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I had a special law professor. At 69 he was quite accomplished---Rhodes Scholar, Oxford graduate, Colonel during World War II, diplomat, author, sought-after speaker, esteemed professor. He would look you directly in the eye with his own cool, piercing ones. More than a few were intimidated by him. But they saw only his credentials. They did not really know the man.
I often remember him when others try to tell me who Jesus is. Some find Jesus a great, wise prophet; others, just a nice man trying to help. A few see Him as delusional or opportunistic. But their words are only opinions based on what they want to be true. They haven't taken the time to really know Him.
Jesus most often referred to Himself as Son of Man. Many give that little thought, assuming it only to be a description. Some even take this as proof that He claimed to be just another man. Yet they fail to understand. Much more than a description, Son of Man is a title with enormous meaning.
Daniel 7:13 is one of the most revered passages about the Messiah---the One promised by God to bring redemption. Yet even with such knowledge, most in Jesus' time did not understand. They assumed redemption would restore power and prominence, rather than a relationship with God Almighty.
They believed God and His redemption to be only for themselves. They are not alone. Many, if not most, Muslims see God as only for them. And if we are judged by our actions, many Christians do the same. Yet there is only one God and He is Lord of all. So maybe we should get to know this Son of Man.
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. (Daniel 7:13) This passage does not refer to "son" of man. The word is bar. Often interpreted only as "son", the broader definition is "like or appearing as a son". The Messiah then is one who appears as a son of man, not to diminish His humanity but to indicate there's more than meets the eye.
Was Jesus telling us more about Himself than what appears on the surface? Was this His intention in using Son of Man? And Daniel is an Old Testament book. Wasn't Jesus' primary language Aramaic?
Funny thing about that. While most of the Old Testament is in Hebrew, a few parts were written in a language related to Hebrew and Arabic. In the Middle East, this became the everyday language of Jews and, later, Muslims. It is Aramaic---the language Jesus spoke and the language used in Daniel 7:13.
Simply reading words tells us very little. It isn't enough to know a language. We must understand what is being said. When Jesus referred to Son of Man, He said, Bar-enosh---Aramaic for "appearing as a son of man." But why would He do that? And of all the passages in the Bible, why use the one written in a language that applied to far more than the Jews and Gentiles of the day, but later to Muslims as well?
Jesus was revealing who He is. When you seek me, you will find me. When you find me, you will know who I am. Seek me. Know who I AM. For I and the Father are one. (see
John 10:30, Romans 10:12)
Long ago, few really knew my professor. They never saw him as that kind, humble, and generous man who was always available, even if I wasn't at the top of my class. They never discovered how much each day he longed for peace in the world. They simply knew him as...Dean Rusk, Secretary of State under Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
Have you taken the time to know who Jesus really is?
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