Why is Jesus referred to as the "Son of Man" in Matthew 13:37? Old Testament Foundations 1. Human Solidarity – Psalm 8:4 : “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?” emphasizes creaturely dependence. 2. Prophetic Call – Ezekiel is addressed as “son of man” 93 times, underscoring his representative role for Israel. 3. Royal & Divine Authority – Daniel 7:13-14 : “I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven… His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” This figure receives worship, a prerogative of Yahweh alone (cf. Isaiah 42:8), anchoring the title in both humanity and deity. Intertestamental Expectations The title developed into an explicit messianic label in 1 Enoch 46; 4Q246 and 4Q521 from Qumran speak of a coming “son of God” and miracle-working Messiah who would judge and restore. These texts, copied c. 150–50 BC, show that first-century Jews anticipated a heavenly deliverer bearing Daniel’s authority. New Testament Usage Pattern The Gospels record the title 82–83 times, and, strikingly, it falls almost exclusively from Jesus’ own lips. The earliest strands of the Jesus tradition (e.g., Mark 2:10; 10:45) already portray Him using it in three thematic clusters: • Authority on earth (forgiving sin, Sabbath lordship) • Suffering and vindication (passion predictions, resurrection) • Eschatological judgment (coming on clouds, rewarding each person) Immediate Context in Matthew 13 Matthew 13 collects kingdom parables. Verse 37 introduces Jesus’ interpretation: “He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.’ ” . Here the title accomplishes three things: 1. Identifies the sower as the Messiah predicted in Daniel; His sowing inaugurates the kingdom’s hidden phase. 2. Affirms His full participation in humanity—only a true man can sow among men. 3. Foreshadows His role at the consummation (vv. 40-43) when “the Son of Man will send out His angels,” linking sowing with final judgment. Christological Significance • Incarnation – The phrase guards both nature and mission: fully human (“son of”) yet uniquely endowed with “all authority” (Matthew 28:18). • Mediatorship – As kinsman-redeemer (Ruth’s legal concept), He acts on behalf of humankind. • Deity Veiled – By speaking in an idiom of humility, He conceals divinity from the proud while revealing it to the humble (Matthew 11:25). Eschatological Overtones Daniel’s cloud-borne figure reappears in Matthew 24:30; 25:31. The parable’s harvest imagery aligns with Joel 3 and Revelation 14. Jesus assigns Himself the Danielic role, assuring that the same Person who sows (first advent) will reap (second advent). Redemptive-Historical Thread Genesis 3:15 promised a seed of the woman; Psalm 80:17 begs God to “let Your hand be upon the Man at Your right hand, upon the Son of Man You have raised up for Yourself” . Matthew displays that promise fulfilled: the seed-sower is the seed-promised. Pastoral and Behavioral Implications Because the sower is “Son of Man,” disciples may trust that the Judge understands human weakness (Hebrews 4:15). His self-designation invites hearers to decide now, before the harvest, whether to be wheat or weeds (behavioral decision leading to eternal outcomes). Summary Jesus calls Himself “Son of Man” in Matthew 13:37 to merge every strand of biblical revelation: genuine humanity, concealed yet authentic deity, prophetic solidarity, suffering servant, and enthroned Judge. The phrase anchors the parable in Danielic prophecy, authenticates Jesus’ mission to inaugurate and consummate the kingdom, and offers a unique bridge for human redemption—fully God, fully man, the sower who became the grain of wheat (John 12:24) so that many might live. |
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