Most believers understand that Jesus was the Son of God. That refers to His divinity, but do we understand His role as the Son of Man? That term refers to His humanity. He called Himself the Son of Man repeatedly throughout the gospels. I’m going to list all the passages where He said this. I believe His emphasis is important.  He was trying to get a message across. Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man all the time. He was speaking to men and I believe He wanted to relate to them on that level. If we keep Him at arms length as the Son of God, we create distance between Him and us. I do not believe this is what He wants. I believe He wants us to know Him as the Son of Man, a human being.

Here is the list, just from the Book of Matthew, where the term is used. We need to read them, study and ponder what they mean as He continuously called Himself the Son of Man. Why didn’t He call Himself Son of God? There’s a reason. Realize that many already knew Him from childhood. When He began to do miracles after His baptism at the Jordan and people there saw the open approval of God, this is when they began to wonder. How would you feel if the  brother you grew up with all of a sudden had supernatural things start happening? Would you say he was crazy?

They had always known Him, but now this person who is healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons, they are not sure they know Him…I believe He wanted to emphasize the Son of Man aspect of His identity while doing miraculous works to send a message. And that message was: “I am a man like you. But God has anointed me to show you the truth about His Kingdom. He sent me here to conquer the works of darkness that keep men in bondage and to restore the authority over the earth that Adam lost when he sinned in the Garden of Eden.”

Look up Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 10:23, 11:19, 12:8, 12:32, 12:40, 13:37, 13:41, 16:13, 16:27, 16:28, 17:9, 17:22, 18:11, 19:28, 20:18, 20:28, 24:30, 24:36, 39, 44, Matthew 25:13, 31, 26:2, 26:24, 44, 64.

Print all these scriptures out and read them out loud to yourself. You will see a pattern here. You will see that Jesus emphasized this aspect of who He was. Realize that Jesus did not arrive here on planet earth with His divine qualities. He came as a little baby. He did not come here with His divine traits. He came here as a human being.

He came as a baby, grew into a young child, then a young man. At some point He was baptized by John and received God’s approval. It was at that point that miracles and healings began to happen, but not before. Do you wonder why? You should. There’s a reason for that.

We are instructed in Philippians 2:5-8 to, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Our distance from or closeness to the Son of Man is most likely determined by how much we recognize Him as a man. Believers today have no problem acknowledging Him as God, but do they acknowledge Him as a man? What about after His ascension? He is still the Son of Man according to the scriptures. He still represents men as the merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, Who sacrificed Himself on our behalf.

He is a resurrected man. But He was made like His brethren (that’s us), subject to earthly temptations so that He could aid those who are tempted. Heb.2:18. God is speaking to us through His Son Heb. 1:2. He has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Heb. 1:3. He is bringing many sons to glory. Heb.2:10. Since the children have partaken of flesh and blood it was fitting that He share the same. Heb. 2:14.

Understanding Him as the Son of Man should draw us closer to Him. He is not so far away up in the heavens. He is not distant. He lives within us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. He is still the Son of Man, who came here to serve us and rescue us from the wages of sin, and bring us into the light of His glorious Kingdom.

The first Adam failed in his task of taking authority over the earth. That Adam plunged the world into sin and darkness under the domain of evil spirits. The second Adam did not fail! He outsmarted the devil and rescued us from those evil spirits and gave authority over evil back to mankind.

What a wonderful Savior He is, this Son of Man, King of the Universe, who is seated on the throne waiting until His enemies be made His footstool.