Man was created in God’s image to share a relationship with Him, much as Jesus is known to share with His Father. Jesus, the Son of God, is believed to have been eternally with His Father, yet He also called Himself the Son of Man—born of a woman like anyone else in this world. Jesus is inseparable from the story of humanity. Through Satan’s schemes, the man originally made in God’s image became the enemy of his Creator, prompting God to banish him from the Garden of Eden.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:21–24 NIV).
This passage reveals a timeless mystery: “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” The man mentioned here is Adam, implying that from that moment on, he and all his descendants would be denied access to God’s Kingdom. Yet Genesis 3:15 offers a glimmer of hope that humanity might one day be restored to the symbolic Garden of Eden. When God says, “The man has now become like one of us,” it essentially means that humanity has become His rival.
In that sense, the “son of man” should be viewed as God’s opponent, not His Son, despite being created in His image. Instead of using Satan as a scapegoat, humanity should recognize itself as inherently God’s adversary. The real problem is that people tend to blame Satan for all evil rather than accept responsibility themselves. Since Adam’s time, God has been working with humanity—which forfeited its sonship—seeking ways to bring it back into the fold as His children.
Humanity cannot truly return to being God’s children while blaming Satan instead of owning the sin of our father, Adam. Our hardheartedness comes from refusing to take responsibility for Adam’s sin. The more we avoid this responsibility, the further we distance ourselves from our true Father, who created us in His image. This is why Jesus came to be one of us, even though He was not part of our sinful state. As the Son of Man, He took on our condition so that we could be redeemed from our confusion.
Many people struggle to distinguish between the “Son of Man” and the “Son of God,” often because they are unwilling to confront what happened in the Garden of Eden. For those open to understanding the New Testament, recognizing these differences is crucial. The title “Son of God” led to Jesus’ crucifixion, while the “Son of Man” reflects the guilt tied to humanity’s original sin. Jesus consistently called Himself the Son of Man instead of the Son of God, a choice that provoked significant encounters with the Jews:
“But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips” (Luke 22:69–71 NIV).
How could the Son of Man be seated at the right hand of the Mighty God while also claiming to be the Son of God? The Jews knew that sons of men were enemies of God and had no right to sit beside Him. To them, Jesus’ words sounded blasphemous. They asked directly, “Are you then the Son of God?” Jesus answered in the affirmative, confirming their judgment: “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips” (Luke 22:71 NIV).
Jesus might not have been crucified if He had continued calling Himself the “Son of Man.” People sought to clarify His suggestion that He would sit at the right hand of the Mighty God, a position the Jews believed was reserved for the Messiah. They saw Jesus, as the Son of Man, as undeserving of such honor, not realizing that His role was to reverse the sin that prompted God to say: “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
Jesus spoke to everyday people in parables, so “Son of Man” can be understood as another symbolic term for His identity. There was a special reason He did not want ordinary people to know His true identity. He needed to be earthly, like all of us, to redeem us from the condition we inherited through our ancestor, Adam. The secrets of the Kingdom remained hidden from ordinary people; hence they held multifaceted views about who He actually was:
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13–20 NIV).
At that very moment, the secret came to light: “Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah” (Matthew 16:20). The disciples were instructed to keep the secret hidden. Jesus told Peter he was blessed to know this truth, something flesh and blood could not reveal. Peter’s declaration that Jesus was the Son of God suggested that He was far from ordinary. Interestingly, Christians recognize themselves as God’s children from various Scriptural references, yet they may not realize that this very title led to Jesus’ crucifixion.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19–21 NIV).
The Scripture speaks of the children of men being adopted into God’s household because of what happened on the cross. It is interesting to imagine how Jesus’ killers might have reacted upon hearing Paul say such words. How could he boldly declare, “Members of the household of God”? It is no surprise that the apostles were martyred. The Jews acted under the belief that humanity had always been enemies of God, influenced by Satan. This is why Jesus taught His disciples to love their enemies if they wanted to be His true followers. Through Jesus, they would no longer be sons of men but would take on His likeness.
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:11–14 NIV).
Why couldn’t the disciples be called Sons of Men instead of God’s children? And why is it no longer offensive to claim to be God’s child? The explanation is that Jesus atoned for humanity, granting access to sonship with God. From the Jewish perspective, Jesus diminished God’s divinity, yet some still find declaring oneself God’s child offensive. Many Christians prefer honoring denominational leaders while despising those others, also claiming to be God’s children. Thus, titles like “Man of God” for pastors are conspicuously valued.
Pastors often call members of their denominations “God’s children” without realizing the weight of that term, which was tied to Jesus’ execution. Congregants feel approved by God when they submit to their pastor, sometimes adoring the pastor more than Jesus. They often do not understand that being called God’s children equates them with Jesus.
If equal to Jesus, how can they idolize their pastor over Him? The root of deception in Christianity comes from failing to see that being a pastor is not a promotion but a demotion. No demotion could be more dehumanizing than Jesus’ crucifixion. Pastors claim to serve under Jesus but accept elevation above other believers, illustrating the confusion within Christianity.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:8–12 NIV).
Some pastors claim to submit to Jesus, yet undermine those they see as juniors. They resemble Adam, who blamed his wife instead of taking responsibility for what happened in the Garden of Eden. Many Christians think the above Scripture is confused, without realizing that they may be the ones confused. The question is whether these pastors truly revere Jesus, and the answer is unlikely to be yes. They believe congregants should be submissive to pastors as God’s representatives.
Some even urge their congregants to respect pastors as Christ’s representatives, which may sound reasonable but strays from Christ’s teachings and contradicts His example on the cross. Pastors are often respected by a misguided humanity but disapproved of by the founder of Christianity. Loving Jesus while disregarding His teachings is a contradiction, yet many people support this kind of misguided thinking, assuming God endorses it.
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:12–15 NIV).
First, false prophets do not treat others as they would want to be treated themselves. They expect tithes and offerings from people but give nothing back. Second, just because pastors have widespread approval or recommendations does not mean they are genuine. Third, false prophets, posing as sheep, seek to mislead and corrupt believers for their own financial gain.
God works through Jesus Christ to save humanity, while Satan works to deceive it. The term “Son of Man” is degrading, as Jesus alone bore human degradation on the cross. This term misrepresents the reality of His true identity, yet ordinary people are captivated by the image of the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty. This reflects a widespread confusion in much of the Christian world.
That confusion fuels the concept of the Trinity, rooted in undermining God’s children, who are expected to submit to pastoral authority. Jesus’ words should be emphasized but are often dismissed. Only a few, entering through the narrow gate, can clearly see the dangerous wolves, while most feel validated by God when approved by such cunning figures. “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5 NIV).
On closer observation, some pastoral leaders assume the position of Christ but fail to see themselves as “sons of men.” The title “Son of Man” is as humbling as it is suggestive of a degraded role—one who has borne all of humanity’s sins. Their hypocrisy becomes evident when they claim to be “Men of God” yet avoid embracing the humility tied to the cross. The only dignity in the term “Son of Man” lies in recognizing the one who took the lowest place among all humanity.
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:8–10 NIV).
For Jesus, the term “Son of Man” is merely a title, while for us it reflects the reality of who we truly are. Though the phrase itself may not seem appealing, all believers are urged to embrace its meaning, recognizing ourselves as sons of men by nature, without exception. I might grasp certain truths before others, but that does not give me authority over them. Each believer possesses unique spiritual gifts, exercised under Jesus’ authority. We remain sons of men, relying on God’s mercy to redeem us and make us His children.
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:3–9 NIV).
In Christianity, the idea of deciding who deserves respect among fellow believers does not exist. In the world’s view, giving someone a position of authority seems necessary and logical, often based on past achievements. Sadly, this can take leadership away from Jesus. When Jesus is allowed to lead God’s Church, roles are organically assigned according to His perfect wisdom.
The biggest challenge for Christians is to understand and apply Isaiah 55:8–9. No one in such positions of authority is more important than others, much like the parts of the human body—no single limb can be considered more valuable than the rest. Paul worked strenuously to explain this truth to those who still uphold the concept of authoritarianism.
His illustration in 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 makes it clear that those trying to appear “reasonable” in a way that elevates others above themselves are violating God’s principles. Authoritarians put themselves in Christ’s position, overseeing others, fulfilling what Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:5. Anyone in whom the Spirit dwells should be honored as God is honored, with no real difference between that person and God, as John also suggested in 1 John 4:20. Of course, this honor cannot be understood by those of this world.
The term “Son of Man” should not overly excite believers; it is meant to deepen the understanding of Jesus as the Son of God in our stead. Jesus took on the role of sinful humanity as the Son of Man, a humbling step that should not be mistaken for a promotion, implying that His followers should likewise humble themselves. True believers remain God’s children, just as Jesus is the Son of God, while recognizing their sinful nature, which should keep them grounded. The second coming of Jesus should not surprise believers, but it will surprise nonbelievers.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, which lays out standards for lifting Zimbabwe out of its current economic depression and into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, offering relief to those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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