02 the son

The SonLesson 2

Key Text

“ ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His

life a ransom for many’ ”Mark 10:45

THE DUAL NATURE OF

JESUS

The Son of man

Completely human

He revealed His messianic

mission

The Son of God

Completely divine

He revealed His divinity

After more than two years of

public ministry, Jesus asked

His disciples: “ ‘Who do men

say that I, the Son of Man,

am?’ ” (Matt. 16:13, NKJV). It

was not difficult for them to

report what they had heard

people saying about Jesus.

More challenging, however,

was Jesus’ next question: “

‘But who do you say that I

am?’ ” (vs. 15, NKJV). Now it

became a personal issue.

Jesus did not ask their

opinions about His external

appearance or about His

character traits. His question,

instead, went to the essence of

Jesus’ very being. It required

the disciples to express their

individual conviction and faith.

Sooner or later everyone has

to answer this same

question. Each has to decide,

individually, who Jesus is. It

doesn’t help to repeat what

other people say or believe;

the answer must be

genuinely our own personal

belief. And, of course, on that

answer the destiny of every

human being hangs.

This lesson we will seek the

answer on the basis of what

Jesus Himself said and did.

Our aim will be to arrive, by

faith, at the same response

Peter gave: “ ‘You are the

Christ, the Son of the living

God’ ” (16.16)

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” (Matthew 18:11)

Jesus called Himself “Son of Man.”

In the Old Testament, that term was related to human beings.

God called both Ezekiel and Daniel “Son of Man.”

Jesus is also introduced as the “Son of Man” in the book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13; 10:16).

Jesus wanted to highlight that He was completely human. God joined the human family by being born as a man.

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.” (Daniel 7:13)

Jesus never called Himself “Messiah.” Nevertheless, He used the expression “Son of Man” so we could easily connect His work to the messianic mission, like in Daniel 7:13.

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” (Matthew 25:31)

“Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” (Matthew 26:64)

The Son of Man

This title, “the Son of man,”

was Jesus’ favorite

designation for Himself. He

referred to Himself as Son of

man more than eighty times.

Other people never addres-

sed Him that way. He, of

course, selected this special

designation for Himself with

a purpose in mind.

This idiomatic expression was common in the Old Testament. With

just one exception, it always referred to a human; thus, Jesus used it

in order to emphasize His humanity. Scripture presents Jesus as a

true human being. He was born as a baby, grew up as a child

(increasing in wisdom and in stature [Luke 2:40, 52]), and had sisters

and brothers (Matt. 13:55, 56). He ate (Matt. 9:11), slept (Luke 8:23),

was tired (John 4:6), and suffered hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2, John

19:28). He also experienced sorrow and distress (Matt. 26:37).

To the casual observer, Jesus

seemed to be a common man

who walked among the people

as one of the multitude. Many

of His contemporaries did not

recognize in Him anything

more than a man (John 7:46).

People treated Him as one of

them; they laughed at Him

(Luke 8:53), criticized Him

(Matt. 11:19), even mocked

and beat Him (Luke 22:63). To

them, He was just another

human being.

Unfortunately, they failed to perceive that there is more to be found in this

title. According to Daniel 7:13 and 14, “ ‘One like the Son of Man’ ” came

with the clouds of heaven “ ‘to the Ancient of days,’ ” and received eternal

dominion, glory, and a kingdom. The Jews identified this Son of man with

the Messiah. So, when Jesus used this title, He was revealing, in a half-

concealed way, that He was also the promised Messiah, the incarnate

Christ.

Jesus came to restore what man had lost in Eden.

MAN

He lost his relationship with God

He lost his holiness

He lost his home

He lost the eternal life

JESUS

He restored our relationship with the Father (John 1:51)

He forgives our sins and teaches us how to live our lives

(Matthew 26:28; 1 Peter 2:21)

He is preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3)

He gives us eternal life (John 3:16)

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”(Luke 19:10)

Christ’s Mission

After considering who Jesus was, we are in a better position to understand

what He came to do for us. Satan made accusations against God. In order to

meet those accusations, Jesus came to represent the Father’s character

and to correct the false concept that many had developed about the

Godhead. He wanted us to know God, because to know Him is

indispensable in order to have eternal life (John 17:3).

However, we need more

than knowledge to be

saved. We need God to

provide us a Savior,

which is precisely the

meaning of the name

Jesus: Yahweh is salva-

tion (Matt. 1:21).

Jesus described His

mission in very clear

terms: “ ‘The Son of

Man has come to seek

and to save that which

was lost’ ” (Luke 19:10,

NKJV).

In Eden, humans lost their relationship with God, lost their holiness, lost

their home, and lost eternal life. Jesus came to restore everything: He

reestablishes our relationship with the Father (John 1:51); He forgives us our

sins (Matt. 26:28); He gives us an example of how to live (1 Pet. 2:21); and, of

course, He gives us eternal life (John 3:16).

“The great condescension on the part

of God is a mystery beyond our fatho-

ming. The greatness of the plan cannot

be fully comprehended, nor could

infinite wisdom devise a plan that

would surpass it. It could be success-

ful only by...

Christ becoming man, and

suffering the wrath which sin has made because of

the transgression of God’s law.

Through this plan the great, the dreadful God can be

just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in

Jesus, and who receive Him as their personal

Saviour. This is the heavenly science of redemption,

of saving men from eternal ruin.”

E.G.W. (God’s Amazing Grace, June 2)

Reflection:

Look around at our world and the fate of us all in this world.

If everything ended in the grave, what hope would we have?

We would have none at all, were it not for the plan of salvation.

How, then, can we show our gratitude to God for what He has done for us in Christ?

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)

Both angels and men asserted that Jesus is the Son of God.

Gabriel. Luke 1:35.

John the Baptist. John 1:34.

Nathanael. John 1:49.

The disciples. Mathew 14:33.

Martha. John 11:27.

The Jews understood that Jesus was declaring Himself God when using that title: “…Do you say… ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:36; see John 10:33)

The complete unity of Jesus and the Father includes a mutual and perfect knowledge of Each Other: a unity of will, purpose, and objectives. Moreover, it includes a unity of nature. The Son and the Father are Two Persons but of the same nature (“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30)

“The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’” (John 10:33)

Jesus gradually unveiled His divinity during His ministry.

He claimed He could

forgive sins

“When He saw their faith, He

said to him, ‘Man, your

sins are forgiven

you.’”(Luke 5:20)

He could resurrect the

dead

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to

them, even so the Son gives life to whom

He will.”(John 5:21)

He named himself “I AM”

“Jesus said to them,

‘Most assuredly, I say to you,

before Abraham

was, I AM.’”(John 8:58)

He stated He already was

with God before the world was

created

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together

with Yourself, with the glory

which I had with You

before the world was.”

(John 17:5)

He accepted to be

worshipped

“Then he said, ‘Lord, I

believe!’ And he

worshiped Him.”

(John 9:38)

“At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was

among the witnesses. He saw the Fa-

ther’s glory overshadowing His Son.

He heard the voice of Jehovah testi-

fying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever

since Adam’s sin, the human race

had been cut off from direct commu-

nion with God; the intercourse bet-

ween heaven and earth had been through Christ; but

now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful

flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had

before communicated with humanity through Christ;

now He communicated with humanity in Christ.”

E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 12, pg. 116)

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