SUNDAY: THE SON OF MAN By: Manny Man Sansano, Daly City, California, USA *Note: This is Sunday of Lesson 2 entitled, “The Son,” July 5–11, a part of our 3rd quarter Sabbath School Lesson this year of 2014. INTRODUCTION: Our Sunday’s lesson in its conciseness and brevity is succinct and beautiful. Why do we need to elaborate it? Well, for Sabbath School teachers who want to go beyond what is given in the lesson, this is the purpose and intention that we have this kind of study. So, let us do it, because of it. But before I would get into Sunday’s main issue, please allow me to season it with some humor. I would like to share with you some stories about the great man of God by the name of Elder Francis David Nichol, known by his initials as “F.D.N.” in Adventist publications. He was popularly known in his time, not because he aimed for fame and popularity, but rather he was recognized as warm and friendly. Are you somehow familiar with his name? Just in case you are not, now you would be, and I hope you will like the man as I do. 1. FRANCIS DAVID NICHOL & HIS “YOUNG MAN” Adventist scholar-theologian FD Nichol (1897–1966), leader, author, founder and first pastor of the Hyattsville SDA Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, and remembered as a long time editor-in-chief of the Review and Herald (from 1945 to 1966 at which time he was editor-in-chief of the SDA Bible Commentary), and also recalled as chairperson of the Ellen G. White Estate (from 1963 to 1966), had a particular expression he was fond of using once in a while, when addressing ministerial colleagues or others, who were younger than he was. His fond expression was either “young man” or “young men” among others. 1) K. WOOD: In the 256 pages inspirational book entitled “His Initials Were F.D.N.” written by husband and wife authors Miriam and Kenneth Wood as their loving tribute to Elder Nichol for his fond memory as their friend and mentor in publishing ministry, the co-author himself Elder K. Wood, who succeeded Elder Nichol as editor-in-chief after serving for 21 years, recalled (in page 11) the very first moments he appeared at the Review for a personal interview with his would-be “editor-in-chief” F.D.N. Elder Nichol began, “I want you to know young man” – and it was the first time Elder Wood was addressed that way as “young man,” and only the first time since Elder Nichol, as he said, considered all his younger associates as mere callow (inexperienced) youths – “I want you to know that there’s nothing glamorous about this job.” The job being referred to is the job of being a writer and an editor. 2) D.F. NEUFELD: Another one told in the same book (in page 145), during the days when the SDA Bible Commentary was still underway, as recalled by Elder Don F. Neufeld, he (Neufeld) and Elder Raymond F. Cottrell (both editors of the commentary) have agreed to show up at the Review headquarters as early as 4 o’clock “each” morning. But no matter when they arrived, Elder Nichol’s light, as he said, was shining through his glass door. They would grit their teeth and tiptoe down the hall, hoping to get started so that Elder Nichol would assume they had been there all the time. But before long, Elder Nichol would appear in their doorway and boom, “Where were you when I arrived this morning?” Elder Neufeld would smile as he thought of those dark winter mornings, with snow sifting down, and the soft summer mornings, with sleepy birds calling, and recalled how Elder Nichol would shake his head in pseudo grief and lament, “The thing that saddens me is that today’s young men just can’t ‘take it’.” 3) THE TAX MAN: And last one, one day Elder Nichol was at the Internal Revenue Bureau, and the tax man was unable to grasp the type of individual he was dealing with. When he noticed that Elder Nichol was a “minister,” a “writer,” a “pastor,” and an “editor,” the tax man asked fretfully, “Now just what are you specifically?” “Young man,” Elder Nichol answered, “I’m a minister!” And for that he got a “No, you’re not. You’re just a writer!” The word “just” was too much. Drawing himself to his full height, Elder Nichol (as told in page 159) announced in ringing tones, “Brother, I can marry you or burry you. Now tell me, am I a minister?” That settled the matter. That was Elder Nichol a scholar and a great man, warmhearted, with humor, and remembered for his being nice and friendly. Do you have your own fond expression? Jesus, while on earth, was fond of designating the expression “Son of Man” unto Himself. Where did He get that expression, and what is the meaning of that? 2. THE “SON OF MAN” AS THE “HUMANITY” OF CHRIST 1) “SON OF MAN,” AN “ENIGMATIC” TITLE: According to our Sabbath School Lesson, the title “Son of Man,” which occurs more than 80 times in the New Testament, is used by Jesus with the purpose of emphasizing His full humanity. To be exact it is found 88 times, and nearly 100% of its usages came from Jesus Himself, who most frequently applied the title unto Himself. The only 4 exceptions that did not come from Jesus, but are still direct references to Him from others, are found in John 12:34 (by the multitude), in Acts 7:56 (by Stephen), and in Revelation 1:13 and 14:14 (by John). What is significant about this title? For one thing, this title is “enigmatic” or “mysterious” in the sense that nobody directly addressed this title to Jesus. Another thing is Jesus did not explain what it means, and also His disciples did not explain it. It can only be assumed that people in His days, based on their orientations, must have understood its meaning. Where did this title originate from? 2) “SON OF MAN” FROM “QUMRAN”: In the caves of Qumran not too far from the Dead Sea, among the numerous volumes of very valuable “inter-testamental” religious literatures called the “Dead Sea Scrolls” that were found, is a piece of literature entitled “The Fragment of First Enoch.” What is the significance of this non-inspired and yet valuable piece of archeological find? Its significance among others is that it has passages that mention the “Son of Man” as a “Messianic” figure (1 Enoch 46:1-4; 48:2-10), a title which is exactly the same as the one that Jesus applied unto Himself. Could it be possible that the mysterious title “Son of Man” that Jesus had used originated from “The Fragment of First Enoch?” What can be said about that? Well, while that is a good question, the thing that we can say about it is that this piece of non-inspired literature, while being valuable in some ways (just like the others that reflect the deepest hope of the Jewish people during those terrible days) could not be used as a primary reference for the origin of the title used by Jesus. Its value is that we have a piece of information that tells us that this title parallels the one found in the New Testament scripture. While the title “Son of Man” is common in the Old Testament, we can safely conclude that the title found in “First Enoch” originated rather from the OT, and not the other way around. This will bring us back farther to the Old Testament period. 3) “SON OF MAN” AS “FULLY HUMAN”: This Semitic (Hebrew) idiomatic expression was common in the Old Testament scripture, and with one exception, it always referred to a human being. We can find examples of this use from the Pentateuch, the Poetic Books, and the Prophets. Here are a few examples: 1) Numbers 23:19, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it” (ESV)? 2) Job 35:8, “Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man” (ESV). 3) Jeremiah 49:18, “As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the Lord, no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn in her” (ESV). 4) Ezekiel 37:3, “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know’” (ESV). What does the Scripture say about the “human” nature of Jesus? There are many that we can cite, but we will provide only a few that would be necessary at this point in time. Let’s check this out. 4) “HUMANITY” OF CHRIST: There are two things about the humanity of Christ: 1) He became human, and 2) He manifested human traits. The following passages of Scripture would give us some highlights on the “humanity” of Christ. 1) Jesus Became Flesh: By becoming flesh that means that He was born of the flesh, born as a baby (John 1:14; 2 John 7; 1 John 4:2; Luke 2:40, 52; Romans 1:3). He had flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14; Luke 24:39). He had siblings (Matthew 13:55, 56). 2) Jesus’ Human Characteristics: He became hungry and thirsty (Matthew 4:2; John 19:28). He ate (Matthew 9:11). He grew (Matthew 4:2). He became tired (John 4:5-6). He slept (Luke 8:23). He agonized (Luke 22:44). He experienced sorrow and distress (Matthew 26:37). He felt compassion (Matthew 9:36). He wept (John 11:35; Luke 19:41). According to our lesson, because Jesus looked just like any other human beings, many of the people in His days “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).” And why did they do that to Him? It was because to such people as our lesson says “He was just another human being.” Aside from the fact that the “Son of Man” refers to the “humanity,” what else does it mean? It also means the “humiliation” of Christ. While our lesson does not say this, yet it is implied in Christ’s as being “human.” 5) “HUMILIATION” OF CHRIST: Did we ever think that the title “Son of Man” was a “glamorous” (“charming”) title of Christ? In the book of Job the expression “Son of Man” is equated with being a “maggot” or a “worm.” Job 25:6, “how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm” (ESV)! When Jesus became a “Son of Man” that’s what He became, a “maggot,” or a “worm” just like us sinners, who are “maggots” and “worms” due to our nature as sinful. Jesus stripped and emptied Himself of His heavenly glory, and became just like one of us sinful human beings though He was without sin (John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22). This implies that being a “Son of Man” means more than just taking on human nature, because it made Christ to fully assume our own “humiliation,” our “shame,” our “abasement,” that is, our very “degraded nature.” Even physically, Jesus became devoid of external beauty. “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2b). What else does the “Son of Man” mean according to the Scripture? Let’s take a look at it in terms of the “suffering” of Christ. 6) “SUFFERING” OF CHRIST: In Matthew 17:22-23 Jesus associated His title “Son of Man” with “suffering” in an effort to redeem us from sin. This is what He said, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (ESV; Mark 9:31; Luke 9:44). Read Isaiah 52 to 53 and you will see Jesus portrayed as a “suffering servant,” who suffered “death” (53:12). In 53:3-4, it is said, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (ESV). “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (v 5a). “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted” (v 7a). Daniel also said the same thing, when he depicted Jesus as the one, who would be “cut off,” that is, the one who will die for our sins (9:26). 7) “SON OF MAN,” A “TECHNICAL” TITLE: The title “Son of Man” has some technicality. It occurs with the definite article “the,” and also without it. Nonetheless, it means the same, because both refer to Jesus. However, the significance of the one with the definite article is that it makes the title particularly and exclusively referring to Jesus only. And that is true, because it never occurred in Christian writings outside of the New Testament. It was only Jesus, who applied such title to Himself and no one else did. Another technicality is that, it is observed that after His resurrection Jesus did not apply such title to Himself anymore. Three of the four exceptions mentioned earlier was made by others: Acts 7:56 (by Stephen), and Revelation 1:13 and 14:14 (by John). According to our lesson the title “Son of Man” also indicates that Jesus is the “Messiah” or the “Anointed One.” What does that imply? Being the “Messiah” it implies the “divinity” of Jesus. So, the “Son of Man” has dual meaning: “humanity” and “divinity” of Jesus. Let’s take a look at his “divine” side. 3. THE “SON OF MAN” AS THE “DIVINITY” OF CHRIST 1) “SON OF MAN” AS “MESSIAH”: According to our lesson the idea that the “Son of Man” means the “Messiah” comes from Daniel 7:13-14. It says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (ESV). The Jews in the times of Jesus were acquainted with Daniel 7:13-14, because they were a prophetic people. Take a look at the terminology of this passage: “One like a Son of Man,” “with the clouds of heaven,” “to the Ancient of days,” and “given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (ESV). The Jews identified all these elements with the coming “Messiah.” Since the time of Adam and Eve they were waiting for the “Messiah.” Our lesson states, “So, when Jesus used this title, He was revealing, in a half-concealed way, that He was also the promised Messiah, the incarnate Christ.” But as our lesson says, “Unfortunately, they failed to perceive that there is more to be found in this title.” With their knowledge of the prophecy the Jews to whom Jesus revealed Himself as “Son of Man” would have understood the title as a reference to His humanity as well as to His divinity as the “Messiah.” While Jesus was fully human (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7), He was also fully divine (John 1:1; Colossians 1:28; Philippians 2:5-11). That’s the significance of his title. 2) DANIEL 7:13-14 AND JESUS: Here’s a question from our lesson. It says “Read Matthew 24:30, 25:31, 26:64. What elements in Jesus’ words recorded in these verses are reminiscent of Daniel 7:13, 14?” Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (ESV). Matthew 24:30, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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” (ESV). Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne” (ESV). Matthew 26:64, “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (ESV). The common elements among these texts are the following: 1) clouds of heaven, 2) son of man, 3) dominion, glory, kingdom, right hand, glorious throne, and power. What do these common elements indicate? It indicates that the description of the “Son of Man” in Daniel 7:13-14 fits the description that Jesus said about Himself. 3) JESUS AS THE “MESSIAH”: Now, lastly in this section, what is the meaning of the word “Messiah?” It comes from the Hebrew word “mashiach” whose equivalent in Greek is “Christos” and in English “Christ.” It means the “Anointed One” or the “Chosen One.” In the Old Testament times anointing someone with oil separates that someone for a particular holy purpose like “prophet” (1 Kings 19:16), “priest” (Leviticus 8:12), or “king” (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13). But aside from such especial people it was predicted that the coming Deliverer would be a “Messiah,” an “Anointed One” or a “Chosen One” (Isaiah 42:1; 61:1-3) That prediction found fulfillment in Jesus as the “Messiah” (Luke 4:17-21; John 4:25-26). And there are texts that made it clear: 1) “These [miracles] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). 2) “Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16). As a “Messiah” Jesus is a “Prophet” (John 1:1-18; 14:24; Luke 24:19), a “Priest” (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14), and a “King” (John 18:36; Ephesians 1:20-23; Revelation 19:16). The Jews in the days of Jesus expected that the “Messiah” would be their deliver from political bondage, but after the resurrection the disciples understood that the role of the Messiah was first to deliver the people human from sin (John 8:31-36; 12:32), and only then that He will deliver God’s people from their enemies according to such prediction in Isaiah 9:1-7. 4. APPLICATION QUESTIONS According to our lesson, “Why is it so important for us to know that Jesus was fully human? What implications does His full humanity have for our salvation? What implications does it have for our daily lives, especially in our battles with temptation and sin?” 1) Knowing that Jesus was fully human can make us feel totally confident that He can fully “empathize [or sympathize] with our weaknesses” based on Hebrews 4:15. 2) In terms of salvation, while the necessity that He had to become human so that He could make an atonement by dying for ours sin implies that we have the assurance of eternal life in our own hands since He was able to successfully do that out of His love for us. 3) And being human, the victory of Jesus over temptations and sin (tempted yet without sin, Hebrews 4:15) is a powerful encouragement for us that by God’s grace we too can also win over temptations and sin just like Jesus. SUMMARY: In a nut shell, the title “Son of Man” indicates that Jesus was truly human and at the same time truly divine (“Messiah,” the “Anointed One”). This title, however, entails His greatest “sacrificing humility” as human. This is made clear in Philippians 2:5-8 that says, “5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (ESV). Such was Jesus the awesome “Son of Man!”
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 07:12:36 +0000