WEEK 2

Following His Father

Jesus Christ is "the Son of Man." That title carries with it two profound truths. First, it is a title for the Messiah, the One promised throughout the Old Testament and pictured in Daniel 7 as He who is given dominion over an everlasting kingdom. The second truth is found in God becoming a Son of man. Our Lord, Jesus Christ is called the Son of Man. He walked on the earth as a man, and as a man He faced all that men face—hunger and plenty, weariness and refreshment, sadness and joy, laughter and weeping, temptation and triumph. Yes, He did this as a man, but, more than that, He did this as the God-Man. Certainly this mystery of the God-Man is one of those truths we cannot fully grasp, but we can receive illumination by His Spirit so that we can truly come to know Him and walk in fellowship with Him—with the Son and with the Father.

The Son of Man is worthy to be worshiped and adored. He is worthy to be followed and obeyed.

JESUS CHRIST: THE SON OF MAN

Prophecy

Ministry

Crucifixion

Resurrection

Coming

Reigning and Judging

Daniel 7:13-14

Matthew 9:1-8;

11:15-19; 16:13-20;

Mark 2:23-28;

Luke 19:1-10;

John 9:1-41

Matthew 16:21;

17:22-23; Mark 10:32-34, 45;

Luke 18:31-34;

John 3:13-21

Matthew 12:38-41;

17:9;

Mark 9:31-32; Luke 9:22; 24:1-49;

John 12:23-28;

13:31-33;

20:9

Matthew 13:36-43;

24:3-51

Mark 13:3-37; 14:61-62;

Luke 9:23-26;

12:35-40;

21:25-28

John 14:1-3

Matthew 19:28-30;

25:31-46;

Mark 13:26-27 Luke 22:67-70

John 5:19-29

Revelation 1:12-19;

14:14-16

As we walk through the Scriptures and the life of the Lord Jesus, we will learn the full meaning of this title "the Son of Man," and in so doing we will discover the Friend who sticks closer than a brother, the One who faced temptation in all its furor, "yet without sin" (see Hebrews 4:15). This same Friend can come alongside to encourage, guide, and direct us in whatever we are facing. The Son of Man is worthy to be worshiped and adored, followed and obeyed. Our hope is that in walking through this lesson you will develop a deeper understanding of how to worship and follow Christ, the Son of Man

The Son Of Man Is Lord

What do we discover about the Son of Man in the Scriptures? In the four Gospels, the Lord Jesus referred to Himself as the "Son of Man" over eighty times. In those references He revealed Himself as Lord, as the Messiah, as the Savior of the world, and as the coming King who reigns over all the kingdoms of the world. To see the Son of Man as He is and how we are to follow Him, we must see Him first in the Old Testament.

§ The key Old Testament passage where the phrase "Son of Man" is used is in the prophecy of Daniel. Read Daniel 7:13—14. What is given to the Son of Man ?

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"One like a Son of Man ...

was given dominion, glory and a kingdom,

that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him."

Daniel 7:13, 14

What do you learn about Him and His kingdom?

The Son of Man was given dominion or rulership by the Ancient of Days (God the Father). He was also given glory and a kingdom. As a result, "all the peoples, nations, and men of every language [will] serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed." Christ's kingdom will last forever!

What does this dominion include? When we look at this description of the Son of Man we recognize One who rules over all kings and kingdoms. The New Testament readily applies this to the Lord Jesus. What applications to Him do we discover in the New Testament?

§ The Gospel of John uses the term "Son of Man" thirteen times. In the first of these, a conversation between Jesus and Nathanael (John 1:45—51), we find some revealing truths about this "Son of Man." What does Philip reveal about Jesus while talking to Nathanael (1:45)?

How did Jesus greet Nathanael (1:47-48)?

What was Nathanael's reply (1:49)? What did he say about Jesus?

Jesus made a promise to Nathanael in John 1:50. What was that promise?

Did You Know?

Prophecies Concerning The Son Of Man

Moses and the Prophets penned over 300 prophecies about the Messiah, all fulfilled in the Sin of Man, Jesus Christ.

Phillip came to Nathanael, telling him they had found the One about whom Moses and the prophets wrote. In many passages throughout the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy), Moses wrote of the Messiah to come. Many prophets also spoke of the coming Messiah. Nathanael honestly questioned if any good thing could come out of Nazareth. When Jesus saw Nathanael, He acknowledged Nathaniel’s forthright honesty, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” What did Jesus statement mean? Nathanael wanted to know how Jesus knew about him. Jesus then revealed that He also knew Nathanael had been under the fig tree well before Phillip had found him. To that evident supernatural ability Nathanael responded in awe-inspired faith, “Rabbi you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” Nathanael felot that whoever knew what Jesus knew had to be the Son of God, and if that were true, He had to be the Messiah, The King of Israel. Jesus then promised that he would see even grater things. What did Jesus mean? Let’s continue searching the scriptures.

What word picture did Jesus paint in John 1:51? List the elements of which He spoke.

§ Now read Genesis 28:10—17, and note the parallels to what Jesus said.

Jesus spoke of the heavens opening and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. In Genesis 28 we discover that Jacob had a dream that pictured Jesus' description almost word for word. The angels of God were ascending and descending on a ladder or, more likely, a staircase like that which stood at the entrance of an ancient city. Jacob saw this place as the "house of God" and the "gate of Heaven" (28:17). At the top of the staircase, where a city gate would be located, stood the lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised Jacob a land with many descendants (a nation) and a seed in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. This promise of a "seed" to Jacob was the same promise of a "seed" that God had given to Abraham. Galatians 3:16 reveals that this "seed" was Christ.

How does the Son of Man fit into this? Who is the Son of Man in John 1:51?

Did You Know?

Caesarea Philippi

Caesarea Philippi, located at the base of Mount Hermon about 35 miles north of Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee, is known for its abundant waters, rich fields and abundance of trees. During Old Testament times and during the Greek occupation of the area, the city housed many shrines to various false deities. Herod the Great built a white marble temple there in honor of Caesar Augustus. Herod's son Philip ruled from this city (4 BC—AD 34). Philip brought restoration and beauty to the area and named it "Caesarea" after Tiberias Caesar. To distinguish it from the Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast, this Caesarea was called Caesarea Philippi (after Philip).At this location known for its many gods, Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Extra Mile

‹SON OF MAN-SON OF GOD

The Gospel of John reveals Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God. Read John I: l-l 8, and list all that you find about Jesus in that passage.
John 1:51 reveals that the Son of Man is the staircase, the connection between earth and heaven. When we look at the context of the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael, we see some other revealing truths. First, when Jesus spoke of Nathanael as one in whom there was no guile or deceit, many believe He was contrasting Nathanael with Jacob, whose name means deceiver. There was no "deceit" or no "Jacob" in Nathanael. Deceit and insincerity marked many in Jesus' day as the Gospels clearly reveal. By revelation, Nathanael saw Jesus for who He is, the Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of Man, the One about whom the prophet Daniel spoke, but more than that, He pictured Himself not only as the King who would reign, but also as the bridge (staircase) between earth and heaven, between man and God. He revealed Himself as both Lord and Savior, and the revelation of Himself had just begun.

The events surrounding Nathanael occurred during the first part of Jesus' ministry. As the weeks and months progressed, Jesus revealed more and more of who He was and why He came. In the third year of His ministry, we find Jesus with the Twelve in the city of Caesarea Philippi around the spring of AD 29. Matthew 16 gives the account in which we see a more complete picture of the Son of Man. There Jesus asked His disciples "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (16:13 NKJV).

§ Read Matthew 16:14—17, and answer the questions below.

What was their first reply (16:14)?

What was His follow-up question (16:15)?

What do you discover about Jesus in Peter's answer (16:16)?

What does Jesus reveal in response to Peter's answer (16:17)?

Jesus asked His disciples "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (nkjv). They replied that people thought He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or some other prophet. To His question "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter quickly answered, "Thou art the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of the Living God." Jesus revealed that Peter's confession of Jesus as the promised Messiah and the Son of God was by the revelation of His heavenly Father, not by any teaching or skill of men. That matched what God revealed to Nathanael over two years before.

The Son of Man is the Christ, the Messiah. He is Lord. What more can we learn about this Son of Man? We will discover more in Week 2.

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