During His earthly ministry—and even as He departed—Jesus consistently called Himself the Son of Man, promising to return in that same identity (Matthew 24:44). He never casually referred to Himself as the Son of God, except when He affirmed Peter’s confession that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” As humans, we do not ordinarily call ourselves “sons of men.” We must, therefore, establish why Jesus insisted on this title and what it signifies.
In Jewish records, there is no suggestion that Jesus was ever identified as a member of a Trinity, as most Christians later came to believe. If this idea is absent from the Scriptures, how did the doctrine of a Triune God captivate so many, especially since Christ Himself never taught it? The Hebrew term Messiah means “the anointed one.” The custom of anointing with oil was a ritual that set apart individuals for priestly, royal, or occasionally prophetic roles (such as the prophet Elisha).
Under the Old Covenant, anointing was performed by ritually pouring oil upon the person. Yet the only public confirmation of Jesus’ authority to begin His work was a water baptism by John the Baptist. Although “Christ” means “the Anointed One,” Jesus was not anointed with oil according to the Old Covenant pattern. His anointing followed a different, more profound process, signified by His baptism.
After He came up from the water, a voice from heaven declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Immediately, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Notably, the one subjected to temptation was the Son of Man—not the Son of God in His divine nature, whom Satan could not truly tempt. Before we can fully explore the term “Son of Man,” we must first clear up misunderstandings surrounding the “Son of God.”
Humanity was created in God’s image, which establishes our original sonship to God. We are sons of God by virtue of having been made in His likeness, but we lost that sonship through sin. This necessitated God sending Jesus Christ, the only one untainted by Adam’s sin. Because of Adam’s fall, God now identifies sinful humanity as “sons of men,” a condition that cancels our standing as sons of God. This applies to humanity in general, though a few—such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham—maintained the condition of sonship through faith.
In Judaism, the Messiah is a figure of immense significance, bearing the characteristics of both priest and king. He is understood to be the one who will reorder the world according to God’s will. The Jews have always been clear that the Messiah cannot be God Himself. Yet the one anointed to restore divine order comes not only for Israel but for the entire world.
Jesus comes to us as the Son of Man, not as the Son of God, so that He can effectively deal with our sin. In other words, He came bearing all the attributes of a sinner—though He Himself never sinned—so that He could handle our sin on our behalf. God set Him apart as the one human being among all humanity who was sinless, making Him an acceptable sacrifice.
Humanity’s failure to interpret prophecies correctly led the Jews to assume the Messiah would arrive as a conquering hero who would vanquish their political enemies. But their failure stemmed largely from a deep-seated invalidation of the humanity that Jesus embodied. John wrote that one way to recognize the Spirit of God is to affirm that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, as opposed to the spirit that does not acknowledge this (1 John 4:2-3).
The prophecies revealed a mysterious birth: the Messiah would be born of a woman. Isaiah spoke clearly of His coming, and it is necessary to analyze those Scriptures carefully concerning the Messiah and His attributes. For those whom God opens their eyes, this is a prophecy that removes all ambiguity:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV)
The first point of understanding is that God cannot literally reign on David’s throne as a mere human king. But as we can see, the child born to us also carries divine attributes. As the Son of Man, Jesus highlights the aspect of being the child born to us, according to the prophecy. But within Him there is another aspect: a son who is given (not born), signifying the Son of God—a gift to humanity. In His relationship with humanity, Jesus manifests the child born to us, the Son of Man, as His primary identity, while remaining fully aware of His true divinity.
All those identified as children of God carry the attributes of His nature and are expected to magnify the Son who is given in their own lives, in keeping with the prophecy. They may not reach the standard of Jesus, but they still carry that Godly nature, qualifying them as God’s children through grace. There is no ambiguity in this reality. An ideal human being was created in God’s image—an image that ordinary humans lost through sinfulness.
Virtually, there is nothing blatantly wrong with calling Jesus God, just as there would be nothing blatantly wrong with calling anyone who is truly a son of God by that term. This is perfectly consistent with humanity having been created in God’s image. What God created in His own image carries His attributes, just as a lion cub carries the attributes of a lion. This is what Jesus illustrated when the Jews challenged Him:
“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?” (John 10:33-36 NIV)
The Jews were infuriated because Jesus claimed that He and His Father were one. Their hostility was triggered by His declaration of being God’s Son. Jesus then reminded them that there was nothing sinister about claiming to be a son of God; He quoted Scripture: “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High’” (Psalm 82:6 NIV). Those Jews were just as confused as the advocates of the Trinity remain today, despite having the Scriptures at their disposal.
Jesus is our brother in His humanity, yet He is also the Son of God. Similarly, a true Christian is a brother to humanity while being a son of God. Later, the apostle John confirmed this reality so that true followers of Jesus cannot be swayed. There is, fundamentally, no difference between God and humanity except the dividing line of sinfulness, which Jesus came to eradicate.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:18-21 NIV)
These Scriptures are among those that dismantle the idea of a Trinity. As the custodians of the Holy Scriptures, those Jews ought to have perfectly understood Jesus in John 10:34-36. A son of God cannot be viewed as separate or different from God. By rejecting their status as God’s children, those Jews confirmed that they were, in reality, the devil’s children. The key issue lies in misunderstanding the lost divinity of humanity due to sin, rather than viewing it merely as open rebellion.
His disciples may also have been skeptical, but at least they did not react as those Jews did. They had not yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit, so they could not fully realize that they had been called to be different, even though they had established that Jesus was the Messiah. They lacked the significance of that reality, as revealed through Philip’s pursuit of the matter:
“If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:7-9 NIV)
This was the first time Jesus unveiled the deeper secret of His Messiahship. What He stated is no different from what John later wrote: “For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20). A person who sees a Christian brother or sister is, in a real sense, seeing God. The most important component in these Scriptures is the confirmation of God’s original declaration:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27 NIV)
Because they were not created in God’s image, other creatures are not God’s children, yet they instinctively align with God’s design. There is no rebellion or sinfulness among them—only in humanity. When Jesus confirmed Himself as God’s Son, He was not insinuating some secretive existence; He was affirming the gift of sonship that God had conferred on humanity, yet which humanity could not accept. Although in John 10:34-36 Jesus attempted to show the Jews that His pronouncement did not depart from Scripture, they remained uncomfortable with His claim to be the Son of God.
Ordinary people knew Jesus as the Son of Man. But to His disciples, Jesus maintained that He was God’s Son. As the Son of Man, He would be treated shamefully on the cross. Yet those who mistreated Him would not be aware that they were mistreating God; they thought they were dealing with a sinner who pretended to be God. Jesus’ appearance as Son of Man bears the exact opposite of what the Son of God implies. Similarly, His brothers are to bear the opposite of what the Son of God implies, which is why He insisted on humility as the hallmark of His teaching: “For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20).
The confusion in Christianity lies in not truly knowing the identity of Jesus, just as one would be oblivious to the true identity of humanity. As the Son of Man, submitting to crucifixion, Jesus was not wearing the “jacket” of the Son of God; He was carrying our sinful burdens so that we could become children of God. Our theologians cannot be blamed entirely for their doctrine of the Trinity. They are guided by human analytical observation more than they are led by the Holy Spirit to understand these mysteries.
Ordinary humans cannot comprehend the nature of being God while being human, because of sinfulness. This is why Jesus told Peter that flesh and blood—which represent sinfulness—could not reveal the mystery of His identity (Matthew 16:17). Peter had seen what ordinary humans could not. Flesh and blood desire everything opposed to God; for instance, flesh and blood constantly desire to receive, while God constantly desires to give. In Jesus, the Jews saw the Son of Man, and Jesus consistently identified Himself to them in that way.
As the way, the truth, and the life, His followers are expected to adjust their minds to think like Him, to be confirmed as God’s children. The same Son of Man was seen ascending to heaven (Acts 1:11), and the same Son of Man will one day be seen descending from the skies: “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26 NIV). As long as Christians remain unaware of the differences delineated in Matthew 16:17, they remain mystified.
Only careful observers can notice that those eagerly waiting for a future second coming may not necessarily be exhibiting true Christian understanding. This is validated throughout John 14. Jesus made it clear that Christians would never be without Him. The world would not see Him, but believers would remain with the One whom Peter identified as the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:17):
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:6-9 NIV)
Trapped in their condition of physical existence, the people of this world are waiting for the Son of Man’s second coming, unaware that He already dwells with true Christians. His followers, no longer placing ultimate value on physical existence, were never left as orphans. This is why they do not fear death: they have discovered the emptiness of the physical nature and instead value their spiritual condition. It is impossible for a person who projects himself as a worldly leader to truly identify with Jesus, who submitted to the cross as a servant of humanity.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:18-20 NIV)
The orphanage Jesus speaks of does not refer to the sons of men but to the sons of God. Failure to distinguish between the Son of Man and the Son of God—as laid out in Matthew 16:16—only creates confusion. It is no surprise when our theologians fail to grasp this, for they stand on the premise of the flesh. Jesus said flesh and blood cannot reveal it, but only the Father in heaven. When we say “God in heaven,” we refer to God who dwells among true Christians, yet remains unidentified by ordinary humans.
What is most fascinating is the impossibility of loving Jesus due to failing to love those in one’s immediate surroundings. John affirms this as what exposes liars. As long as we invalidate our fellow humans, we invalidate God, just as those who invalidated Christ were invalidating God. Therefore, the person who adulates the Son of Man who left after the resurrection, yet fails to love his brother, is living in confusion.
This is profound, and it is extremely important for the enlightened ones to disseminate it widely. But it is not surprising if others prefer to suppress such truth. The Jews could not help picking up stones to kill the Master of our destiny, even after hearing directly from Him (John 10:33-36). We live in a world of confusion.
The worshippers of the Son of Man cannot identify with the Son of God, who manifests among true Christians. In their imaginations, they carry fantasies of what Jesus should look like. It takes an enlightened mind to exercise skepticism when observing such strange behaviors. Otherwise, the deceived often appear more confident than those who stand on the side of truth.
The voice of the Lord continues to cry in the wilderness. Ignored and trampled upon, that voice will nonetheless make sense to the few, chosen ones. The blinding factor remains the inability to see the difference between the Son of Man and the Son of God. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Matthew 3:3 NIV).
Since His ascension, the Son of Man has been preaching the gospel through His brothers. But the Son of the living God has been fully involved—though unidentified by the world—manifesting in the works of His brothers. He has been using those whom He calls His own, across the length and breadth of the earth. The world cannot know these people, just as the world could not know the Son of Man, who is Jesus.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-40 NIV)
It is fascinating to note that even the righteous were oblivious to Jesus’ presence, yet having done all these commendable things for Him. Herein lies the mystery that our learned theologians have not discovered from time immemorial. From now on, the sincere will realize that God’s revelation has nothing to do with theological studies. Only God Almighty is the Revealer, and He reveals these truths only to those who embrace the brotherhood of humility.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression 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, relieving 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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