September 10

The Son of man. - Matthew 20:28.

THIS was the testimony our Saviour here gave to his own character. It is not, perhaps, peculiar to the New Testament; at least, David speaks of “the Son of man whom God had made strong for himself.” This probably alludes to the Messiah. Daniel also speaks of “one like the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven.” This certainty refers to the Messiah. But we find the expression constantly in the four Gospels; and it is used there not by the four evangelists, but always by himself. And how frequently, how constantly he calls himself “the Son of man!” and yet how often did he give intimations of his divinity!

There are things spoken of him which are certainly not true of him as man: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And here are things spoken which do not apply to him as God: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” He hungered and thirsted as man: he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; as man he suffered; as man he sympathized and wept with other sufferers; and as man he died. How, then, is this difficulty to be solved? Why, only by this-that there are the Divine and the human natures conjoined in his wonderful person. While thus he called himself the Son of man, he gave frequent and distinct intimations as to his divinity.

First, By proclaiming himself always the subject of his own ministry: and though he was meek and lowly in heart, yet he was always preaching himself: “I am the bread of life;” “I am the light of the world;” “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me;” and “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Secondly, By claiming the attributes peculiar to Deity; as, for instance, with regard to one-and one is enough; for if he be so possessed of one attribute peculiar to Deity, he must possess all. As to his omnipresence: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world;” “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

And, thirdly, In suffering others to ascribe the same perfections to him, and allowing himself to be adored and worshipped without rebuking the adorers and the worshippers. This being premised, we may notice two satisfactory reasons why he was accustomed to call himself ” the Son of man.” The first is, because he would gradually develope himself This aim continued with him even to the end. Just before he was leaving the world to go to the Father, he said to them,” I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now;” “Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself;”-he will not be the author of a new dispensation, but will confirm and establish mine;-“He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you.” And the other is, because our concern with him principally lies in his assuming human nature.

“Till God in human flesh I see,

My thoughts no comfort find.”

And therefore the Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, says, “We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” He makes the incarnation of the Saviour the very medium of our salvation; and so it is, and every view of it will convince us of the necessity of it. Being man, as our teacher, his terror does not make us afraid.

Being man he becomes our complete example; which he could not have been had he been God only. How could he have gone before us with regard to all that impulse and reverence, obedience and humility, tenderness and suffering, which we see in his character? And yet, how much of our religion is connected with this! Being man, he can gain our confidence and be able to sympathize with us in our distresses, which he could not have done as God only. “In that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” And being man he could become perfect therein, and “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”