The Lord Jesus refers to himself in the Gospels almost 90 times as “the Son of Man.”

***The Son of Man = God’s Man who also just happens to be Man’s God. ***

• Stephen, while dying, exclaims in a vision of Christ’s glory, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!” (Acts 7:55-56)
• John in Revelation twice refers to the glorified Lord Jesus as “one like Son of Man”. (1:13 vision of Jesus as Angel of the Lord; 14:14 vision of Christ as ‘cloud-rider’ with a sickle of harvest in judgment. The Lord’s likeness appears as OT prophesied personage titled ‘as Son of Man’ in Daniel 7:14.)
• John 3 mentions the Lord several times all of which share interlinkage:
• 13 “no one has gone into heaven except he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man”.
• 14 “even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must be lifted up the Son of Man”.
• 16 “God gave the Son (the) only-begotten/hereditary/next-of-kin…”
• 17 “God did not send the Son to judge.”
• 18 “in the name of the only-begotten/hereditary/next-of-kin Son of God”.

Observations:

*Son of Man and Son of God overlap as essentially interchangeable – BOTH denote Christ as God-Man of heavenly glory (often concealed in humility pre-Easter)

*God’s Son is both Supreme-Being AND Human-Being and to be worshiped as such

*Jesus as God’s Son is deity kind of son; as Mary’s Son is human kind of son

*The Word of the Lord become flesh = Mono-genes Only-Begotten/Hereditary/Next-of-kin = God’s own born

*Ezekiel and Daniel as prophets are addressed as ‘son of man’ in OT, but Jesus refers to himself as THE Son of Man = Supreme Human Being

*Jesus is both Co-Creator AND Prime Creature (Rev.22 – I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star.)

*Adam was never born as anyone’s son; Jesus needed to be God’s born son – Incarnate Mono-genes – designated appointed as born of woman

*Abel, Seth, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon all fore-type Jesus-Christ as Son of God Son of Man seed of Eve/Abraham-Sarah

*Daniel’s and John’s visions of “one like/as Son of Man” refer to analogous simile appearance of the indescribable. What was seen is beyond normal descriptive capacity. ‘What did the visionary personage look like? He appeared to be something like this.’ Jesus is ultimate Image of God in likeness of man. Mortal words fall short of full conveyance like a stunning sunset or magnificent work of art or heavenly being.

*Best not to use indefinite article ‘a’, but let ‘Son of Man’ be standalone for emphasis, not just another ordinary typical man’s son

*Son of Man means the ideal perfect sinless Image of God that Adam failed to be. Just as God in Heaven stooped down to form the first man Adam from the dust of the earth, so when the time had fully come, God sent His Son born of woman, under the law, to redeem those under the law so they by faith might become adopted sons of God. Jesus as God’s Son of Heaven stooped down and became incarnate like us dust of earth humans to elevate us by His sacrificial death and resurrection and glorification. When He returns in Glory, we shall be transformed sharing His Glory – seeing, recognizing and appreciating Jesus Exalted Son of Man in His absolute fullness when we ourselves will be perfected and glorified from all sin forever like our Saving Lord.

*Hebrews 1: in these last days God has spoken to us not merely by prophet but “by Son”.

Other texts:

• You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
• God has given him authority to judge seeing that he is the Son of Man.
• Work for food that lasts to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you.
• Unless you eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, you have no (eternal) life in you.
• The Son of Man has no place to rest his head.
• The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.
• You will not finish preaching through all Israel’s cities before the Son of Man comes.
• The Son of Man came eating and drinking and critics say, ‘Here is a gluttonous man and drunkard, a friendly companion of tax-collectors and sinners.’
• I tell you, one greater than the temple is here. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
• Do you believe in the Son of Man?
• As Jonah was three days and nights in the sea-animal-belly, so the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the heart of the earth. And one greater than Jonah is here. One greater than King Solomon (royal Son of David) is here.
• The seed-sower is the Son of Man and the good seed is the sons of the Kingdom. At the end of the age, the Son of Man will have his angels uproot out of his Kingdom all that causes sin and evildoing sons of the enemy.
• Who do people say the Son of Man is?
• The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom in place of many.
• Pray that you will be able to stand on that day before the Son of Man.
• The Son of Man is coming in his Father’s glory with his angels to reward people according to their deeds. Truly I say, some standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.
• Now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself (showing the kind of death he would die.)

*** The Son of Man is God’s Man who happens to also be Man’s God. ***