The Son of Man Revealed

An Unusual Title

In 78 instances in the Gospels, Jesus uses the rather odd title of “Son of Man” to refer to himself. In Mark 10:45 he says, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. Why did he speak this way instead of merely saying “I”? To understand this unusual title, we need to return to the original Hebrew spoken by Jesus. 

A Mere Mortal

In Hebrew “Son of Man” is Ben Adam בן אדם which literally means “Son of Adam.” Many of the Hebrew prophets in the Old Testament referred to themselves this way as a humble means of emphasizing their own mortality. Although the prophet has seen visions of God that regular people have not, he remains a normal human, descended from Adam, just like you and me. Jesus, however, had another reason for using this title.
   

Understand Jesus’ original words

It was a secret reference to the Messiah promised by Daniel, “I saw one like a human being…to him was given dominion and glory and kingship” (Dan. 7:13-14). The original Hebrew for “human being” is Ben Adam – the Son of Man. This way, Jesus revealed his true Messianic identity only to those who understood Hebrew, avoiding conflict with the Roman authorities who did not. You too deserve to understand the Bible in Hebrew. Enroll in our live online Biblical Hebrew course now!