Opening Comments: Preaching the Gospel of One New Humanity
Jesus referring to himself as the “Son of Man” is a key indicator of the Gospel as One New Humanity. Jesus sees himself akin to Paul’s Second Adam (Rom 5:12-21) — a Human Being 2.0, we might say.
Word Study on “Son of Man”
Number of Hits in NRSV: 85
Matthew: 30
Mark: 14
Luke: 25
John: 13
Acts: 1
Revelation: 2
Listing of Gospel Instances in the Ordering of Kurt Aland’s Synopsis of the Four Gospels
21. The Call of the First Disciples (according to John)
John 1:51 And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
27. The Discourse with Nicodemus
John 3:13-14 [Jesus said to Nicodemus,] “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. . . .”
43. The Healing of the Paralytic (Mark-Luke; #92 in Matthew)
Matthew 9:6 [Jesus said to the scribes,] “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he then said to the paralytic — “Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.”
Mark 2:10 [Jesus said to the scribes,] “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the paralytic, . . .
Luke 5:24 [Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes,] “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the one who was paralyzed — “I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.”
46. Plucking Grain on the Sabbath (Mark-Luke; #111 in Matthew)
Matthew 12:8 [Jesus said to the Pharisees,] “For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Mark 2:28 [Jesus said to the Pharisees,] “. . . so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
Luke 6:5 Then [Jesus] said to [the Pharisees], “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
78. The Beatitudes (#51 in Matthew, but doesn’t parallel “Son of Man,” substituting “on my account”)
Luke 6:22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
89. On Following Jesus (Matthew; #176 in Luke)
Matthew 8:20 And Jesus said to [the scribe], “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to [the man], “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
100. The Fate of the Disciples
Matthew 10:23 [Jesus said to the Twelve,] ”When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
107. Jesus’ Witness concerning John
Matthew 11:19 [Jesus said to the crowds concerning John,] “. . . the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Luke 7:34 [Jesus said to the crowds concerning John,] “. . . the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
118. The Sin against the Holy Spirit (#197 in Luke; Mark doesn’t have the first part about SoM)
Matthew 12:32 [Jesus said to the Pharisees,] “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Luke 12:10 [Jesus said to the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem,] “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
119. The Sign of Jonah (#191 in Luke)
Matthew 12:40 [Jesus answered the scribes and Pharisees,] “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.”
Luke 11:30 [Jesus said to the crowds,] “For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation.”
131. Interpretation of the Parables of the Tares
Matthew 13:37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,
141. The Healing at the Pool
John 5:27 and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
149. The Bread of Life
John 6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
John 6:62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
158. Peter’s Confession (only Matthew uses “Son of Man; Mark/Luke, “that I am?”)
Matthew 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
159. Jesus Foretells His Passion (Matthew uses “he” instead of “Son of Man”)
Mark 8:31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Luke 9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
160. “If Anyone would Come after Me . . .” (Mark and Luke do not parallel Matthew’s 2nd use)
Matthew 16:27-28 “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Mark 8:38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Luke 9:26 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
161. The Transfiguration (Luke cuts off his account and lacks parallels to these verses)
Matthew 17:9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Mark 9:9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
162. The Coming of Elijah (Luke omits this passage)
Matthew 17:12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.”
Mark 9:12 He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt?
164. Jesus Foretells His Passion again
Matthew 17:22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands,
Mark 9:31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”
Luke 9:44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.”
196. Exhortation to Fearless Confession (Matthew parallels in 10:26-33 but w/o SoM)
Luke 12:8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;
203. Watchfulness and Faithfulness (#298 in Matthew; partially paralleled in Mark 13:33-37)
Matthew 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Luke 12:40 “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
235. The Day of the Son of Man (other parts of this passage are paralleled in Matt. 24, #291-6)
Luke 17:22 Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
236. The Parable of the Unjust Judge
Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
244. Discussion with the Jews
John 8:28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.
248. Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind
John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
255. On Riches and the Rewards of Discipleship (Mark/Luke parallels but w/o SoM)
Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
262. The Third Prediction of the Passion
Matthew 20:18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;
Mark 10:33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles;
Luke 18:31 Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.
263. The Sons of Zebedee (Luke skips Zebedees and moves 2nd part to Last Supper w/o SoM)
Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
265. Zacchaeus
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
291. False Christs and False Prophets (#235 in Luke)
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Luke 17:24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
292. The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:30 *2 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.
Mark 13:26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.
295. Conclusion: “Take Heed, Watch!”
Luke 21:36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
296. The Parable of the Flood (#235 in Luke)
Matthew 24:37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Luke 17:26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Luke 17:30 — it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
300. The Last Judgment (Judging of Nations)
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
302. Greeks Seek Jesus; Discourse on His Death
John 12:23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
John 12:34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
305. Jesus’ Death Is Premeditated
Matthew 26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
310. Jesus Foretells His Betrayal
Matthew 26:24 *2 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”
Mark 14:21 *2 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”
Luke 22:22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!”
314. The New Commandment of Love
John 13:31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
330. Gethsemane
Matthew 26:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mark 14:41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
331. Jesus Arrested
Luke 22:48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?”
332. Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 14:62 Jesus said, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”
Luke 22:69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
352. The Women at the Tomb
Luke 24:7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
Occurrences outside the Gospels
Acts 7:56 “Look,” [Stephen] said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Revelation 1:13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.
Revelation 14:14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand!
