Jesus as the Son of Man
THE ARC OF THE BIBLE:
FROM GENESIS TO JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN
Jesus said: “For the Son of Man himself did not come to
be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”(Mark
Who is the Son of Man? Why is a ransom necessary? To whom is it payable, and in what currency? What is being held hostage, and why? The answers to these questions provide a lever to pry open the meaning of the Bible. Jesus perceived the arc of a storyline contained in the Old Testament, and he believed his destiny lay in the fulfillment of the Scriptures through his role as the Son of Man. The following is what I believe he understood about the teachings found in the Old Testament.
GENESIS
In Genesis, Yahweh God, the Judeo-Christian
deity, created heaven and earth, planted a garden in
Yahweh God then made a helpmate for the man from his rib, who became his wife. They were naked but felt no shame. A serpent came to Eve and asked why she did not eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. She replied, "Yahweh God said: 'You must not eat it, nor touch it, under the pain of death'" (Genesis 3:1-3). “Then the serpent said to the woman, "No! You will not die! Yahweh God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-6).
Both the man and woman knew that it was
wrong to eat the fruit, but they did so anyway. She took some of its fruit and
ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. “Then
the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked.
So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7).
The man and his wife heard the sound of
Yahweh God walking in the garden, and they hid. But Yahweh God called to the
man, "Where are you?" The man replied, "I heard the sound of you
in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." Yahweh God
asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you been eating of the tree
I forbade you to eat?" The man replied, "It was the woman you put
with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it." Then Yahweh God asked the
woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman replied, "The
serpent tempted me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:8-13). This disobedience to
Yahweh God's will was the origin of
Yahweh God then cursed the serpent to crawl on its
belly and be the enemy of the woman forevermore. He cursed the woman with the
pain of childbirth and cursed the soil so that the man would have to sweat and
toil to get his food from it (Genesis
Yahweh God then pronounced the curse of death on Adam
and Eve: "For dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis
Archbishop Ussher published a work in 1658
extrapolating from biblical genealogy found in Genesis 1-11, deducing that the
creation of the world as revealed in Genesis must have occurred at nightfall
preceding
THE SERVANT OF YAHWEH
The prophecy of an innocent, obedient, sacrificial lamb to be slaughtered for our sins in order to bring us salvation finds its best expression in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, written about 600 B.C.:
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Fourth song of the servant of Yahweh
See, my servant will prosper,
He shall be lifted up,
exalted, rise to great heights.
As the crowds were appalled
on seeing him
--so disfigured did he
look
That he seemed no longer
human—
So will the crowds be
astonished at him,
And kings shall stand
speechless before him;
For that shall see
something never told
And witness something
never heard before:
“Who could believe what we have heard,
And to whom has the
power of Yahweh been revealed?”
Like a sapling he grew
up in front of us,
Like a root in arid
ground.
Without beauty, without
majesty (we saw him),
No looks to attract our
eyes;
A thing despised and
rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and
familiar with suffering,
A man to make people
screen their faces;
He was despised and we
took no account of him.
And yet ours were the
sufferings he bore,
Ours the sorrows he
carried.
But we, we thought of
him as someone punished,
Struck by God, and
brought low.
Yet he was pierced
through for our faults,
Crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment
that brings us peace,
And through his wounds
we are healed.
We had all gone astray
like sheep,
Each taking his own way,
And Yahweh burdened him
With the sins of all of
us.
Harshly dealt with, he
bore it humbly,
He never opened his
mouth,
Like a lamb that is dumb
before its shearers
Never opening its mouth.
By force and by law he
was taken;
Would anyone plead his
cause?
Yes, he was torn away
from the land of the living;
For our faults struck
down in death.
They gave him a grave
with the wicked,
A tomb with the rich,
Though he had done no
wrong
And there had been no
perjury in his mouth.
Yahweh has been pleased
to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in
atonement,
He shall see his heirs;
he shall have a long life
And through him what
Yahweh wishes will be done.
His soul’s anguish over
He shall see the light
and be content.
By his sufferings shall
my servant justify many,
Taking their faults on
himself.
Hence I will grant whole
hordes for his tribute,
He shall divide the
spoil with the mighty,
For surrendering himself
to death
And letting himself be
taken for a sinner,
While he was bearing the
faults of many
And praying all the time
for sinners.
PAUL’S COMMENTARY ON THE CENTRAL
TENET OF CHRISTIANITY
The Apostle Paul provides this explanation of the connection between Adam and Jesus Christ:
“Well then, sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given [to Moses]. There was no law and so none could be accused of the sin of ‘lawbreaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking the law.”
“Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming though one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgment with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities of falling, but however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:12-21, written by Paul about 58 A.D).
Notice Paul's attempt to completely disambiguate his meaning by repeating the story three different ways.
The word Adam means “man” in Hebrew. “On the day God created Adam he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them. He blessed them and gave them the name “Man” on the day they were created.” (Genesis 5:2). Adam was the progenitor of Mankind. As the first Man, he was responsible for the birth of all men, and because of his actions in the Garden of Eden, he was also responsible for the sinful nature of man. Original Sin and the Curse of Yahweh were directly attributed to actions by Adam. It is generally accepted in sympathetic magic that in order to undo a curse, whatever event or action precipitated the curse must be done in an opposite and reversing manner. In this case, Adam was guilty of willing disobedience. He knew his actions could result in death, because Yahweh told him so, but he ate of the fruit anyway. Following magical practice, an innocent person would have to perform an act of unwilling obedience to break the curse.
[For a fuller description of the breadth and depth of the curses available to Yahweh, see Leviticus 26:14-45 and Deuteronomy 28:15-46.]
“The Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite self-designation in the New Testament. The title “the Son of Man” appears three times in the Old Testament, but only once in an apocalyptic vision: “I gazed into the visions of the night. And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.” (Daniel 7:13). In Hebrew, “ben Adam” means “Son of Adam”. Since Adam means man in Hebrew, ben Adam becomes “Son of Man” in English. However, this translation into English obscures the meaning of “ben Adam” and its link to the events in the Garden of Eden. In the New Testament, this title is used 84 times, either by Jesus or by others, to refer to Jesus and his mission on earth. I believe that Jesus adopted this title to establish his direct connection to Adam and the Curse of Yahweh.
Jesus was very clear that his was an unwilling obedience: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I would have it.” “Again, a second time, he went away and prayed: ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!’” “Leaving them there, he went away and prayed for the third time, repeating the same words.” (Matthew 26:39-46). Similar quotes appear in Mark 14:36-42 and Luke 22:41-44. This statement does not appear in John. Notice how Jesus repeats himself three times. This is typical for incantations.
Yahweh’s original judgment was harsh but just. All mankind was cursed with death, but a guilty Adam did break Yahweh’s commandment. Just so, an innocent Savior’s death would have to be harsh and unjust to undo the curse.
“Pilate was anxious to see Jesus free and addressed them again, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ And for the third time he spoke to them, ‘Why? What harm has this man done? I have found no case against him that deserves death, so I shall have him punished and then let him go.’ But they kept shouting at the top of their voices, demanding that he should be crucified. And their shouts were growing louder. Pilate then gave his verdict: their demand was to be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased.” (Luke 23:20-25). See also Matthew 27:11-26; Mark 15:1-15; John 18:28-40; 19:1-16. Again note the three repetitions by Pilate.
Birth and death history
provides further evidence to support the juxtaposition of Adam and the Son of
Man. Because Yahweh created Adam from dust, he was born without sin. Likewise, because the Bible story has Jesus
born to the Virgin Mary, he also was born without sin. In addition, Jesus was
crucified and buried on
Clearly, Jesus believed, as did Paul, that Adam existed as a historical figure, and that the reality of death constituted just punishment for Adam, guilty of the Original Sin of willing disobedience to Yahweh’s command. Jesus understood that an act of unwilling obedience, a substitutionary act of self-sacrifice by an innocent person resulting in an unjust death, was the payment deemed necessary by Yahweh to abrogate the curse imposed by Him for breaking His law. Jesus understood that his coming agony on the cross was the ransom Yahweh demanded to release mankind from death.
THE CRUCIFIXION
So, what did Jesus think his expiatory sacrifice on the Cross was going to accomplish, and when?
Mark 13:24-32, written after 70 A.D.: Jesus said: “But in those days, after that time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven.”
"Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is very near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is very near, at the very gates. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father."
Matthew 24:29-36,
written between 90 and 100 A.D.: Jesus
said: "Immediately after the
distress of those days [the fall and destruction of
“Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon at its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see all these things: know that he is near, at the very gates. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father only."
Luke 21:25-33, written between 90 and 100 A.D.: Jesus said “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your redemption is near at hand.”
"And he told them a
parable, ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that
summer is now near. So with you when you
see these things happening: know that the
FIRST
PROPHECY OF THE PASSION
Jesus believed his impending self-sacrifice was going to usher in the Rapture and the End of Times, and would do so in the near future, certainly before the death of the present generation [a generation is considered to be 30 to 40 years]. The Bible records Jesus prophesying three times concerning his fate on the Cross. Jesus believed that following his death, he would be resurrected on the third day. It is worth noting that Jesus did not cite Old Testament Scripture to support his belief in his death and resurrection on the third day, as his prediction exists nowhere else in the Bible.
“From that time Jesus
began to make clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to
SECOND PROPHECY OF THE PASSION
“One day when they were together
in
THIRD PROPHECY OF THE PASSION
Jesus told his
disciples: “Now we are going up to
Later, while being questioned in front of the Sanhedrin, Jesus was asked: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14: 61-63. See also Matthew 26:63-65 and Luke 22:66-71).
Jesus believed that following his crucifixion and burial for three days, he, as the Son of Man, would have ridden on a cloud from his tomb to the Temple in Jerusalem, appeared before the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees, showed them his wounds, announced that the Curse of Yahweh was broken, and proclaimed the advent of eternal life in the Kingdom of God, as the above quotes indicate. Jesus believed the Apocalypse, the Rapture of the living and dead, and the Last Judgment, all would have occurred immediately following His Resurrection.
Jesus says of the Last Judgment:
"Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you who my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the virtuous will say to him in reply ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?’ And the King will answer ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ Next he will say to those on his left hand, ‘go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.’ Then it will be their turn to ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?’ Then he will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:34-46)
Notice Jesus’ use of the word “curse”, which appears in the Old Testament 82 times, to describe the treatment of the damned: “go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” His use of the word in this context demonstrates his belief in both the reality of cursing and the power of a curse to pursue a soul across eternity.
THE SECOND COMING
The first mention of the Second Coming appears in 1 Corinthians 15:45-53, written by Paul about 57 A.D. Paul is referring to the second coming of Adam, who he claimed was Jesus. He repeats Jesus’ claim of the resurrection of the dead and the ascension of the living and dead into heaven as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. These ideas dovetail nicely with the theme of this report, which is that Jesus believed himself to represent the second coming of Adam.
“The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modeled on the earthly man, will be modeled on the heavenly man.
Or else, brothers, put
it this way: flesh and blood cannot inherit the
APOCALYPSE THEN
None of the above quotes
about the imminent return of Jesus appear in the book of John. John was written between 100 and 120 A.D., more
than seventy years after Jesus' death by crucifixion. The generational cohort of Jesus had already
passed on. Jesus had prophesied the
coming destruction of
Following years of
unrest, revolt, and rebellion, the Roman Emperor Nero began to fulfill this
prophecy in 66 A.D. by ordering the annihilation of
In 135 A.D. the Bar
Kohba revolt resulted in the destruction of
Still, the End Times had
not arrived by 100 A.D. As was obvious
to any potential convert, the Apocalypse had occurred, the
In order to maintain the importance and relevance of Jesus’ teachings, the Book of John ignores Jesus’ prophecy of his resurrection triggering the End Times within three days of his death. Instead, John substitutes his own idea of eternal life possessed by those who have faith in the Risen Christ.
John says: "Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life." (John 3:16)
John reports: “The crowd said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’” (John 6: 28-30).
John says: “There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31).
These words contained in
John are in direct contradiction to Jesus’ sermon on the Last Judgment, in
which Jesus states that acts of good towards others, not beliefs, get one into
the
James, brother of Jesus, put it this way: “Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty,’ without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.” (James 2:14-17, written about 49 A.D. Notice how John, writing after 100 A.D., has altered this message).
John elaborated on this idea in John 14:1-4. Jesus is quoted as saying:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and
trust in me.
There are many rooms in
my Father’s house;
If there were not, I
should have told you.
I am going now to
prepare a place for you,
And after I have gone
and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take
you with me;
So that where I am you
may be too.
You know the way to the
place where I am going.”
John’s passage on the Second
Coming was a tacit admission that the expected End Times, occasioned by Jesus’
sacrifice on the Cross, had not occurred by 100 A.D. John created the idea of a future return to
maintain credibility with Christian followers.
Faith that Jesus had Risen, despite the obvious fact that the world
continued to turn, was now sufficient for admission to Heaven. These verses mark the beginning of the idea
of a delayed, second return of Jesus, not Adam, later called the Second Coming
of Christ.
GENESIS: A
The story contained in
Genesis is a metaphor, an allegory, a just-so story. The events related in the Book of Genesis did
not actually take place. The allegory of
the Fall from Grace was a pre-scientific answer to the age-old question: why is
there death? Life is driven by
evolution, such that only fitness survives over time. Death is the Selector in Natural Selection,
and without it, evolution cannot occur.
Death is a necessary part of life, not a curse perpetrated on man by a
vengeful god. Because there was no Adam,
no Original Sin, no expulsion from the Garden, no curse of death, Jesus’
self-sacrifice on the cross did not bring the End Times, as he fully expected.
As we have seen, later writers in the Bible changed Jesus’ prophecy of
immediate return, which obviously had not occurred, to one of an indefinitely
delayed return, and erected a posthumous ornate edifice called the Second
Coming of Christ. This construct substituted
the idea of faith in His future return as sufficient justification for entry
into the
What I'm trying to say is your very existence is an exquisitely beautiful expression of God's love. God loves you unconditionally. God has given you the ability to discern right from wrong, and all God requests is that you go forth and sin no more.
APPENDIX
THE
I am Yahweh your God who
brought you out of the
You shall not make
yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth
beneath or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or
serve them.
You shall not utter the
name of Yahweh your God to misuse it.
Observe the Sabbath day
and keep it holy, as Yahweh your God has commanded you. For six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God.
Honor your father and
your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit
adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife.
A Pharisee asked Jesus:
“‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must
love the Lord your God with all your Heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. This is the greatest and the
first commandment. The second resembles
it: You must love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets
also.’” (Matthew 22:35-40. Mark 12:28-33. Luke 10:25-28).
THE
GOLDEN RULE
Jesus said: “So always
treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the
Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12.
See Luke
THE
NATURE OF SIN
“Sin is the failure to do that which you know is right.” ( James 4:17).
THE BEATITUDES
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mark 5:3-10).
Jesus said: “But I say
to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek,
present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not
refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who
asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat
you. If you love those who love you,
what thanks can you expect? Even sinners
lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of
return. You will have a great reward,
and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful
and the wicked.
Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.” (Luke 6: 27-38).
JESUS’ SERMON OF THE LAST JUDGMENT
"Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you who my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the virtuous will say to him in reply ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?’ And the King will answer ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ Next he will say to those on his left hand, ‘go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.’ Then it will be their turn to ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?’ Then he will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25: 33-46).
Notice that all five of
these spiritual instructions invoke actions as the way to the
All Bible quotes from The
Jerusalem Bible, Reader’s Edition, 1968
Written
by Robert Bayless,
Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved
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