evening of the Last Supper. In His prayer filling John 17, Jesus explains that He shared God the Father’s glory before creation saying,
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. John 17:1-5
The Son and the Father share glory. Jesus glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies Jesus, and Jesus had God’s glory before creation. Since only God has God’s glory, and Jesus has God’s glory, Jesus is God.
Second, Daniel’s prophecy reveals that God will convey authority to the Son of Man. Jesus’ prayer explains that God the Father has indeed granted Jesus authority over all people to grant eternal life.
By using the term “Son of Man,” Jesus says He is the heavenly being who came to earth as a man. In two dramatic ways in the single sentence, Jesus explains He is the connection between heaven and earth. He is the heavenly being who came to earth with God’s glory, eternal dominion, and a kingdom that will not be destroyed. Jesus is God, and He captured all that glorious truth in a single sentence:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51
Some have questioned whether Jesus refers to Himself when He uses the term Son of Man, suggesting Jesus is referring to someone else. Jesus used the term a lot, and while some of the uses do not clearly indicate that Jesus refers to Himself when using the term, other uses make it clear. Following are a few examples from the Gospel According to Matthew.
In the first, Jesus heals a man who is paralyzed, and as He does so, He says, “your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). Religious leaders know that only God can forgive sin, so they accuse Jesus of blasphemy. The conversation that ensues is about Jesus’ actions, words and authority. The entire focus is on Jesus and in the conversation, Jesus uses the term Son of Man, clearly referring to Himself. Here is the passage:
And some people were carrying to him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, child; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he then said to the paralytic – “Stand up, take your bed, and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. Matthew 9:2-8
Jesus says that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, and He demonstrates His authority by healing the man and thereby revealing God’s glory.
In the next, given the weight of Scripture showing Jesus befriending people who were regarded as sinners by religious leaders, it seems Jesus refers to Himself when using the term Son of Man in the following passage:
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Matthew 11:16-19
In the following exchange with the disciples, Jesus repeats a question exchanging Son of Man with I:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. Matthew 16:13-17
Given the entire account of the Gospel and the truth that Jesus did indeed give His life as a ransom for many, in the following exchange Jesus refers to Himself as Son of Man:
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:24-28
The context of each of the four passages above present Jesus using the term Son of Man as a way of referring to Himself. Let’s consider a passage where Jesus’ listeners hear Jesus use the term Son of Man and not only accuse Him of blasphemy, but voting that He should die for it.
In Mark 14, Jesus is arrested and He appears before the High Council. The High Priest addresses Jesus and asks “Are you the Messiah?” (Mark 14:61). Jesus answers saying “I am” and He continues discussing the Son of Man evoking a clear reference to Daniel 7. The focus of the exchange is on Jesus and His identity, leaving no doubt that Jesus discusses Himself as the Son of Man described in Daniel 7, and the High Council responds by unanimously voting that Jesus should die for blasphemy. Here is the exchange:
Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am, and
‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power’
and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him. Mark 14:60-65
Perhaps they responded to Jesus’ use of “I am,” and the statement’s reference to the holy, unspeakable name of God, or perhaps they responded to the rest of His statement, or, most likely, they responded to the totality of Jesus’ statement, but they undoubtedly understood Jesus’ reference to Daniel’s prophecy – the Son of Man coming with clouds of heaven who is given glory, dominion and the kingdom – and considered it blasphemous. Son of Man is a claim of divine existence, and the High Council understood what Jesus said so well it unanimously voted that Jesus should die.
But we’ve jumped pretty far ahead in the chronology of Jesus’ ministry on earth. We began at the beginning, when Jesus was selecting His disciples. He asked Andrew, Peter and Philip to follow Him, and Philip invited Nathanael, and Jesus said to Nathanael,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51
References to Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28 and Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 7 are unmistakable, and through them, Jesus clearly claims His divinity. Jesus’ statement is incredibly dense, deep and powerful, and I fear that many of us miss a great deal of what He says.
Nathanael was impressed when he met Jesus. As I ponder the exchange, I wonder whether many of us stopped with our first impression of Jesus. We met Him and were impressed, but did we leave the relationship there, rather than continue on the path following Him and through Him seeing extraordinary new things – the kingdom of God unveiled before our eyes. How are you continuing to grow with Him?
May you hunger and thirst for righteousness, may you long for His holy word, may you seek Him with all you have and all you are. Amen.