When people introduce themselves, they often use titles that communicate something about who they are—words like “Professor,” “Doctor,” “Pastor,” “Colonel”, etc. Even on social media, we invent titles to serve as avatars of identity.
Jesus carried many titles as well—Prince of Peace, Messiah, Son of David, Son of God, Teacher. But the title Jesus used for Himself more than any other was “Son of Man.”
At first glance, “Son of Man” sounds quite ordinary. It appears frequently in the Old Testament, often just referring to a human being. But Jesus used it with deep and deliberate meaning.
One of the most important places this title appears is in the Book of Daniel, which Jesus often quoted in his teachings. Specifically, “Son of Man” appears in Daniel 7, where Daniel sees a vision of four terrifying beasts—symbols of kingdoms that will rise and dominate the earth.
Daniel writes, “As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, NLT).
This figure—the Son of Man—would be given eternal power by God Himself. The Jews of Jesus’ day understood this to be a prophecy about the Messiah, the one who would come to bring justice and establish God’s kingdom. But they expected a military leader, someone to crush Rome and restore Israel’s throne.
Then came Jesus, calling Himself the Son of Man—but not leading an army or raising a rebellion. Instead, He healed the sick, forgave sins, and spoke of humility, suffering, and dying.
He used the title in predicting what would happen to Him: “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” He told His disciples. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead” (Mark 8:31, NLT).
This wasn’t what people expected. But it was exactly what was needed.
The real enemy wasn’t Rome—it was sin, which separates all people from a holy God.
As Romans 3:19–23 reminds us, “The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him… We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (NLT).
Jesus, the Son of Man (aka Conquering Messiah), came not just to defeat human empires, but to destroy sin’s grip. He lived a perfect life and died an atoning death to satisfy God’s justice. Then, three days later, God raised Him from the dead, proving that His sacrifice was enough. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, NLT).
By giving His life, Jesus secured the hope Daniel saw: a kingdom that will never end. And when He returns, His glory won’t be hidden. He said, “And then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26, NLT), and “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31, NLT).
But that day will also be a day of judgment. “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds” (Matthew 16:27, NLT).
The eternal irony is that Jesus was rejected because He wasn’t the Son of Man they expected—but He became the Son of Man the world truly needed.
Because He suffered and died, He opened the way for all people—Jew and Gentile—to enter His eternal kingdom.
Now, through repentance and faith in Him, the separation caused by sin is removed.
And Daniel’s vision? It’s not just possible—it’s inevitable for those who trust in Christ.
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/chronicle/?category=Bible%20Study