Why is the title "Son of Man" significant in John 5:27? Text Under Consideration “‘He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.’ ” (John 5:27) Immediate Johannine Context Jesus has just healed the paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1-15). Confronted by religious leaders for working on the Sabbath, He claims equality with the Father (5:17-18). Verses 19-30 form His formal legal defense: the Father and the Son act in perfect unity, giving life (5:21, 26) and rendering judgment (5:22). Verse 27 climaxes that argument: the prerogative to judge humanity is vested in Jesus precisely “because He is the Son of Man.” Old Testament Roots 1. Ezekiel: Yahweh repeatedly calls the prophet “son of man,” underscoring human frailty (Ezekiel 2:1 etc.). 2. Psalm 8:4 stresses man’s seeming insignificance before God’s majesty. 3. Daniel 7:13-14: “One like a Son of Man…was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom; all peoples…should serve Him.” The Aramaic verb pelach (“serve, worship”) is used elsewhere only of deity (e.g., Daniel 3:12). Thus the Danielic Son of Man is simultaneously human and divine, a heavenly figure entrusted with universal and everlasting rule. Second-Temple Jewish Expectations Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q246 “Son of God” text) and 1 Enoch 37-71 expand Daniel 7, portraying a pre-existent, judgment-bringing Son of Man. First-century Jews thus associated the title with end-time vindication and cosmic authority—precisely what Jesus claims in John 5. Christological Weight in the Fourth Gospel John uses “Son of Man” thirteen times, locating every major theme of his Gospel under this heading: • Revelation from heaven (1:51; 3:13). • Granting of eternal life (6:27, 53). • Lifting up (crucifixion/exaltation) (3:14; 8:28; 12:23-34). • Glorification after betrayal (13:31). John 5:27 uniquely links the title to end-time judgment, welding the Daniel 7 picture to Jesus’ present mission. Authority to Judge: Legal and Eschatological Dimensions The Father “has committed all judgment to the Son” (5:22) and “has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (5:27). The Danielic background explains the logic: 1. Daniel’s Son of Man receives authority after approaching the Ancient of Days. 2. By invoking that title, Jesus declares fulfillment of Daniel 7 in Himself. 3. Therefore He, not Israel’s religious court, holds ultimate judicial power over humanity—an audacious claim that provokes the death-plot (5:18; 7:30). Human Solidarity and Representation “Son of Man” proclaims Jesus’ authentic humanity (John 1:14). Judgment is rendered by One who fully shares our nature (Hebrews 2:14-17), ensuring perfect justice. As the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-49), He stands in for the race He judges and redeems. Divine Investiture and Eschatological Kingship While underscoring humanity, the title simultaneously signals deity. John’s prologue affirms the Word was God (1:1). Daniel’s Son of Man is worshiped by “all peoples.” Jesus therefore judges not merely as a fellow creature, but as the God-man endowed with everlasting dominion. Resurrection Connection Jesus’ authority to judge is sealed by His own resurrection—God’s public vindication (Acts 17:31; Romans 1:4). The earliest creedal material (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) testifies to multiple post-mortem appearances. Habermas’s minimal-facts approach notes virtual scholarly unanimity on these core data. A living Judge guarantees a future day when “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice” (John 5:28-29). Patristic Witness Irenaeus (Against Heresies III.19.2) cites John 5:27 to show the incarnate Word “shall also judge, for He is the Son of Man.” Tertullian (Against Marcion IV.35) argues that only a true man can judge men. Their readings match our text, attesting a second-century understanding of the title’s judicial thrust. Evangelistic Application The very Judge has already borne the penalty for those who believe (Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16). Fleeing the courtroom into the arms of the Judge Himself is the gospel’s paradoxical invitation: “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come into judgment” (John 5:24). Summary “Son of Man” in John 5:27 fuses humility and majesty, humanity and deity, legal authority and saving compassion. Rooted in Daniel 7, authenticated by early manuscripts and resurrection evidence, the title certifies that Jesus alone possesses the right—and the heart—to judge the living and the dead. |
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