Is the Son of Man title about judgment or mercy?
Both, and neither is half of the truth: the Son of Man is the Judge appointed by the Father, and He is the One who came to seek and save the lost. Judgment is real, and it is His; mercy is His first movement, and it is real. The two meet at the cross, where the Judge took our condemnation so that those who trust Him need not fear the day of judgment.
This question arose from studying Why did Jesus call himself the Son of Man? and Why is Jesus called both the Son of God and the Son of Man?.
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What the Scripture says
The title carries both notes from the start
In Daniel's vision, the Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days as the court is seated and the books are opened, and to Him is given an everlasting kingdom: the figure of Daniel 7 is a judge receiving a crown. And in the Gospels the same Jesus says the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Judgment and rescue are not two different characters; they are two works of the same Lord.
A fiery stream issued and came out from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Judgment is real, and it belongs to Him
John is blunt: 'The Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son... because he is a son of man.' Paul preached that God has appointed this man to judge the world in righteousness, and Jesus described that day: the Son of Man on his throne, the nations gathered, the sheep and the goats separated, and the eternal outcome declared. No one will face that judgment but through Him, and no one will miss it.
For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son,For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Mercy is His first movement
Before He ever speaks of the judgment seat, Jesus speaks of being lifted up so that whoever believes in Him will not perish. 'God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.' To the woman caught in sin He said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.' The mercy is not a door He opens reluctantly; it is why He came.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The two meet at the cross
In John 3, the mercy and the judgment are one act: the Son of Man is lifted up on the cross, and whoever believes in Him is not condemned, while whoever does not believe stands already condemned. Paul says the record that stood against us was nailed to the cross, taken out of the way. The Judge bore the judgment. The mercy cost Him everything, and the judgment is finished for everyone who trusts Him.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
So how do we face the Judge?
The answer Scripture gives is not fear or presumption; it is faith. Jesus said whoever hears His word and believes the Father has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John adds that love gives us boldness in the day of judgment, because we are in Christ. The same Judge who will one day separate the nations is the Brother who was tempted as we are. Draw near to His throne of grace now, and you will find mercy.
“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world.Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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What does it mean that the world hates Jesus?→“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”Why did God become a man?→“The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”Why did the disciples not recognize Him after He rose?→“But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.”What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of David?→“When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”Why did Jesus often tell people not to reveal who He was?→“The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, “You are the Son of God!” He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.”How can one Person be fully God and fully man at once?→“The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”What does the creed mean by 'he descended into hell'?→“because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”What is the final judgment, and who will be there?→“For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”What did Jesus teach about the kingdom of God?→“From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”How is the new covenant different from the old one?→“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”What was it like to see the risen Jesus?→“See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”Why did Jesus appear only to certain people after His resurrection?→“God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.”Who were 'the spirits in prison', and what did Christ preach to them?→“in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”What does it mean that God is one?→“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:”What will believers be rewarded for, if salvation is by grace alone?→“each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”What does it mean to eat His flesh and drink His blood?→“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”For whom did Christ die?→“I am the good shepherd.The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”What does 'the whole world' mean in 1 John 2:2?→“And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”What does the title 'Christ' mean?→“The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,”Does the Bible teach there are other gods?→“It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh is God. There is no one else besides him.Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.”Who are the 'gods' (elohim) of Psalm 82?→“God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.”If Jesus is the 'firstborn of all creation,' was He created?→“who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”Do I need a priest to reach God?→“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”What does Scripture show us about Mary?→“Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”Does it matter which Jesus I believe in?→“But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”Which modern portraits of Jesus preach another Jesus?→“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”How does Jesus becoming man show us the Father's love?→“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”What does it mean that Jesus is the Lion of Judah?→“One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals.” I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”Why does only Paul mention the five hundred witnesses?→“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son,For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world.Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
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