Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Across the Pastor’s Desk by Nancy Overgaard

One of the curious titles Jesus became known by during his earthly ministry is the Son of Man.

That designation seems especially meaningful as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus and contemplate the mystery of the incarnation — Jesus as both fully human and fully divine.

In its simplest sense, “son of man” was an idiom or figure of speech used in the Old Testament to refer to a human being.

In Psalms, son of man was used a few times as a poetic parallel or synonym for man.

In the book of Ezekiel, son of man was used many times to address the person and prophet Ezekiel. Some say that may have been to contrast the humanity of Ezekiel with the divinity of God.

The expression son of man was also used in Jeremiah as a synonym for man.

When I lived in Israel, I often heard that phrase used in modern Hebrew to refer to a person or even a child. So for me, that common use seems natural.

Though modern Hebrew is not the same as Biblical Hebrew, it was formed from Biblical Hebrew, and that expression carried over.

Nevertheless, son of man was also used in a highly-specialized sense throughout the Gospels of the New Testament in a way that refers only to Jesus.

Used this way only by Jesus, one thing that sets it apart is the use of the definite article — the Son of Man rather than simply son of man.

Moreover, Jesus filled this cryptic title with special meaning by everything he said about himself, using it eighty times.

Some divide these sayings into three categories, and though they do not all fit neatly into one category, this grouping is helpful. In these, Jesus tells us much about himself.

The first set relates to the earthly ministry of Jesus. For example, in Mark 2:10, Jesus spoke of his authority to forgive sins: “I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

In Mark 10:45, Jesus spoke of the nature and purpose of his ministry. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. The verse merges into the second set: everything Jesus foretold about his suffering, death and resurrection.

Mark 8:31 is just one of many examples:

“Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.”

The third set concerns what Jesus said will happen in the future when he returns in glory.

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” — Mark 13:26.

“And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” — Mark 16:62.

Here, things get interesting as those descriptions mirror the Old Testament image that many believe form the background for Jesus’ use of the Son of Man to refer to himself:

“In my vision at night, I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” — Daniel 7:13-14.

As I look back on my time of working with children in Israel forty years ago, I regret thinking of them only as the children they were at the time; not as the adults they would become. I often wonder if some are now army officers, political leaders, research scientists, doctors, nurses or other professionals, as well as mothers and fathers. Had I thought more about who they would become, I would have treated them with greater respect. This Christmas, as we remember the birth of Jesus, let us not forget the fullness of who he is — and give him all the honor due him.

Nancy Overgaard is a member of the Freeborn County Ministerial Association.