Son of Man has Authority
He is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel who has absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth.
After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began to proclaim
the “good news” of the kingdom – “The season is fulfilled, the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.” The term “Kingdom
of God” is a summary statement that means different things to different
people, but he identified his mission with the “Son of Man” in the book
of Daniel.
In Capernaum, he entered the synagogue to teach
about the kingdom. But there was something about how he did so that
astonished his audience - “He taught them as one who has authority, and not
as the scribes.”
Typically, the
scribes cited historical and legal precedents, the “traditions of the elders,”
and they were not known for issuing clear or innovative declarations on their
own authority.
QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS AUTHORITY
Next, Jesus delivered a man from an “unclean
spirit.” Amazed, the men in the synagogue asked questions about what they
had seen. “What is this? With authority, he commands even the unclean spirits, and
they obey him.” His audience recognized his “authority” but did not
understand its source - (Mark 1:21-27).
Some days
later, a paralytic man was brought to Jesus by several men, no doubt expecting
him to heal their friend. But rather than simply heal the man, Jesus declared
his sins “forgiven.”
This caused
consternation in the crowd, and the “scribes” were indignant. After all,
who could forgive sins “but God alone.” His was an act of presumption if
not blasphemy. Moreover, he had discharged the debt of sin on his own authority, apart from the Temple rituals required by the Torah.
Jesus challenged his critics. “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise, take up your couch and walk?” Both statements are easy to say, and both are impossible to do without the authority of God. But he did not ask which one was easier to do, but instead, which one was easier “to say.”
It is easy
to proclaim the forgiveness of sins since no one can verify the validity of
your claim from observable evidence. But to say the paralytic was “healed” was far
more difficult since verification would be immediate and obvious. If Jesus could
demonstrate his authority to heal, it would validate his authority to proclaim the
“forgiveness of sins.” And that is precisely what he did:
- “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on the earth, he said to the paralytic, Rise, take up your couch, and go your way to your house. And he arose and, immediately, taking up the couch, he went forth before all.”
This is
the first recorded instance where Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man.”
He does not say that he has “authority,” but that the “Son of Man has
authority,” in this case, to “forgive” sins.
THE SON OF MAN
This is the
self-designation used most often by Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
And it is in his capacity as the “Son of Man” that he has the authority
to “discharge” the debt of sins.
The term “Son
of Man” is derived from Daniel’s vision in which he sees “one like a Son
of Man on the clouds of heaven” approaching the “Ancient of Days,” and
the latter clearly represents Yahweh. From Him, the “Son of Man” receives
“dominion” and the kingdom so that all “peoples, nations, and men of every tongue
might serve him” (Daniel 7:13-14).
In the
text in Daniel, “dominion” translates the Aramaic term ‘sholtan,’
meaning “dominion, sovereignty” - the right and authority to rule. By
identifying his actions with this “Son of Man,” Jesus claims not only to
have the authority to implement and reign over the kingdom but also leaves no
doubt as to the source of his authority, the “Ancient of Days.”
That is
why he has the “authority to forgive sins.” From Yahweh, the “Son of
Man” receives sovereignty over a kingdom that is “everlasting, and it
will not pass away, and it will not be destroyed.” His authority is from
God Himself, and according to the prophecy, there are no limits on the extent
of his dominion. It extends over all the peoples of the earth, and it will
endure forever.
Certainly,
the Torah provides the sacrificial rituals necessary to cleanse ritual
defilement and atone for sins, and the “scribes” are not completely
off-base by asking, “who can forgive sins except God?”
But on this day, they witnessed something entirely new and unprecedented, and that is why the crowd glorified God because “He had given such authority to men.” And by doing so, they acknowledged his dominion and “served” him, the “Son of Man.”
Since his
authority is from God, Jesus is fully within his rights to declare anyone’s
sins “forgiven” whether he or she has undergone the required Temple rituals
or not. And this is why the “Son of Man” can issue authoritative
declarations about sin, ritual purity, dietary restrictions, and even the
Sabbath Day (“for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” - Mark
2:23-28, 7:14-23).
Thus,
by identifying himself as the “Son of Man,” Jesus indicates the source of his authority, a claim his healings and
exorcisms validate.
But
being the “Son of Man” is not all
fun and games. Later, he will
reveal the true
significance of his calling when he combines
the figure of the “Son of Man” with Isaiah’s
‘Suffering
Servant’ - for the “Son of Man
must be delivered into the hands of
the chief priests and scribes who would condemn
him to death, and hand him
over to the Gentiles for execution.”
The one called to rule over God’s kingdom must
first “give his life a ransom for many.”
