Why is Jesus the Son of Man? - Job 25

This is a puzzling question. If you do not understand something in the Bible, the best way to find the answer is to read the Bible. There will be another verse that clarifies the meaning of the part you are stuck on. Cross-referencing Bible verses with each other is one of the best methods of study you can do.

Let us tackle this question by looking at different verses from the Word of God.

Again and again Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man:

Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”

Mark 9:31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill him. And after He is killed He will rise the third day.”

Mark 14:62 “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

What does Jesus mean when he refers to Himself as the ‘Son of Man’? This title can be misquoted so that some say that Jesus is not equal to God. This is incorrect. Jesus is God. God is triune. He is made up of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. No part of Him is less than the other. He is the trinity, just as we are made up of soul, body and mind. 1 John 5:7-8 “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and these three agree as one.”

What is meant by the term ‘the Son of Man’?

Turn to Isaiah 41:14 “Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you”, says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

This chapter is about God’s promise to Israel. He will not leave them. He will not leave us. Isaiah 41:13 encourages us, “For I the Lord your God will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you’.” But, why does the Lord refer to Jacob as a worm? Jacob, the man later renamed Israel was a mighty man of God. He even wrestled with God Himself in Genesis 32. Why would he be referred to as a 'worm'?

To understand the meaning turn to Job 25 – a very succinct and short chapter declaring the greatness of God.

Job 25:1-6

Then Bildad the Shulite answered and said: “Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places. Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise? How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight How much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man who is a worm?

Bildad is saying here, how great God is and how far short we fall in comparison to Him. How could we ever be considered good enough to be in the presence of Almighty God!? We are like a worm in comparison to the might and awe of God.

Q: So why is Jesus the Lord of all referred to as the Son of Man?

A: You will notice that nobody calls Jesus the Son of Man. He only refers to Himself as the Son of Man. Others worship Him and refer to Him as the Lord or the Son of God. So why does Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of Man, which as we are told in Job 25:6 ‘is a worm’?

The answer is in Hebrews 2:14-18:

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

This passage tells us that the Lord Jesus came to earth, not as an angel, but as a man just like you and me. He came in the same likeness as Jacob, who was referred to in Isaiah 41 as 'a worm'. He came as a human, weak to all the same temptations that we are weak to, yet He was able to remain perfect. John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

As you can see in Job 25, there is a large gap between Almighty God and us. God is this awesome being, whereas we are small and constantly make mistakes. How possibly could we save our selves? We couldn’t! That is why God came to earth for us and made Himself lower than us. The Lord Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man because that is what He made Himself out of His love for us. He was God, He did have the power to call ‘twelve legions of angels’ to save Himself off of that cross, but He didn’t. Instead He made Himself a Servant; He made Himself low; He willfully died so that we may be rescued, because only He was sufficient to take the punishment that we deserve! Proverbs 20:6 tells us “Most men will proclaim their goodness”. It is true, ask somebody if they are a good person and they will tell you, yes! But not the Lord, instead the Lord humbly declared Himself to be the Son of Man, to be lowly, a title that was referred to as ‘a worm’ in Scriptures.

To solidify this turn now to Psalm 22, the Psalm that prophecies the death of Jesus.

Psalm 22:6 states about the Lord: “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.”

Isaiah 53 tells us that Jesus “has no form or splendour; And when we see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

God loves you so much that He sent His humble Son to die for you. But Jesus did not come down as somebody who is so glorious and majestic that we could not relate to Him. A common person cannot relate with a king. A poor person has no place in a rich man’s house.

Instead Jesus came as ‘the Son of Man’! He came in our likeness, not in the likeness of angels (read Hebrews 2:16 again). This is why we have a Saviour in the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:9 promises us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Read Psalm 22 below and look how correctly and properly the Lord is described, even to the point where verse 18 talks about how the Roman’s cast lots for His clothes whilst He bled for me and you upon the cross. Bare in mind how this Psalm was written at least 500 years before the Lord Jesus came to earth as a man – Astounding!.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me, 
And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; 
And in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But You are holy,
 Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You;
 They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
 They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; 
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” 9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; 
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth.
 From My mother’s womb
You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint; 
My heart is like wax;
 It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
 And My tongue clings to My jaws;
 You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me! 20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. 22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. 25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You. 28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
 shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, 31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

-BACChristian