Anchor My Faith

The Son of Man

Scripture: John 9:35-37

We ended the previous lesson and section with the Pharisees excommunicating the former blind man from the synagogue. ^{Jn 9:35} “Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”’

For fear of the Pharisees the parents of the former blind man had forsaken him, and those who should have been shepherding the sheep of the flock of Israel, had excommunicated him from the synagogue. In this case the words of Psalm 27:10 were fulfilled (ESV): “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” Jesus, the good shepherd, finds the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

Up to this point the former blind man believed that Jesus had the power to heal him and that he must therefore be a prophet. He believed in accordance to the light he had received from God and by his response, indicates that he was prepared to receive more.

To the question asked, the man ^{Jn 9:36} [answers], “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, ³⁷ “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” What is the meaning of the title “Son of Man?”

It is commonly held that the title “Son of God” implies the deity of Jesus whereas the title “Son of Man” implies his humanity. As a human being, Jesus was the son of man, but he was the Son of God in that he has always existed as the eternal Son who came from the Father.

To be both God and man, Jesus had to have a special conception; he could not have an earthly father, or he would be simply another man. Jesus had a human father by adoption but was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary and is thus fully human. Jesus was one person, but he had two natures; he is both divine (his father was God) and human (his mother was Mary).

A further investigation of the title “Son of Man” reveals that it implies more than just his humanity. From Daniel 7:13 – 14, we find that the Son of Man is a very exalted figure: not just a human figure but an exalted figure. This was a common title used by Jesus because Son of Man is an ordinary term for “human being” and raises no offense, but those who knew Daniel 7, could understand the implied authority he had in relationship with the Father.

As the “Son of Man” Jesus continued to open his identity to being the Son of God, gradually, to prevent the people from rising up to make him king; their Messiah. When the time was right, at the end of his ministry, Jesus made it clear that he was the Son of God, to which the authorities rose up with the people and crucified him on a cross.

The former blind man wants to believe, but doesn’t know who to believe in. Jesus explains to him that it is he who in the Son of Man. In the next lesson we will see how the man responds to this revelation.

Conclusion

The blind man saw Jesus as a man when he first met, but after gaining his sight he upgrades the status of man to that of prophet. After being forsaken by his parents and excommunicated from the synagogue, Jesus comes to him and begins the upgrade process of going from prophet to Son of Man.