Why is Jesus called both the Son of God and the Son of Man?
Jesus wears two titles that seem to pull in opposite directions: Son of God and Son of Man. One declares His divinity, the other His full humanity, and Scripture insists on both, because a Savior who can stand between God and us must be truly God and truly one of us. The church's confession of Christ has always been both at once.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
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Scripture gives Jesus both titles without apology
Gabriel announces the child as the Son of the Most High, and in the next breath says He will sit on the throne of David. At the baptism, the Father calls Him 'my beloved Son.' And before the high priest, asked, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?' Jesus answered yes, and immediately named Himself the Son of Man coming with the clouds. The two titles belong to one Person.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
Hebrews opens with the Son as the appointed heir of all things, the radiance of God's glory, the exact imprint of God's nature, and it quotes the Father's own words to Him: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.' Jesus taught that the Son does the Father's works and is honored just as the Father is honored. As the Son of God, He is God's equal.
has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today have I become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”
Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise.
The same Jesus is the Son of Man, as genuinely human as the title sounds. Hebrews applies the psalm to Him: made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor through suffering, tasting death for everyone. He shared in flesh and blood, was made like his brothers in every way, and was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. He is not a God pretending to be human; He is the God-man.
But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t see all things subjected to him, yet. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.
Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
To reconcile God and man, the mediator must know both sides. If Jesus were only God, He could not die for men; if only a man, His death could not save. Paul names Him 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' As the Son of Man He can suffer and die in our place; as the Son of God His death has infinite worth. The two titles are the two halves of the gospel's only bridge.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
Thomas met the risen Jesus and cried, 'My Lord and my God,' and the church has confessed Jesus as Lord and God ever since, without ever ceasing to confess that He is man. John saw Him as 'the one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father,' who lived among us full of grace and truth. Not a Jesus diminished to fit our categories: the fully divine Son of God who is also fully the Son of Man.
Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.
His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.