Sermon Snippet – Jesus, the Son of Man
INTRODUCTION – As we draw a week closer to Easter, we continue to follow Jesus as He approaches the Cross. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus calls Himself “the Son of man.” It is His favorite self-designation and is used over eighty times. Rather than preach a sermon with eighty points or more, I want to focus on one passage (Mark 10:32-45) and draw three basic principles.
1. WHEN JESUS CALLS HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN, HE IS SPEAKING OF HIS HUMANITY
Elsewhere, Jesus is called “the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), fulfilling the promise to Abraham that through his line “shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Also in Matthew 1:1, Jesus is referred to as “the son of David” in fulfillment of God’s covenant with King David: “Thine house and Thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever” (II Samuel 7:16). Jesus is also “the Son of God” (John 1:34), indicating His full deity. Jesus’ frequent use of “the Son of man” also fulfills Scripture (Daniel 7:13-14) and should not surprise us. Still, it was a hard concept for people to grasp, for many could not comprehend how God could also be a man. Jesus, fully divine and fully human, is blessedly unique. Man can die, and he does die. When Jesus is using the term “the Son of man,” He is saying many things. One of these is that He was going to die. His humanity was essential for this death to occur.
2. WHEN JESUS CALLS HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN, HE IS SPEAKING OF HIS HUMILITY
Even before His sacrificial atonement on the Cross, Jesus demonstrated absolute humility. He came “to minister” (verse 45), to serve. He lived in relative poverty; in adulthood, He did not own a home: “And Jesus saith unto him, ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head’” (Matthew 8:20). He dealt kindly with people who were despised by the ruling elites – people like lepers, crooked tax collectors, and Gentiles (including the Romans). With honest humility, He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38) wherever He was. Truly, He ministered. Then, He gave “His life a ransom for many” (verse 45). Philippians 2:5-8 is the classic Biblical exposition of our Savior’s humility.
3. WHEN JESUS CALLS HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN, HE IS SPEAKING TO OUR HARDNESS OF HEARING AND OUR HARDNESS OF HEART
Bracketed by the two uses of “the Son of man” (verses 33, 45) is the callous conflict amongst the disciples over their position in heaven (an ongoing dispute, as we see from Mark 9:33-37 and Luke 22:24; we also see that all of the disciples were involved in this unflattering fight). It sickens me to think of these men ignoring the sad prophecy of Jesus and selfishly promoting their agendas. It sickens me even more to know that had I been part of that arrogant group I undoubtedly would have trumpeted my claim to greatness. When we permit our culture rather than Christ Jesus to determine what matters, matters will degenerate quickly.
CONCLUSION – Let us instead hear and heed the words of Jesus. First, since Jesus emphasized so clearly the importance of His death on the Cross, we must emphatically respond to His finished work and depend solely on Him for His eternal salvation. Second, we can then “minister” in His name. Let us serve others as we serve our Savior. Let us begin by serving those who are close to us, those who need our love and our help.