0794. Christ Is Invested with Power As the Son of Man
Christ Is Invested with Power As the Son of Man
"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven" (Mat_26:64).
We come now to the most forceful and beautiful part of our study.
1. We want to consider the first man Adam. Unto him God gave authority and power. He said to Adam: "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." This dominion was marred when Adam sinned. He lost his heritage.
2. Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, the Second Man, reclaims all that was lost in Adam, and He is clothed with all authority and power. Psa_8:3-6 : "When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet."
That the passage just quoted refers to Christ, we cannot doubt. He is the Son of Man. In Heb_2:6-8 we read the very words of Psa_8:4-6, and then the Holy Spirit continues in Hebrews: "For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him." After this the Holy Spirit goes on to explain: "But now we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, * * crowned with glory and honour."
In 1Co_15:27-28 we read how God hath put all things under the feet of Christ, and that when all things are subdued unto Him, then the Son also Himself shall be subject unto Him Who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. This investure of authority and power is given unto Jesus Christ because He is the Son of Man.
Joh_5:27 says God has given Christ authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man.
When Jesus Christ comes to the air, He comes before the Ancient of Days, the Father, and there is given Him dominion and glory, etc. (see Dan_7:13-14).
When the Lord Jesus comes to take His throne, He comes as the Son of Man. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory" (Mat_24:30). In reading this verse, place the emphasis on the words the Son of Man, and also upon the words power and glory.
Christ said to Caiaphas, "Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven."
The emphasis should be placed as before.
In Rev_14:14 we read: "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle."
There are some who may have thought of Christ in His Second Coming as Son of Abraham because He is to inherit the land, or, as the Son of David because He is to inherit the throne and to reign over the House of Israel. This is the truth–but it is not all the truth. Jesus Christ is also to come as the Son of Man, because He is to reclaim everything lost in Adam. He is to take authority and power and dominion. When His work as Son of Man is completed, then will He hand the Kingdom over to the Father. In Rev_21:22 we have the picture of the Kingdom as it shall be in the ages to come. Jesus Christ is there, and the throne is called, "the throne of God and of the Lamb." The mission of our Lord as Son of Man is completed. The task is accomplished, and God, the Father, and God the Son, are all in all.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR