"The Son of Man"
Jesus never called Himself Jesus, but always “the Son of Man.” His disciples never addressed Him personally as Jesus, but as Teacher, Master, or Lord. Nonetheless, Jesus had been given to us, assuring us that He will be where He belongs. “The Son of Man” is a title on which much scholastic time and ink has been spent. God called Ezekiel “son of man” over 100 times. “Son of man” is simply a way of saying “man” and means “man’s son.” The first words of the New Testament concern Jesus’ Sonship. “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). He is the Son; the true Son of Abraham was Jesus, not Isaac and the true Son of David was not Solomon, but Jesus. He, not Cain or Seth, was the promised son of Eve. “To us a son is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). In Isaiah, the Father sometimes just calls His son “He!” No one need ask who “He” was. All heaven knew. “He” was the only One for the Father. God was a God of love because He loved His Son, from eternity. That is the One He sent on Christmas Day, from the depth of His heart; the Son of His love. There was wonder and excitement in Judea and in the fields of Bethlehem on that first Christmas Day. The very skies were festive, filled with the glittering populace of Heaven, seraph voices resounding at Bethlehem, radiant with happiness, echoing over David’s ancient town like a suburb of glory. But, for us mortals there is equal excitement. “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son, Hail in the time appointed, and His reign on earth begun!” This is the ever-fresh news, the Gospel message. We preach Christ – and if we do not, we betray the world.