Jesus Said, "For The Son of Man Is [Indeed] Lord Of the Sabbath." - Part 1630

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

Who is the Son of man? This is a question that surfaces from time to time, oft causing confusion among those who profess to believe. Indeed, the supposed complexity around the question itself should motivate us to search the scriptures for the truth. In lieu of this, the following scriptures should provide some insight into the answer to the question. For starters, please note that Jesus Himself asked His disciples this very same question in Matthew 16:13-17 -- "But whom say ye that I am?" -- thus, its importance.

Before getting too deep, we should note that the term 'Son of man' is used 85+ times in the gospels -- Matthew 32, Mark 15, Luke 26, and John 12. In the new testament, the term 'Son of man' is always used by Jesus (in reference to Himself) with the exception of John 12:34; when the people repeat Jesus' statement as a question -- "The Son of man must be lifted up?"

Note also that Jesus Himself said, "For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath." (Matthew 12:8) In Mark, Jesus tells the Pharisees -- "... the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." In the latter example, the Pharisees are saying to Jesus concerning the disciples: "Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful."

How did Jesus respond? "Have ye never read, what David did, when he had need and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abithar the high priest, and did eat the shew bread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?" And He said unto them, "The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. Therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (Mark 2:23-28; I Samuel 21:1-6)

In the similar fashion, Peter (standing with the eleven) on the day of Pentecost declared: "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36) It is herein that the people were pricked in their hearts, having now understood who Jesus was -- both Lord and Christ.

And, as prophesied regarding the last days --"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30)

Nevertheless, to understand Jesus describing Himself as the Son of man, we need to delve further into the scriptures. One example whereby Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of man is when He heals the man sick of the palsy. Certain of the scribes at the time were reasoning in their hearts, asking, "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" And immediately, when Jesus perceived in His Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, "thy sins be forgiven thee" or, to say, "Arise and take up thy bed and walk? But that ye many know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins ... I say unto thee, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." (Mark 2:6-11)

As a notable aside, this should have been easy for the scribes to understand, given that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, " ... for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His Name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins ... Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:20-23)

This statement is in perfect keeping with Luke 19:10, wherein Jesus said to Zacchaeus -- "This day is salvation come to this house, for as much as He also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

Indeed, throughout Jesus' ministry on earth, He told of the things to come concerning the Son of man.

"And He began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." (Mark 8:31; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 20:19)

This understanding of the identity of the Son of man is further clarified in Mark 9:31 -- "For He taught His disciples and said unto them, "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day."

Again in Mark 10:33-34, Jesus said: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him and shall kill Him; and the third day He shall rise again."

Given what transpired, there is no doubt that these new testament citations refer specifically to Jesus. Moreover, in reference to Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Jesus said, "The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born." (Matthew 26:24; Luke 17:1; John 17:12)

Yes, Jesus the Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and He was (as He Himself described) the Son of man. (I Corinthians 15:3)

But that is not all. In Daniel, we also see the term Son of man used in prophecy. That is to say, "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him 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 that which shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)

Is this beginning to sound familiar?

Before Jesus shed His precious holy blood on the cross, He said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:30; Daniel 7:13-14; Ezekiel 32:7)

And, again in Matthew 25:31: "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." -- "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first ... and so shall we ever be with the Lord!" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17; I Corinthians 15:52)

Yes, we are definitely getting ahead of ourselves here! When Jesus was led away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled, Jesus spoke the same. That is, "thou hast said. Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:63)

"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." (Mark 13:26) And Jesus said, "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62) "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:27) "Hereafter, shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God." (Luke 22:69)

Why so many scriptural accounts? Because in this current dispensation of grace -- the last days, God hath given all things into His hand so that those who believe on the Son -- JESUS -- shall have everlasting life. (John 3:35-36) As Jesus said -- "ALL power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)

Christ the first fruits; afterward, they are Christ's at His coming -- then [cometh] the end, when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom of God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power. For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under [Him], then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." (I Corinthians 15:23-28; Ephesians 1:22; Philippians 2:9-11)

No longer will Jesus describe Himself as the Son of man, but instead as John describes Jesus in the book of Revelation -- "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

In the isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind him a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last ..." (Revelation 1:11)

And those that pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him ... And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, [One] like unto the Son of man!" (Revelation 1:6-8, 11, 13) "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [One] sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle." (Revelation 14:14; Revelation 11:15)

More to this point -- Jesus said, "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divides His sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.

Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, "Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?"

And the King shall answer and say unto them, "Verily I say unto you, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not."

Then shall they also answer Him, saying, "Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" Then shall He answer them, saying, "Verily I say unto you -- Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me." And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:31-46)

It is herein that we begin to see why Jesus hid His glory from the people: "And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man, Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice ..." (John 5:27-28)

In the parable that Jesus taught, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man. (Matthew 13:1-23, 37) When Jesus took unto Him the twelve, He said unto them, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spitted on: and they shall scourge [Him] and put Him to death, and the third day, He shall rise again." (Luke 18:31-33)

Of course, at the time, the disciples understood none of these things, "and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18:34; Luke 2:50) Jesus had already asked the question -- "Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8; Hebrews 10:37)

Still, Jesus said to be comforted when people hate us and separate us from their company, reproaching us, casting out our name as evil -- and to do this "for the Son of man's sake." (Luke 6:22)

From the many cited scriptures above, we know that the Son of man would soon be betrayed and suffer on the cross, giving His life as a ransom for many. But His promise to those who believe and are baptized in His precious Name does not end there. Indeed, we know that it would be "the Son of man" who would sit on the throne of glory, from which He would draw all men unto Him.

And in the end, the Son of man would come in the clouds of heaven for His chosen people. Those believers who pressed toward the mark which is Christ Jesus, even when the Lord knew He would find little faith on the earth. Why? Because those who were called and ordained by our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ know the true identity of the Son of man.

His glory can no longer be hid because the Lord Himself came forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6) Although the Jewish did not recognize who Jesus was -- or, that "He was in the world and the world was made by Him but the world knew Him not" -- Jesus still reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the prophesied Christ -- the Messiah that John the baptist pointed to as the One who comes after him, who will baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (John 1:33)

The very same Christ that abides for ever. Incline your ear, saith the Lord, and come unto Me and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David. "My covenant will stand fast with Him. His seed also will I make to [endure] for ever, and His throne as the days of heaven." (Psalms 89:28-29; Isaiah 55:3)

"The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek," (Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5:6-10; Hebrews 6:20; Zechariah 6:13)

"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God." Above when He said, "Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein], which are offered by the law; then said He, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all." (Hebrews 10:1-10)

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come ..." (Hebrews 10:1)

Jesus responded to the Sadducees which said there is no resurrection. Jesus said, "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?" (Mark 12:24) The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. 

And this very same God loved us enough to clothe Himself in a human body -- as the Son of man - so that we might have life more abundantly. Yes, Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16)

Jesus said, "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 21:28; John 13:4; Philippians 2:6-; Luke 22:27; Isaiah 53:10-12; Daniel 9:24-26; Romans 5:15, 19)

That He did on a cross He did not deserve. The Lord of glory having come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13) 

Let those with ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.

P.S. More scriptural references regarding the Son of man can be found in Ezekiel -- the priest who saw the visions of God ... and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. (Ezekiel 1:1-3) We will examine these in context another day in the near future. In the interim, be blessed!