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The Son of Man
by Andrea Groenewald
What does the title "Son of Man" refer to in the Gospel of John?
The term "Son of Man" is usually divided into three categories:
1) Those related to His earthly ministry
2) Those relating to His suffering and death, and:
3) Those related to His coming in glory.*
Daniel 7:13-14 forms the background to the concept of the Son of Man: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man . . . He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
Although the Old Testament uses the term "Son of Man" almost exclusively, the Book of John uses it to emphasize Christ's humanity, His suffering and death, as well as Christ as a supernatural figure who will judge the world.
*Taken from "Introduction to the New Testament," Professor Kevin Quast.
Andrea Groenewald has an honours B. A. in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She is a Masters Candidate (MDiv.) at Tyndale Seminary.