Names for Jesus

by Joey Davis

"Who do you say that I am?" This question is asked of Peter by the Son of the Most High.

If we could describe Jesus, there seems to be very few names that encompass all of who He was, is and always will be.

Jesus is called many thing in the scriptures. He is called Messiah, Creator, Prince of Peace, Living Water, Bread of Life, Son of God, etc. These titles are all interesting in their own right. They give us a glimpse into the personage of Jesus of Nazareth.

However, the title that He calls himself the most is "Son of Man." Why did Jesus choose to call Himself by this name? I think that there are at least a couple of good reasons.

First, by calling Himself the Son of Man, He gives all who hear His voice an insight into His humanity. We often see our Lord as a Clark Kent with a big red "S" hidden neatly under his tunic. The "S" is only to be revealed in times of crisis. Sort of like He wasn't really a man but just masqueraded. as one.

Scripture begs to differ with this view. Jesus himself claims that He could do nothing without the Father who sent Him. Paul tells us in Philippians that He emptied Himself to become just like The Hebrew writer is sure to point out that He suffered everything like we do, yet without sin. Until the Spirit, rested upon Him at his baptism, He performed no miraculous feats of any kind.

The Son of Man wants us to realize that he is human. Not only that, but that He is the divine ideal for humanity.

Second, the Son of Man is a character of prophecy from Daniel 7. The Son of Man in Daniel 7 is an avenger of God who brings justice upon all who are disloyal to God. He is one who has a kingdom and dominion over it forever. His kingdom is eternal and cannot be destroyed.

There can be no more accurate description of Jesus. Our Lord is one who will declare judgment upon those who are disloyal to God. He also has a kingdom that is not of this world, is eternal, and has dominion over it forever.

In calling himself the Son of Man, Jesus lets us know that he is human and is familiar with human frailty, yet is also divine and quite capable of carrying out judgment upon all humans who do not obey the will of His Father.

It is good to know that I have a Savior who understands what it is like to be me. And it is comforting to know that my Lord is powerful, mighty, and awesome. Let the world have their puny gods. I am a follower of the Son of Man!