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Jesus’ Title for Himself

Question:

Why does Jesus call himself the son of man?

Answer:

The title “Son of Man” is used for Jesus 81 times in the Gospels. It also is only found coming from his mouth to refer to himself. It is found only once in Acts (7:55) in the final words of St. Stephen.

Th exact reason that Jesus preferred this title is not known. Some believe that Jesus used it to show that he was the one spoken of by the prophet Daniel (7:13). Others theorize that Jesus used it to emphasize his humanity so that later generations could avoid errors like Gnosticism. Still other theorize that Jesus used it as a “catch-all” title that would not provoke immediate outrage but in retrospect would be seen to allude to his humanity, role as Messiah, and “Second Adam.”

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