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.
“Son of Man” was Jesus' favourite way of referring to himself, used dozens of times in the Gospels. On the surface it sounds humble — a human being — and it truly affirms that Jesus was fully one of us.
But the title carries a hidden majesty. It reaches back to Daniel's vision, where “one like the Son of man” comes with the clouds of heaven and is given everlasting dominion over all peoples and nations.
So the name holds together two wonders: Jesus is genuinely human, sharing our flesh and our struggles, and yet he is the exalted heavenly figure to whom all authority is given.
In calling himself the Son of Man, Jesus quietly claimed both to be our brother and to be the King of Daniel's vision — near enough to sympathise with us, exalted enough to save us.
See also
Son of God
The title declaring Jesus' unique, eternal relationship with the Father.
King of Kings
Christ's title in Revelation — the King who reigns above every earthly power.
The Word (Logos)
John's name for Jesus — the eternal Word through whom all things were made.
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