Sick of Religion? Week 2: Devotional Day 5

Sick of Religion? Week 2: Devotional Day 5

DAY 5 – Friday

Daily devotional

Read

Mark 2:8-12, Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 1:13 and 14:14

Ask

What was the significance behind Jesus referring to himself as the Son of Man in this passage?

What historical and future connotations did it hold for both Israelites then and us today?

Reflect

Certain words and terms have the ability to stir up old memories and emotions. What thoughts jump into the forefront of your mind at the mention of the words “twin towers”? Or how about the phrase, “I have a dream?” These recognizable words aren’t void of attachment and significance. They’re markers in our history and give us perspective for our future.

In the gospel of Mark Jesus uses the term “Son of Man” 14 times and each time it holds significance for his audience. It acts as a piece of identification placing him in Israel’s past, present, and God’s coming kingdom. “I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven,” Daniel 7:13 says, “He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world.”

Throughout scripture when we see the term ‘Son of Man’ in relationship to Jesus, it’s his way of claiming his full humanness, and of threading one consistent thread from Genesis (the fall of humanity) through Old Testament times (humanity under God’s law waiting for a coming King from the line of David) and into God’s reigning eternal kingdom (where lost humanity is eternally under the dominion of this heavenly sent Son of Man).

This complex and multifaceted title is worthy of hours of study (The Bible Project Podcast and video has hours of material on this term alone), but our takeaway from Mark 2:8 when Jesus self-identifies as “Son of Man” is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the visions in both Daniel and later in Revelation (1:13 and 14:14). To the crowded room that day Jesus stood before them, fully human, demonstrating miracle by miracle his complete authority as God, the Anointed King from the line of David who had come to claim his eternal throne (Daniel 7:27).