Son of Man has Authority
Jesus is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the one with 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” was a summary
statement that meant different things to different people, but he identified
his mission most closely with the “Son of Man” from the book of Daniel.
In
Capernaum, he entered the synagogue and began to teach. But there was something
about how he taught 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 declarations on
their own authority.
Next,
Jesus delivered a man from an “unclean spirit.” Amazed, the men in the
synagogue were questioning just what they had witnessed. “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 among 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, and 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 when
Jesus referred to himself as the “Son of Man.” He did not say
that he had “authority,” but that the “Son of Man has authority,”
in this case, to “forgive” sins. This is the self-designation used most
often by Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And it was in
his capacity as the “Son of Man” that he had the authority to “discharge”
the debt of sins.
The term “Son of Man” is derived from
Daniel’s vision when he saw “one like a Son of Man on the clouds of heaven”
approaching the “Ancient of Days,” and the latter clearly represented Yahweh.
From Him, the “Son of Man” received “dominion” and the kingdom so
that all “peoples, nations,
and men of every tongue might serve him” (Daniel 7:13-14).
In the text from Daniel, “dominion”
translates the Aramaic term ‘sholtan,’ meaning “dominion,
sovereignty” - the right and authority to rule. By identifying
his actions with that “Son of Man,” Jesus claimed not only to have the
authority to implement and reign over the kingdom but also left no doubt as to
the source of his authority, the “Ancient of Days.”
And that is why he had the “authority to
forgive sins.” From Yahweh, the “Son of Man” received sovereignty over
the kingdom that is “everlasting, and it will not pass away, and it will not
be destroyed.” His authority was from God Himself, and according to the
prophecy, there were no limits on the extent of his dominion. It extended over
all the peoples of the earth, and it would endure forever.
Certainly, the Torah provided the
sacrificial rituals necessary to cleanse ritual defilement and atone for sins,
and the “scribes” were not completely off-base by asking, “who can
forgive sins except God?” But on this day, they had 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 was from God, Jesus was
fully within his rights to declare anyone’s sins “forgiven” whether he
or she had undergone the required Temple rituals or not. And that is why the “Son
of Man” could issue authoritative declarations about sin, ritual purity,
dietary restrictions, and even the Sabbath (“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 indicated the source of his authority, a claim his healings and exorcisms validated.
But being
the “Son of Man” would not be all
fun and games. Later, he would reveal the
true significance of his calling when he combined 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, the “Son of Man,”
must first “give his life a ransom for many.”
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