As I have highlighted before, the Gospel of Mark shows us that Jesus is the Son of God. Interestingly, this title for Jesus appears in the opening verse of the book (1:1) and then at the key moments of Jesus’s baptism (1:11), transfiguration (9:7), and crucifixion (15:39), but this is not a title that Jesus uses for himself. Rather, the most common title that Jesus uses when referencing himself is “Son of Man,” which appears 14 times in this short book (2:10, 28; 8:31, 38, 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33, 45; 13:26; 14:21 [2x], 41, 62).
Many people think that this title of Jesus is used to emphasize Jesus’s humanity, so that the twin titles of “Son of God” and “Son of Man” reflect and affirm the central Christian belief that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. This doctrine is definitely grounded in the description of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, as it shows Jesus doing things that only God can do like calming storms (4:35-41), raising the dead (4:35-43), and walking on water (6:45-52), but also having human emotions (see e.g., 1:41; 3:5; 6:6, 34; 10:14), including anxiety about his death in the Garden of Gethsemane (14:33-34). However, when you explore the background and meaning of the title “Son of Man,” it becomes clear that this title itself actually points to Jesus’s divinity and humanity, showing him as having divine qualities but also being in the form of a human.
What Did This Title Mean?
The phrase “Son of Man” appears in various places in the Old Testament, creating the background through which we should understand this title.
At times, it is used simply to refer to a human being, as the expression “son of X” is typically a statement that emphasizes some quality of the person that is defined by whatever word is the “X.” Among the many places in which “son of man” is used this way, Psalm 8:4 may be the most notable. The Psalms are poetic literature, and Hebrew poetry is filled with what is known as “synonymous parallelism” – where something is said and then the next line says the same thing but in a different way. The term “son of man” appears in the second line of Psalm 8:4 as a parallel to the “human being” in the first part of the verse, showing these to be synonyms. This is just one example of the many times “son of man” is used this way.
The term appears the most in the Old Testament in the Book of Ezekiel, with the prophet Ezekiel often addressed as “son of man” (e.g., Ezekiel 2:1). The frequent use of this title in this book, however, does not mean that Ezekiel was identified as the “son of man,” but rather that he is “a” son of man… he is a human figure serving as a mediator between God and humans but still remains a human. Thus, the use of the term for Ezekiel seems along the same lines as the common use noted above.
However, there is one place in the Old Testament where the term “son of man” seems to be used in a much different way: Daniel 7:13-14. Here one who is “like a son of man” comes on clouds to the Ancient of Days (a title for God) and is 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.” In being “like a son of man,” this figure has human quality, but he also receives the glories that belong to God, comes on the clouds, sits in His presence, and reigns and rules. This figure is thus both humanlike but also godlike! There are indications in Second Temple Jewish writings (particularly the work known as 1 Enoch) that some individuals interpreted this mysterious individual to be a messianic figure. This messianic figure could be labeled as “the Son of Man,” with the definite article (“the”) showing that this is both a particular and an especially prominent figure. It should be recognized, however, that this understanding of the “son of man” likely was not shared or known by all individuals at the time of Jesus (to be honest, very little would be shared or known by all!).
How Did Jesus Use This Title?
When you start to look at the particular ways Jesus uses this term in the Gospel of Mark, you can see its connection to the use in the Book of Daniel.
Jesus refers to the Son of Man twice in the controversies with religious leaders in Mark 2. In verses 1-12, Jesus forgives the sin of the paralytic man, a shocking and potentially blasphemous action (verse 7). Jesus then tells the man to walk to show that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (2:10). Since Jesus has just forgiven the man’s sins, he is referring back to himself as the Son of Man. Just like in Daniel 7, we see the “Son of Man” doing things that God does. A few verses later, Jesus defends his disciples’ actions – and thus his interpretation of what is legal to do – on the Sabbath Day by noting that “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (2:28). Once again, the term is less about his humanity and more about his authority in line and connecting him to the figure of Daniel.
The connection to Daniel is even more clear in Mark 14:62, as Jesus responds to the questions of whether he is “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One.” He affirms it and then quotes Daniel 7:13, which leads to the high priest declaring Jesus has committed blasphemy. Saying that one was the Messiah would not in and of itself be blasphemous. However, by essentially equating himself with this figure from Daniel and declaring that he himself would come on the clouds, Jesus elevates himself above a human leader to this mysterious messianic figure who has the power and qualities of God! Jesus also talks about the Son of Man coming on clouds when discussing the destruction of the temple and Jesus’s return at the end of the age (13:26); thus showing that Jesus is this figure and his return would be the fulfillment of that Daniel 7 vision. A similar reference appears in Mark 8:38, as Jesus speaks about the Son of Man coming in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
The vast majority of Jesus’s use of the Son of Man title in the Gospel of Mark, however, are in reference to his death and resurrection (8:31, 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33, 45; 14:21 [2x], 41). This use would be surprising in that the Son of Man was to be this glorious figure who reigns and rules, not one who suffers and dies. That surprise is likely the point, as he wants to show that he is this powerful figure and he will fulfill the vision through his death and resurrection. Of course, the suffering of this figure would be a shock to the people, which is why he says it over and over again.
Why Did Jesus (But No One Else) Use This Title So Often?
Something else to know about this title is that Jesus is basically the only one who ever used it in the New Testament. It only appears elsewhere in the Bible on the lips of Stephen in Acts 7:56 (when he looks up to heaven), in Hebrews 2:6 (actually quoting and interpreting Psalm 8:4), and then in Revelation 1:13 and 4:14 (which connect back to Daniel 7). Why did Jesus use it so much when no one else did?
As you might suspect, this is greatly debated. That said, I’ll offer what I think makes the most sense (and is not unique to me). There is a sense in which this title, like the parables that Jesus tells, conceals the truth while at the same time revealing who Jesus is (see Mark 4:10-12).
It concealed Jesus’s identity in that, while a messianic title, it was not a common messianic term at the time (like Son of David or Son of God) and thus might not be something that people would immediately recognize when used, especially since “son of man” could also mean different things such as a generic reference to humanity. Using it allowed Jesus to show that the Messiah was even greater than the people expected, but also would suffer and die contrary to their expectations. Now that he had died and rose again, the title Messiah and Son of God can be used more prominently as people will interpret these through the lens of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, so it is not used as often.
At the same time, the title also reveals the reality that Jesus is both human and divine. The description “son of man” is a reminder that Jesus really became one of us, that he was fully man. At the same time, in being THE “Son of Man,” he has this unique and special authority, equal to, but also distinct with God. This title is thus the perfect vehicle to remember both Jesus’s humility and his glory, his humanity and also his divinity.
So let us remember and celebrate that Jesus is the Son of Man who suffered and died. He forgives and has authority now, and will return in glory at the end of the age.
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