"Son of Man" was Jesus' favorite way to refer to himself. The phrase is unusual in both Greek and English. It translates the Hebrew phrase ben ’adam, which means "human being" or "person" (see, for example, Ezekiel 2:1–8). Jesus liked this name because it did not cause debates like the titles "Christ" or "Messiah."
The Gospels use the expression in three ways:
The background to Jesus’ use of the title comes from Daniel 7:13–14. In this passage, a messianic figure "like a son of man" (meaning "like a human") arrives with the clouds of heaven and receives great glory and power. Jesus saw himself as the one who would return to earth in the clouds of heaven (see Mark 8:38; 13:26; 14:62). Sometimes, Jesus used "Son of Man" to describe his role as judge, deliverer, savior, and the one who rights wrongs (Matthew 10:23; 13:41; 16:27; 19:28; 24:27, 30, 37, 44; 25:31; 26:64).
Jesus often called himself the "Son of Man" to show he was a suffering redeemer (Matthew 12:40; 17:9, 12, 22; 20:18, 28; 26:2, 24, 45). This idea comes from Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
Sometimes, Jesus used "Son of Man" to describe himself as a representative of humans (Matthew 8:20; 11:19; 12:8, 32; 13:37). The book of Ezekiel uses "son of man" in a similar way (again see, Ezekiel 2:1–8).
Jesus did not use "Son of Man" to separate his humanity from his divinity as "Son of God" sometimes does. By using this title, Jesus defined himself as the Messiah or Christ (God's chosen one) on his own terms. He used "Son of Man" to describe his complete identity and implied that those who watched and listened should recognize who he is.
Passages for Further Study
Ezekiel 2:1–8; 3:1, 4, 10, 17, 25; 4:1; Daniel 7:13–14; 8:17; Matthew 8:18–22; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 32, 40; 13:37, 41; 16:13, 27–28; 17:9, 12, 22; 19:28; 20:18, 28; 24:27, 30, 37–39, 44; 25:31; 26:2, 24, 45, 64; Mark 2:10; John 1:51; 3:13–14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23, 34; 13:31; Acts 7:56; Hebrews 2:6; Revelation 1:13; 14:14