Is the Son of Man truly Divine?

When some want to argue that Christ was not divine but merely a human being, they often resort to verses that refer to him as the “Son of Man” or “Son of Humans.” These individuals are undoubtedly ignorant of the fact that this title explicitly acknowledges that Christ is divine, as it refers in the Bible, in both Testaments, to a divine being with a human form. The title “Son of Man” is as significant as the title “Son of God,” because the attributes of the Son of Man are also divine. The prophet Daniel was the first to give this title to a being who would come at the end of times to reign forever: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14). The image of the Lord coming on the clouds is a familiar image in the Old Testament, indicating the presence of God himself with power. Jesus Christ revealed to his disciples that he is the Son of Man mentioned in the Book of Daniel, using in his discourse on the last times the same image found in Daniel, saying: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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” (Matthew 24:30). The talk about Christ being the Son of Man is linked to the talk about the last day and judgment, as the Son of Man is the judge who will judge the living and the dead. It is also connected to the discussion of the Lord’s salvific sufferings, as every time Jesus taught his disciples about his killing and resurrection, he used the title Son of Man (Matthew 20:18-19). In the Gospel of John, the hour of death on the cross is the hour of glory, and the Son of Man is the one who will die and be glorified in his death. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus said: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31). But this death that will glorify the Son of Man and God is the same that will give salvation to the world: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Thus, the Son of Man grants salvation to those who believe in him, crucified for them and their salvation. The reason the Jews sentenced Christ to death was his claim that he was the Son of Man. When Caiaphas, the high priest, asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61-62). Then the entire Jewish council accused him of blasphemy and judged him deserving of death. The Jews understood that when Jesus considered himself the Son of Man, he equated himself with God, as this title refers to a divine being who will come from heaven on the clouds to restore the kingdom to Israel. But Christ disappointed their expectations and revealed to them a different kingdom than they had imagined, and they killed him in the cruelest manner. There is no doubt that the primary mission of the Son of Man is to grant salvation to all humanity, as “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Son of Man came, died, and rose, fulfilling all righteousness, and saved us with his blood, and he will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead. So let us prepare for that day with what Jesus himself set out for our salvation, so that the surprise will not be a disastrous one from which there is no recovery.