Matthew 16:13 Who do people say the Son of Man is?

Jesus alone bears this title. He takes ownership of it and then demands to know who men think he is. We can only begin to understand this aspect of Jesus’ identity by realizing that it speaks both to his humanity and divinity at the same time. He was born a human being but long before that he was part of the “us” in Genesis 1:26 and later identified as the Word who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1 – 2). That Word then became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:14).

While on earth he demonstrated some aspects of his divinity in taking power over sin, diseases and demons alike.  “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Seeing the faith of the friends who brought the paralytic man to him Jesus said to the man “Son, your sins are forgiven”… “I tell you, get up take up your mat and go home.”  (See Mark 2:5, 10 -11)  The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10).  He accomplished this by his death on the cross. And because he suffered he is able to identify with us when we suffer. But the Son of Man did not stay on the cross or in the grave. He rose triumphantly and ascended back to his Father. In that transition we see him revert to his rightful place at the right hand of God the Father.

I believe it is this glorified Son of Man whom Daniel describes for us in chapter 7 as coming with the clouds of heaven, the same Son of Man who John encounters in his vision in chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation. He is the Christ, one with the Father, the beginning and the ending:

“All power is given to me in heaven and earth. It is so ordained and nothing shall change it. I am the Alpha and the Omega, before me there was no one and after me shall be no one. I reign from time to eternity. I am now and ever shall be the only God.”