#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The Son of Man, The Son of The Living God

Matt. 16¹³When Jesus came to the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴“Some say John the Baptizer,” they answered, “others Elijah, still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. ¹⁵“Who do you say I am?” He asked them. ¹⁶“You are the Christ,” Simon Peter answered, “the Son of the living God!” ¹⁷“Blessed are you, Simon, son of John,” Jesus answered him, “because no flesh and blood, but My Father in heaven has revealed this to you.

There seems to be a lot of wild speculations and no certainty as to who the Son of Man was or was supposed to be in Jesus’ day. Jesus here is setting up Peter’s confession. Being one with the Father, Jesus knows what Peter is going to say but he wants to clear up any confusion the disciples themselves may have about who the Son of Man is, who Jesus is before he heads for the cross.

Now the answers the disciples give are what others are say or teach who the Son of Man is. Look at the answers, John the Baptizer, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Now in the Gospels Jesus speaks of himself or refers to himself in a one off way or third person way as being the Son of Man. Do the Scriptures themselves tell us who the Son of Man is? There is one place we should always go to see who this Son of Man is and that is Daniel seven, ¹³“In the visions during the night I saw One coming with the clouds of the heavens like the Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. ¹⁴And He was given glory, power to rule, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and those of every language should serve Him. His authority is everlasting and will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” Now a figure coming with the clouds should bring to mind the clouds on Mount Sinai, the pillar of cloud with led the people Israel and which filled the tent of meeting. It is the signifier of the presence of the LORD, i.e. Yahweh. The Son of Man is Yahweh and he is one with the Ancient of Days, the Father.

But why Son of Man? For that we must go to Genesis chapters 3 and 4. In Chapter 3 the LORD tells the serpent, ¹⁵“And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your descendants and her Descendant. He will crush your head, and you will bruise His heel.” In chapter 4 the woman says, “I have gotten a man, the LORD.” This descendent who overcomes the serpent is the son of man and he is the LORD himself. The Son of Man is a divine and human person, 100% God and 100% human.

Which comes to Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question to all the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Now Peter on behalf of the group (because he is no doubt the leader of the disciples) speaks out, “You are the Christ,” Simon Peter answered, “the Son of the living God!” Yes, that is who Jesus is. As Jesus testifies, we cannot believe and confess this unless the Father reveals it to us. As St. Paul says, “No can confess Jesus is Yahweh except by the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is the Seed who has crushed the head of the serpent. He is the one who will indeed come at the end of days on the clouds and usher us into his kingdom. He is the one who died on the cross for our sins, raised for our justification and sits at the right hand of the Father in glory. Believe in Jesus today and be part of his kingdom.

Heavenly Father, so reveal Jesus as your Christ in our hearts that we may confess him as the Son of Man and be received into his kingdom at his revelation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.