Son of God and Man

Greetings, everyone, and merry Christmas! I can't believe it's only a few days away . . . This year has just flown by, hasn't it? But as for today, I'm going to be doing what I did last year: a short, inspirational, Christmas-related post. I hope that's okay with you all!

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I remember being confused, when I was younger, by Jesus referring to Himself as both the Son of God and the Son of Man. "Why does He call Himself that?" I would ask myself. "He's the Son of God, so He should be referring to Himself by that title."

But when I was researching the usage of the both names, I found something very interesting. Jesus almost always refers to Himself as the Son of Man, while others call Him the Son of God. Why is this? Well, we need to start where my befuddlement met its demise: at the beginning of what we call the Christmas story.

A messenger of God, whom we presume to be Gabriel, appears before Mary and informs her that she's going to be pregnant, but not with just any ol' kiddo. She's going to bear the Savior of the entire world, a burden that sounds far greater than any other pregnancy. Mary agrees with what the messenger says and gives her permission for this act to be done.

You have to understand, if God wanted to, He could've sent Jesus down in a fiery chariot as an adult, or had Him simply poof into existence. But that's not the plan. If Jesus is going to become our Advocate, He must become like us to understand our situation. Suppose you were in court, and your defendant is someone from a poor, lawless country where justice is very different--and he can't even speak your language properly! You don't want him defending you, because he won't understand your situation. Jesus submerged Himself into the flaws and indecency of humanity to fully comprehend us and our nature.

This is why I think He calls Himself the Son of Man so often. I know the meaning is debated by scholars, but it seems cut-and-dried to me. It's to remind us that He, though totally God, is also totally man. Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, and divine nature melded with fallen humanity in one woman's womb. (Honestly, it's no wonder Joseph wanted to divorce Mary at first. Can you imagine her trying to explain that to him? "Seriously, Joe, I haven't been sleeping around. This is the work of God." It would've taken an angel to convince me too.)

There's a reason why Jesus would remind us of His combined deity and humanity. It's because He was going to step in for us one day and be our Advocate before the Father. And while He experienced thirty years of life in our mortal form, Hebrews 4:15 (The Voice) says, "For Jesus is not some high priest who has no sympathy for our weaknesses and flaws. He has already been tested in every way that we are tested; but He emerged victorious, without failing God." When we read the account of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert, it's easy to assume that he only did so three times. But if Jesus was tested in EVERY SINGLE WAY that we are, the devil must've been busy for those forty days.

Why am I talking about this? Christmas is a time where families come together and celebrate, but it can also be a time where old wounds are opened, past hurts come back to mind, and heartache is given room for growth. We all have imperfect families, but no matter what happens, no matter what we go through, Jesus says, "I get it. I've experienced it too. I'll help you through it. Together, we can overcome any and every obstacle. No mountain is too big, and no road is too long. Just let Me step in and help you, just as I stepped onto Earth in a quiet fashion so many years ago."

And that is a powerful reminder, for any time of the year.

I hope you enjoyed the post! I know it was a little all over the place, but I hope it tied together at the end. I also hope that you were encouraged by it. Merry Christmas to you and your family!