Christ as the Son of Man vs. Christ as God

 

Christ as the Son of Man vs. Christ as God

Matt 26:64 "From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power"

John 1:1,14 "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh" 

Aspect	Christ as the Son of Man	Christ as God
Meaning	Emphasizes Christ's complete humanity, retaining His human nature even after ascension; Stephen's vision proves Christ is still the Son of Man in heaven, refuting the erroneous teaching that "Christ shed His humanity after resurrection"	Emphasizes Christ's complete divinity, possessing divine personhood and essence; 1 John 1:7 mentions "the blood of Jesus His Son," Acts 20:28 speaks of "God's own blood," confirming Jesus is God
Function	As the Son of Man, He can sympathize with human weaknesses; stands (rather than sits) during persecution, actively caring for suffering believers; serves as High Priest in heaven interceding for believers	As God, He can redeem the church with His own blood; possesses divine authority to forgive sins and judge; can cherish and personally redeem the church as God
Purpose	To comfort, encourage, and strengthen those suffering for Him; standing posture demonstrates His concern for the persecuted; allows sufferers to see heaven opened and God's glory with them	To manifest the precious value of the church in God's eyes through His own precious blood; reveals God's love for the church; helps people understand how God personally redeemed the church
Status and Posture	Standing at God's right hand (Acts 7:55-56)—standing is for working, specifically addressing the needs of suffering members on earth, expressing the Lord's special concern for the persecuted	Usually seated at God's right hand (Matt 26:64, Heb 1:3, 13)—sitting is for rest, expressing that He has completed the redemptive work and received authority
Condition on the Cross	As the Son of Man, crucified on the cross; experienced God's economical forsaking (Matt 27:46); bore the judgment for human sins	In essence, God remained in Christ; though economically forsaken by God, God's essence remained in Him; therefore the blood shed was the blood of the God-man
Relationship with the Holy Spirit	Conceived of the Holy Spirit, possessing the inner essence of divine being; Stephen, "full of the Holy Spirit," could see heaven opened and the Son of Man Christ	Has the Holy Spirit as the essence of His divine being; on the cross, though the economical Spirit temporarily departed, God's essence remained in Him
Significance to Believers	Believers in suffering can look up to Christ as the Son of Man in heaven for comfort and encouragement; understand He sympathizes with us in His humanity and stands for us as the Son of Man	Believers can understand the precious value of the church—worth God's redemption by His own blood; overseers (elders) of the church are called to cherish the church as God does
Interrelationship	Christ retains both complete humanity and divinity after ascension, with no conflict between the two; He is the eternal God-man, possessing two natures but being one person	Christ as the God-man died on the cross; His shed blood was not only the blood of the man Jesus but also the blood of the God-man; the union of divinity and humanity gives redemption infinite value
Relevant Scripture References	Acts 7:55-56 "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God... 'Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'" Heb 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin"	Acts 20:28 "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood" 1 John 1:7 "The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" Col 2:9 "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily"

 

Summary and Application:

The mystery that Christ is both the complete Son of Man and completely God has profound significance in Christian faith and practical experience:

1.      Comfort in Suffering: When believers face persecution and suffering, they can, like Stephen, look up to Christ as the Son of Man in heaven, knowing He stands attentively for us rather than sitting indifferently.

2.      Infinite Value of Redemption: Christ could accomplish redemption precisely because He is both God and man. As man, He could represent humanity; as God, His sacrifice has infinite value.

3.      Shepherding the Church: Church leaders (overseers/elders) should imitate God's cherishing love for the church, shepherding the flock purchased with God's own precious blood.

4.      Refutation of Erroneous Teaching: Stephen's vision proves that Christ retains His humanity after ascension, refuting the erroneous teaching that "Christ shed His humanity in resurrection."

5.      Eternal Savior: Christ was not only the God-man during His incarnation on earth, but He remains the God-man in heaven, ensuring He can forever be our perfect Mediator and High Priest.

Christ's dual identity as both God and the Son of Man is not a contradiction but a divine mystery in God's plan of salvation, enabling Him to be the perfect Savior who can both approach humanity and save humanity.

 

*Please refer to the April 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training General Topic: Oneness and Vital Aspects of Acts Chapter 4: Resurrection, Ascension, and the All-inclusive Christ