Jesus Christ, Son of man and Son of God: The Incarnation

1.  Jesus Christ, Son of man and Son of God: The Incarnation is the fundamental truth of the Christian revelation and of the faith: The humanity and divinity of Christ.

2. The title "Son of Man" is from the Book of the Prophet Daniel in the Old Testament. "I saw visions in the night, 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. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed" (Dan 7:13-14).

3. When the prophet seeks an explanation of this vision, he receives the following reply: "the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.... And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High" (Dan 7:18-27).

4. The text of Daniel concerns a single person and the people. We note immediately that the words which refer to the person of the Son of Man are found in the angel's words in the annunciation to Mary, "He shall reign forever...and his kingdom shall have no end" (Lk 1:33).

5. When Jesus called himself "Son of Man," he used an expression deriving from the canonical tradition of the Old Testament and which is found also in the Jewish apocrypha. It must be noted, that the expression "Son of Man"(ben-adam) had become in the Aramaic of Jesus' time an expression to mean simply "man"(bar ethas). Therefore, in calling himself “Son of Man," Jesus was able to conceal as it were behind the veil of the common meaning of the term its messianic significance in prophetic teaching.

6. Ezekiel's prophecy In the context of the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth we find texts such as: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests: but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Mt 8:20); and also: "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners'" (Mt 11:19).

7. On other occasions Jesus' words assume a character more strongly indicative of his power. On the occasion of the cure of the paralytic who had been let down through an opening in the roof, Christ stated as it were in a challenging tone, "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, I say to you rise, take up your pallet and go home" (Mk 2:10-11).

8. Elsewhere Jesus stated, "For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to his generation" (Lk 11:30). On another occasion there were the prophetic words shrouded in mystery: "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it" (Lk 17:22).

9. Some theologians note an interesting parallel between Ezekiel's prophecy and the statements of Jesus. "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel...who have rebelled against me.... You shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God'" (Ez 2:3-4). "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not" (Ez 12:2). "And you, O son of man...shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem... and you shall prophesy against the city" (Ez 4:1-7). "Son of man, propound a riddle and speak an allegory to the house of Israel" (Ez 17:2).

10. Echoing the words of the Prophet, Jesus taught, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Lk 19:10). The "Son of Man...when he comes in the glory of his Father," will be ashamed of whoever is ashamed of him and of his words (cf. Mk 8:38). "For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 1:45; cf. also Mt 20:29).

11. The identity of the Son of Man appears in the twofold aspect of representative of God, • the herald of the kingdom of God, • and the prophet calling people to conversion.

12. In addition, he is the representative of the people, one who shares their earthly condition and sufferings in order to redeem and save them according to the Father's plan. As he himself said when speaking to Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (Jn 3:14-15).

13. Jesus repeated this clear announcement of the passion: "And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mk 8:31). No less than three times we find this forecast in Mark's Gospel (cf. 9:31; 10:33-34), and on each occasion Jesus spoke of himself as "Son of Man."

14. Before the tribunal of Caiaphas Jesus used the same term in reference to himself. In reply to the question, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" he answered, "I am; and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mk 14:62). These words echo Daniel's prophecy on the "Son of Man who comes with the clouds of heaven" (Dan 7:13) and Psalm 110 which sees the Lord seated on the right hand of God (cf. Ps 110:1).

15. Jesus repeatedly spoke of the lifting up of the "Son of Man," but he did not conceal from his hearers that this includes the humiliation of the cross. To the objections and incredulity of the people and of the disciples who well understood the tragic nature of his allusions and who even asked him, "How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" (Jn 12:34),

16. Jesus replied: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me" (Jn 8:28). Jesus asserted that his "lifting up" by means of the cross would constitute his glorification.

17. A little later he added, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (Jn 12:23). It is significant that on the departure of Judas from the upper room, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified" (Jn 13:31).

18. This constitutes the content of life, passion, death and glory of which the prophet Daniel had offered a faint outline. Moreover, Jesus did not hesitate to apply to himself the character of eternal and unending kingship which Daniel had assigned to the work of the Son of Man, when in the prophecy of the end of the world he proclaimed, "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory" (Mk 13:26; cf. Mt 24:30).

19. It is in this eschatological perspective that the Church's work of evangelization must take place. Jesus let it be known, "You will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of Man comes" (Mt 10:23). And he asked himself the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:8).

20. If as Son of Man Jesus fulfilled by his life, passion, death and resurrection the messianic plan outlined in the Old Testament, at the same time he took his place with that same name as a true man among men, as a son of a woman, Mary of Nazareth. By means of this woman, his mother, he the "Son of God," is simultaneously "Son of Man," true man as attested by the Letter to the Hebrews: "He has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin" (Heb 4:15; cf. GS 22).

21. Awareness of a completely new reality One must bear in mind this biblical-messianic background in order to realize that Jesus' way of acting and of expressing himself indicated the awareness of a completely new reality. Even though the Synoptic Gospels do not describe Jesus as Son of God (nor as Messiah), nevertheless in different ways he stated and made it understood that he is Son of God, in the natural sense.

22. Indeed, he emphasized the exclusiveness of his relationship of Son of God. Never did he say of God, "our Father," but only "my Father," or else he made the distinction, "my Father, your Father." He did not hesitate to declare, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father" (Mt 11:27).

23. This exclusiveness of the relation of sonship to God is manifested particularly in prayer. Jesus addressed God as Father, using the Aramaic word Abba, which denotes the special closeness of a son to his father. On Jesus' lips it expresses his total surrender to the Father's will: "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this cup from me" (Mk 14:36).

24. On other occasions Jesus used the expression "your Father"; for example, "as your Father is merciful" (Lk 6:36); "your Father who is in heaven" (Mk 11:25). In this way he underlined the specific nature of his own relationship to the Father, while desiring that this divine Fatherhood should be communicated to others, as shown by the prayer "our Father" which Jesus taught his apostles and followers.

25. The truth about Christ as Son of God is the converging point of the whole New Testament. The Gospels, especially John's Gospel, and the writings of the apostles, particularly St. Paul's letters, provide us with explicit testimonies. In a certain sense these open the way for the discovery of the truth about Christ as Son of God and bring us nearer to a correct understanding of his sonship.

26. It is important to note that Jesus' conviction of his divine sonship was confirmed by a voice from heaven during his baptism in the Jordan (cf. Mk 1:11) and on the mountain at the moment of the transfiguration (cf. Mk 9:7). The evangelists tell us that on both occasions the Father proclaimed Jesus to be "his beloved Son" (Mt. 3:17; Lk 3:22).

27. The apostles had a similar confirmation also from the unclean spirits who cried out against Jesus: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God" (Mk 1:24). "What have you to do with me...Son of the Most High God?" (Mk 5:7).

28. Charge of blasphemy When we consider the testimony of the apostles and others, Simon Peter's profession of faith near Caesarea Philippi merits particular attention: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16). It is to be noted that this profession was confirmed in an unusually solemn way by Jesus: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17).

29. This is not an isolated fact. In the same Gospel of Matthew we read that on seeing Jesus walking on Lake Gennesaret, calming the wind and saving Peter, the apostles worshipped the Master, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God" (Mt 14:33). Therefore, what Jesus did and taught convinced the apostles that he was not only the Messiah, but also the true "Son of God." And Jesus confirmed that conviction.

30. It was precisely some statements made by Jesus that gave rise to the charge of blasphemy made against him. There were some particularly dramatic moments as narrated in John's Gospel where we read that the Jews "sought...to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal to God" (Jn 5:18).

31. The same problem was raised in the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. The high priest Caiaphas said to him: "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." To this Jesus replied quite simply, "You have said so," that is to say, "Yes, I am" (cf. Mt 26:63-64).

32. Again in the trial before Pilate, although there was a different charge, namely, that he proclaimed himself king, the Jews nevertheless repeated the basic charge: "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God" (Jn 19:7).

33. Thus we can say that in the last analysis Jesus died on the cross for the truth about his divine sonship. Even though the inscription placed on the cross as an official declaration of his condemnation stated, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,"

34. St. Matthew observed that "those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying...'If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross'" (Mt 27:39-40). And again: "He trusted in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God!'" (Mt 27:43).

35. This truth is at the center of the event of Golgotha. Although it would be the object of the conviction, proclamation and testimony of the apostles, now it is the object of derision. However, even here, the Roman centurion watched over the agony of Jesus and heard the words which he addressed to the Father at the moment of death. The centurion, a pagan, gave a final surprising testimony to Christ's divine identity: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" (Mk 15:39).

36. The words of the Roman centurion on the fundamental truth of the Gospel and of the whole New Testament remind us of the angel's words to Mary at the annunciation, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Lk 1:31-32). When Mary asked, "How can this be?" the angel replied: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" (Lk 1:34-35).

37. Because Jesus was aware that he was Son of God in the real and natural sense of the word, he "called God his Father" (Jn 5:18). With the same conviction he did not hesitate to say to his adversaries and accusers: "Truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58).

38. In this "I am" there is the truth of the divine sonship which precedes not only the time of Abraham, but all time and all created existence. St. John will say at the end of his Gospel, "These (signs that Jesus did) have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (Jn 20:31).