2. Key Text
“ ‘For even the Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many’ ”
Mark 10:45
3. THE DUAL
NATURE OF
JESUS
The Son of
man
Completely
human
He revealed
His messianic
mission
The Son of
God
Completely
divine
He revealed
His divinity
4. After more than two years of
public ministry, Jesus asked
His disciples: “ ‘Who do men
say that I, the Son of Man,
am?’ ” (Matt. 16:13, NKJV). It
was not difficult for them to
report what they had heard
people saying about Jesus.
More challenging, however,
was Jesus’ next question: “
‘But who do you say that I
am?’ ” (vs. 15, NKJV). Now it
became a personal issue.
Jesus did not ask their
opinions about His external
appearance or about His
character traits. His question,
instead, went to the essence of
Jesus’ very being. It required
the disciples to express their
individual conviction and faith.
5. Sooner or later everyone has
to answer this same
question. Each has to decide,
individually, who Jesus is. It
doesn’t help to repeat what
other people say or believe;
the answer must be
genuinely our own personal
belief. And, of course, on that
answer the destiny of every
human being hangs.
This lesson we will seek the
answer on the basis of what
Jesus Himself said and did.
Our aim will be to arrive, by
faith, at the same response
Peter gave: “ ‘You are the
Christ, the Son of the living
God’ ” (16.16)
6. “For the Son of Man has
come to save that which
was lost.” (Matthew 18:11)
Jesus called Himself “Son of Man.”
In the Old Testament, that term
was related to human beings.
God called both Ezekiel and Daniel
“Son of Man.”
Jesus is also introduced as the
“Son of Man” in the book of Daniel
(Daniel 7:13; 10:16).
Jesus wanted to highlight that He
was completely human. God joined
the human family by being born as
a man.
7. “I was watching in the night visions, and behold,
One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds
of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and
they brought Him near before Him.” (Daniel 7:13)
Jesus never called Himself “Messiah.” Nevertheless, He used the
expression “Son of Man” so we could easily connect His work to the
messianic mission, like in Daniel 7:13.
“Then the sign of the Son
of Man will appear in
heaven, 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.”
(Matthew 24:30)
“When the Son of Man
comes in His glory, and
all the holy angels with
Him, then He will sit
on the throne of His
glory.” (Matthew 25:31)
“Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you,
hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of
the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” (Matthew 26:64)
8. The Son of Man
This title, “the Son of man,”
was Jesus’ favorite
designation for Himself. He
referred to Himself as Son of
man more than eighty times.
Other people never addres-
sed Him that way. He, of
course, selected this special
designation for Himself with
a purpose in mind.
This idiomatic expression was common in the Old Testament. With
just one exception, it always referred to a human; thus, Jesus used it
in order to emphasize His humanity. Scripture presents Jesus as a
true human being. He was born as a baby, grew up as a child
(increasing in wisdom and in stature [Luke 2:40, 52]), and had sisters
and brothers (Matt. 13:55, 56). He ate (Matt. 9:11), slept (Luke 8:23),
was tired (John 4:6), and suffered hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2, John
19:28). He also experienced sorrow and distress (Matt. 26:37).
9. To the casual observer, Jesus
seemed to be a common man
who walked among the people
as one of the multitude. Many
of His contemporaries 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). To
them, He was just another
human being.
Unfortunately, they failed to perceive that there is more to be found in this
title. According to Daniel 7:13 and 14, “ ‘One like the Son of Man’ ” came
with the clouds of heaven “ ‘to the Ancient of days,’ ” and received eternal
dominion, glory, and a kingdom. The Jews identified this Son of man with
the Messiah. So, when Jesus used this title, He was revealing, in a half-
concealed way, that He was also the promised Messiah, the incarnate
Christ.
10. Jesus came to restore what man had lost in Eden.
MAN
He lost his relationship with God
He lost his holiness
He lost his home
He lost the eternal life
JESUS
He restored our relationship
with the Father (John 1:51)
He forgives our sins and teaches
us how to live our lives
(Matthew 26:28; 1 Peter 2:21)
He is preparing a place for us
(John 14:1-3)
He gives us eternal life
(John 3:16)
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
(Luke 19:10)
11. Christ’s Mission
After considering who Jesus was, we are in a better position to understand
what He came to do for us. Satan made accusations against God. In order to
meet those accusations, Jesus came to represent the Father’s character
and to correct the false concept that many had developed about the
Godhead. He wanted us to know God, because to know Him is
12. However, we need more
than knowledge to be
saved. We need God to
provide us a Savior,
which is precisely the
meaning of the name
Jesus: Yahweh is salva-
tion (Matt. 1:21).
Jesus described His
mission in very clear
terms: “ ‘The Son of
Man has come to seek
and to save that which
was lost’ ” (Luke 19:10,
NKJV).
In Eden, humans lost their relationship with God, lost their holiness, lost
their home, and lost eternal life. Jesus came to restore everything: He
reestablishes our relationship with the Father (John 1:51); He forgives us our
sins (Matt. 26:28); He gives us an example of how to live (1 Pet. 2:21); and, of
course, He gives us eternal life (John 3:16).
13. “The great condescension on the part
of God is a mystery beyond our fatho-
ming. The greatness of the plan cannot
be fully comprehended, nor could
infinite wisdom devise a plan that
would surpass it. It could be success-
ful only by...
Christ becoming man, and
suffering the wrath which sin has made because of
the transgression of God’s law.
Through this plan the great, the dreadful God can be
just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in
Jesus, and who receive Him as their personal
Saviour. This is the heavenly science of redemption,
of saving men from eternal ruin.”
E.G.W. (God’s Amazing Grace, June 2)
14. Reflection:
Look around at our world and the fate of us all
in this world.
If everything ended in the grave, what hope
would we have?
We would have none at all, were it not for the
plan of salvation.
How, then, can we show our gratitude to God
for what He has done for us in Christ?
15. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)
Both angels and men asserted that Jesus is the Son of God.
Gabriel. Luke 1:35.
John the Baptist. John 1:34.
Nathanael. John 1:49.
The disciples. Mathew 14:33.
Martha. John 11:27.
The Jews understood that Jesus was declaring
Himself God when using that title: “…Do you say…
‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son
of God’?” (John 10:36; see John 10:33)
The complete unity of Jesus and the Father includes a mutual and perfect
knowledge of Each Other: a unity of will, purpose, and objectives. Moreover, it
includes a unity of nature. The Son and the Father are Two Persons but of the
same nature (“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30)
16. “The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For
a good work we do not stone You, but
for blasphemy, and because You, being
a Man, make Yourself God.’” (John 10:33)
Jesus gradually unveiled His divinity during His ministry.
He claimed
He could
forgive sins
“When He
saw their
faith, He
said to him,
‘Man, your
sins are
forgiven
you.’”
(Luke 5:20)
He could
resurrect the
dead
“For as the
Father raises
the dead and
gives life to
them, even so
the Son gives
life to whom
He will.”
(John 5:21)
He named
himself
“I AM”
“Jesus said
to them,
‘Most
assuredly, I
say to you,
before
Abraham
was, I AM.’”
(John 8:58)
He stated He
already was
with God
before the
world was
created
“And now, O
Father, glorify
Me together
with Yourself,
with the glory
which I had
with You
before the
world was.”
(John 17:5)
He accepted
to be
worshipped
“Then he
said, ‘Lord, I
believe!’
And he
worshiped
Him.”
(John 9:38)
17. “At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was
among the witnesses. He saw the Fa-
ther’s glory overshadowing His Son.
He heard the voice of Jehovah testi-
fying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever
since Adam’s sin, the human race
had been cut off from direct commu-
nion with God; the intercourse bet-
ween heaven and earth had been through Christ; but
now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful
flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had
before communicated with humanity through Christ;
now He communicated with humanity in Christ.”
E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 12, pg. 116)
