Son of Man, Son of God

(Phil. 2:5-9, 2 Pet. 3:14-16, Heb. 1:1-3, Matt. 11:28-30)

One of the amazing, wonderful aspects of God’s love for us and the Good News is that the Son of God took on humanity.  He became fully one of us.  Do we fully believe He is God incarnate, God taking on human flesh?  Paul wrote He emptied Himself.  Peter acknowledged that Paul wrote things hard to understand.  He may not have meant Paul’s words to the Philippians in particular but we can all admit that we cannot of our own thinking explain the incarnation.  It must be believed and known and comes by a revealing by the Spirit.  If we hunger for it, the Lord is pleased to open our eyes.

Many discuss the concept of the three persons of the Godhead.  Our words fail us.  The Lord is the Spirit.  The Father and the Son are one.  Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.”  He used the name that God used for Moses, and those who were blind to the truth were incensed.  He offended their understanding, their identity as spiritual elites. The Bible includes other statements of Jesus identifying Himself as God.  I know that people of good intention have written on the subject of explaining, or considering, the Trinity.  That is of value.  Yet, I would rather help people to meet Jesus for themselves and to go on following Him.

The best comment I have ever heard concerning Jesus’ dual nature was at a Denny’s.  Jesus shows up wherever hearts are seeking Him.  A group of men were having breakfast and fellowship.  I spoke to the elder of the group about these issues and he responded, “It is a mystery and a marvel.”  That is the best, simplest, and yet, profound comment I have ever heard to describe the nature of the Son of God who is the Son of Man.  We understand, He had to be man to represent and literally die in our place so that we might have life that will never die.  And He had to be born as a man by the Spirit so that He would be void of Adam’s sin.  Yet He was tempted in every way as we are but overcame by following the truth.  Back to a mystery and marvel.  My limited mind cannot explain it.  I believe He is all I need spiritually and by the Spirit I receive grace upon grace.  I do not have to, nor can I understand it all.

Jesus most often referred to Himself as the Son of Man.  I have found myself in a word study of the various words used for child and son throughout the New Testament.  John prefers to use the Greek word teknon regarding believers as His children. I understand that word to imply a “born one.”  With true faith in Christ, we are born again to a living hope.  Jesus Christ becomes our hope for all things spiritual, in this life and the age to come.  John also uses the Greek, huios, which infers a mature child, a son, who is prepared to have and exercise authority.  John uses that word when he refers to Christ.  True authority is always in submission to a higher authority.  The Son of Man was subject to earthly authority as well as to our Father in heaven.  It is a mystery that He was always in subjection to His Father as a man, like us, and He knew His purpose, as the Lamb without blemish.  No one compares to Him.  No one.  So, God gave Him all authority and all are now subject to Him.  All means all.  Do we believe that? We are not in control, He is.  When we try to control a situation, we get in the Lord’s way, and typically, we will get stressed.  Jesus calls us to come to Him when we are stressed, or burdened.  There, with Him, we find relief and rest for our souls.  And, He says, to take His yoke on us.  That means we get joined with Him and we learn to walk with Him and handle things in our life His way.  And what did He say in the middle of that passage recorded in Matthew?  “For I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart.”  Jesus is the full expression of God and His nature is not proud and controlling.  God is meek and lowly.  And He is all powerful.  Jesus set that aside to come as the Son of Man.  And He invites us to join with Him as sons alongside Him.