When Jesus refers to himself he uses the term ‘Son of Man’. When he healed the paralysed man and told him that his sins were forgiven, he said “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home”. 

Through this phase of preaching about the 'Kingdom of God', a foundational question to be answered was 'Who is Jesus?'. It is bracketed by the devil's challenge 'If you are the Son of God ......' at the start of his public ministry and ends with Peter's answer to the question 'But who do you say that I am?'. It is Peter's response, asserting that Jesus is the Messiah 'the Christ of God' that triggers the next phase, pointing to the cross.

The people are being challenged to question who Jesus is, by everything he says and does. This all seems to revolve around his divinity, is he the Son of God? The phase is bracketed by a clear declaration from God at his baptism 'You are My beloved Son .....' and 'This is My Son ......' at the transfiguration. The comparison with God's son Adam and Israel are evident.

Although the debate seems to revolve around 'Is Jesus the Son of God?', Jesus invariably refers to himself as the 'Son of Man'. In Luke’s gospel we first find this in the passage of the healing of the paralysed man. With the religious leaders watching, Jesus not only heals the man, but curiously also states that his sins are forgiven. This provokes the question that only God can do this, surely the opportune time to declare that he is the Son of God. However, Jesus says 'the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'.

Whereas people have all sorts of pre-conceived ideas about what they expect from the Messiah, the Son of God, this makes people think 'Who is this Son of Man?'.

Foremost in Jesus’ thinking is to stress his humanity. He is the full expression of what humanity is to be. He is the first, the son of this new humanity, therefore the Son of Man.

It can just mean 'I', but also 'Everyman'.

Although Jesus fills this title with new meaning it does have a fully relevant historical context.

Adam produced sons, the son of man, but this humanity is dominated by sin, marked by envy and ultimately murder, self-destruction. Cain, the son of man is unable to master sin, and becomes enslaved to its destructive power.

We increasingly find a separation between God and man, God being unable to identify with humanity, the son of man. With His next son of man, the children of Israel, there has to be a separation, a tabernacle, priests and offerings, to enter God's presence.

The Psalms address this theme. Psalms 1 and 2 explain that God is bringing in a new humanity, installing his Son. When the writer of Psalm 8 pens the lyrics to the first verse he emphasises the gulf that has grown between God and the son of man produced by Adam and Israel, 'What is man that you remember him, and the son of man that you care for him?' Astoundingly, he then sings 'Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and you crown him with glory and majesty'. God hasn't given up on the son of man being who he should be. The chorus of Psalm 80 is about restoration brought about by 'the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself'. A son of man who is strong, therefore not dominated and destroyed by sin, able to forgive sin and bin it.

Ezekiel, Son of Man

Ezekiel grew up at a time of no hope for Israel, the son of man. They had been enslaved and exiled. He was a priest carrying out seemingly irrelevant duties where all rule and authority resided in humanity that did not recognise or acknowledge his God.

It is in this context that God shows him a vision, a bigger picture, a depiction of the greater authorities and powers that uphold existence. And enthroned above this expression of living beings is 'a figure with the appearance of man'.

Luke describes Jesus similarly at his transfiguration. John's revelation of Jesus uses the same imagery.

Ezekiel is to be a forerunner of the Son of Man, the hope of a new humanity. It is time for humanity to stand up. Ezekiel is called son of man 90 times. You can compare Ezekiel's ministry to Jesus:

He is filled and empowered by the Spirit; he is called to be a prophet; he will experience rejection; he embodies the word in his life; he only speaks what God says; he lives among his people; he carries, forgives sin; he is a sign; the death of Ezekiel's wife is compared to God's loss of relationship with His people;  death gives way to resurrection life; new humanity is described as a new nation, city and temple.

Daniel, Son of Man

Daniel is a prophet like Ezekiel, who speaks at this time of exiled hopelessness. He also prophesies that God is going to achieve His will despite the persecution of his powerless people.

He brings God's word, through interpreting dreams, to the top ruler of the day. A dream pictures humanity as a statue, a depiction of the greatest civilisations established by man's design, separate from God. The dream concludes with these being smashed and a civilisation being established to God's design.

Daniel sees another dream that depicts the civilisations as a grotesque mixture of human and animal characteristics. These man-made civilisations, whilst demonstrating some human characteristics are also cruel and destructive. Instead of becoming fully human as God intends, man becomes more like animals (reverse evolution!). In our world, beasts are commonly used and accepted as descriptive of modern nations (e.g. bears, eagles, lions). Civilisations without God take on animal traits instead of His likeness.

Daniel's dream shows an alternative future, one like a Son of Man; a Son of Man with a priestly role connecting man with God (on clouds, the clouds of incense wafted by the priests allowing man to enjoy God's presence), and a kingly role bringing a rule that releases humanity to fulfil its true potential.

Jesus, Son of Man

Jesus by taking the title 'Son of Man' is referencing Ezekiel and his favourite prophet Daniel. He is embodying new humanity in contrast to the beastly distortion of civilisation dominating his and our world. The establishment of this new humanity through his word, life, death and resurrection echoes the prophetic lives of Ezekiel and Daniel. Jesus is the Son of Man, the first of a new humanity that will sweep away all beastly distortions and fulfil God's will; life that exceeds all others; still working until the task is completed.