"Son of God, Son of Man"

The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:63-64 NIV).

Without going into a lengthy recitation of apologetics I want to concentrate on two key names that Jesus claimed for Himself: Son of God and Son of Man. Like the Father, Jesus is God. He always was, always is, and always will be. But unlike the Father, Jesus is also a human being. Though charged with blasphemy and crucified for claiming to be one with the Father, Jesus' resurrection validates his claim to be God's Son in a unique way. When we confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God, we share in the love the Father has for the Son, becoming adopted children of God. Additionally, though Jesus was the Son of God, he was also the Son of Man, a title that emphasizes both his lowliness and his eventual dominion. Near the end of his life, when the high priest asked him whether he was the Son of God, Jesus no longer avoided the title but answered clearly. That answer is the heart of our reading today. So, what difference does that make for us today practically? Well, at least one thing is that when we pray to Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man, we are praying to the One who is your Brother and your Lord.

Few things are as hard in this world as growing up without a family. What must it be like to live without the sense that you are deeply connected to other human beings who will stand by you no matter what? I have been waiting at the airport on occasion when I have noticed several families who were also waiting at the gate. On one particular occasion a group of people seemed especially tense and expectant. It didn't take long to realize just who they were waiting for. Six little black-haired babies were carried off the plane, lovingly cradled in the arms of a stranger who had watched over them during their long journey from South Korea to America. Now each infant was tenderly transferred into the arms of a waiting parent. The families were jubilant, the mothers teary-eyed, the children jumping up and down for a closer look at their new brother or sister, the fathers grinning broadly.

The scene I was privileged to witness is an image of the rejoicing that goes on in heaven whenever one of us crosses over from darkness to light, placing our faith in Jesus as God's Son. Today as you consider what Christ has done for you, imagine the rejoicing that went on in heaven when God changed your status from that of a spiritual orphan to a beloved son or daughter, no longer a slave but an heir to all of his promises. That’s the uniqueness of the person of Jesus and the grace that is now made available to us through His completed work! For me that’s a real “wow!”