Jesus' Use of Son of Man Title in Divine Authority
Jesus' use of the title "Son of Man" is central to understanding his divine authority, though the phrase itself has broader applications in scripture. In general usage, "son of man" can refer to humanity at large, often emphasizing human weakness or frailty [1]. For instance, it is frequently applied to the prophet Ezekiel, likely to underscore his human limitations despite his prophetic calling [1, 14]. However, in the New Testament, "Son of Man" becomes a distinctive title for Jesus, appearing forty-three times [1].
The title "Son of Man" highlights Jesus' true humanity, indicating that he possessed a real body and a rational soul, making him "perfect man" [1, 12]. Yet, Jesus consistently uses this title in contexts that assert his divine power and authority. For example, he declares that "the Son of Man has not where to lay his head," illustrating his earthly humility while simultaneously being "Lord of all, as being the mighty God" [7].
The authority Jesus claims as the Son of Man includes the power to forgive sins, to be Lord of the Sabbath, to raise the dead, and to send angels to gather the elect [11]. This connection between his human title and divine prerogatives is evident in passages such as John 5:27, where Jesus states that the Father "gave him also to do judgment, because he is Son of Man" [2]. This suggests that his humanity is not a limitation but rather a basis for his judicial authority [9].
Theological interpretations have explored this paradox. Charles Hodge notes that Jesus is called "man, or the Son of man, when the acts ascribed to Him involve the exercise of divine power or authority" [11]. This perspective emphasizes that while the divine nature is immutable, the Son of Man performs actions that demonstrate divine attributes [11]. Similarly, John of Damascus explains that when Christ is named "Son of God and God," it refers to one of his natures, but the name "Christ" itself implies both natures, allowing him to be spoken of as both God and man, capable and incapable of suffering [13].
The title also carries eschatological significance, linking Jesus to the figure in Daniel 7:13, where "one like a son of man" comes with the clouds of heaven to receive everlasting dominion [1, 10]. Jesus himself alludes to this future authority, stating, "henceforth, there shall be the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God" [3]. This imagery portrays Christ with an authoritative appearance, often depicted with priestly garments symbolizing purity and holiness, as seen in Revelation 1:13 [5].
Early Christian thinkers like Tertullian and Hippolytus affirmed that Jesus was both Son of God and Son of Man, emphasizing that his works demonstrated divine power while his sufferings proved his humanity [6, 8]. The title "Son of Man" thus serves as a crucial identifier for Jesus, encapsulating his dual nature as fully human and fully divine, and underscoring the divine authority he wields in his redemptive work and future judgment [4, 11].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Son of man — (1.) Denotes mankind generally, with special reference to their weakness and frailty (Job 25:6; Ps. 8:4; 144:3; 146:3; Isa. 51:12, etc.). (2.) It is a title frequently given to the prophet Ezekiel, probably to remind him of his human weakness. (3.) In the New Testament it is used forty-three times as a distinctive title of the Saviour. In the Old Testament it is used only in Ps. 80:17 and Dan. 7:13 with this application. It denotes the true humanity of our Lord. He had a true body (Heb. 2:14; Luke 24:39) and a rational soul. He was perfect man.”
- John “John 5:27 (YLT) — and authority He gave him also to do judgment, because he is Son of Man.”
- Luke “Luke 22:69 (YLT) — henceforth, there shall be the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God.'”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Christ — Anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered "Messiah" (q.v.), the official title of our Lord, occurring five hundred and fourteen times in the New Testament. It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. He is Jesus the Christ (Acts 17:3; 18:5; Matt. 22:42), the Anointed One. He is thus spoken of by Isaiah (61:1), and by Daniel (9:24-26), who styles him "Messiah the Prince." The Messiah is the same person as "the seed of the woman" (Gen. 3:15), "the seed of Abraham" (Ge”
- Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 1:13: 1:13 the Son of Man (or a son of man.): Son of Man is a title Jesus used for himself (see Dan 7:13; Matt 8:20; 9:6; 16:13; Mark 2:28; 9:9; 14:41; John 1:51; 3:13; 5:27). • The long robe and gold sash give Christ an authoritative appearance (see Rev 19:13-16; Dan 10:5). The robe was a priestly garment symbolizing purity and holiness.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. X.--FURTHER PROOFS OF THE SAME TRUTH IN THE SAME CHAPTER, FROM THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC, AND FROM THE DESIGNATION SON OF MAN WHICH JESUS GIVES HIMSELF. TERTULLIAN SUSTAINS HIS ARGUMENT BY SE (part 3): human one. For she must have a husband, not to be a virgin; and by having a husband, she would cause two fathers--one divine, the other human--to accrue to Him, who would thus be Son both of God and of a man. Such a nativity (if one may call it so)(19) the mythic stories assign to Castor or to Hercules. Now, if this distinction be observed, that is to say, if He ”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 8:19: And Jesus saith unto him,.... Knowing his heart, and the carnal and worldly views with which he acted; the foxes have holes in the earth, where they hide themselves from danger, take their rest, and secure their whelps; and the birds of the air have nests, where they sit, lay, and hatch their eggs, and bring up their young; but the son of man has not where to lay his head, when he is weary, and wants rest and sleep, as he did at this time. So that though he was Lord of all, as being the mighty God; yet as "the son of man", a phrase, expressive both of the truth”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — CHAP. XI.-- AND INDEED THAT CHRIST WAS NOT ONLY MAN, BUT GOD ALSO; THAT EVEN AS HE WAS THE SON OF MAN, SO ALSO HE WAS THE SON OF GOD. (part 2): His works assert in Him divine power? For if this should not avail to assert Him to be God from His powers, neither can His sufferings avail to show Him to be man also from them. For whatever principle be adopted on one or the other side, will be found to be maintained.[2] For there will be a risk that He should not be shown to be man from His sufferings, if He could not also be approved as God by His”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of Christ's Judiciary Prayer, Art. 2: Article: Whether judiciary power belongs to Christ as man? I answer that, Chrysostom (Hom. xxxix in Joan.) seems to think that judiciary power belongs to Christ not as man, but only as God. Accordingly he thus explains the passage just quoted from John: "'He gave Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son of man: wonder not at this.' For He received judiciary power, not because He is man; but because He is the Son of the ineffable God, therefore is He judge. But since the expressions used were great”
- Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 7:13: Son of man--(See on Eze 2:1). Not merely Son of David, and King of Israel, but Head of restored humanity (corresponding to the world-wide horizon of Daniel's prophecy); the seed of the woman, crushing Antichrist, the seed of the serpent, according to the Prot-evangel in Paradise (Gen 3:15). The Representative Man shall then realize the original destiny of man as Head of the creation (Gen 1:26, Gen 1:28); the center of unity to Israel and the Gentiles. The beast, which taken conjointly represents the four beasts, ascends from the sea (Dan 7:2; Rev 13:1)”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 80: God, the Son of God, the Lord of glory, when his delivering Himself unto death is spoken of. And He is called man, or the Son of man, when the acts ascribed to Him involve the exercise of divine power or authority. It is the Son of man who forgives sins; who is Lord of the Sabbath; who raises the dead; and who is to send forth his angels to gather his elect. Such being the Scriptural doctrine concerning the person of Christ, it follows that although the divine nature is immutable and impassible, and therefore neither the obedience nor the”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 126: substance of the Virgin Mary.” This is involved in the Scriptural statement that He was born of a woman, which can only mean that He was born in the sense in which other children of men are born of women. This is essential to his true humanity, and to that likeness to men which makes them his brethren, and which was se cured by his taking part in flesh and blood. ( Heb. ii. 14 .) The incarnation of the Son of God, his stooping to take into personal and perpetual union with Himself a nature infinitely lower than his own, was an act of uns”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 50: or of His humanity the properties of divinity: for we do not say that His flesh or His humanity is uncreated. But when we speak of His subsistence, whether we give it a name implying both natures, or one that refers to only one of them, we still attribute to it the properties of both natures. For Christ, which name implies both natures, is spoken of as at once God and man, created and uncreated, subject to suffering and incapable of suffering: and when He is named Son of God and God, in reference to only one of His nature”
- Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 2 (introduction): EZEKIEL'S COMMISSION. (Eze 2:1-10) Son of man--often applied to Ezekiel; once only to Daniel (Dan 8:17), and not to any other prophet. The phrase was no doubt taken from Chaldean usage during the sojourn of Daniel and Ezekiel in Chaldea. But the spirit who sanctioned the words of the prophet implied by it the lowliness and frailty of the prophet as man "lower than the angels," though now admitted to the vision of angels and of God Himself, "lest he should be exalted through the abundance of the revelations" (Co2 12:7). He is appropriately”