Is Jesus really fully human and fully divine?
“Behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.” – Daniel 7:13
Son of Man is found 107 times in the Old Testament, 93 of those in the book of Ezekiel. The term can be friendly, but it’s never flattering.
Its use is consistent throughout the entire O.T. with the exception of Daniel 7:13, where Daniel saw a divine figure brought into God’s presence in a stunning power move, as we see in the next verse (Daniel 7:14): “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Son of Man shows up 85 times in the New Testament, mostly in the Gospels and mostly Jesus using the term for himself.
How can Jesus be the exalted Son of Man who humbles himself on the human plane? That is precisely the point of the Incarnation (Jesus coming to earth in human form). It’s the promise of the Old Testament that God would come to his people and change their destiny.
When we humble ourselves, God exalts us. It’s a hard and fast rule in Scripture. Jesus modeled this spiritual law throughout his life. Son of Man is therefore the perfect title for Jesus. Identifying himself with frail and fragile humans gives space for God alone to exalt him.
That’s why Daniel 7:13 is the only sufficient source for Jesus’s self-designation as Son of Man. It’s a title of humility, to be sure. Yet it’s also the rightful recognition of his role at God’s right hand.
