And I (John the Baptist) knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. ~ John 1:31-34

John the Baptist bore witness that Jesus is the Son of God, for God had revealed this to John when he said to him, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Later, in the first chapter of John, Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus convinced him that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. ~ John 1:47-49

In response to Nathanael’s belief that Jesus is the Son of God, we read the following:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. ~ John 1:50-51

Notice that in response to Nathanael’s declaration, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of man.

It’s important to point out that Jesus uses the definite article “the” aka, the Son of man, which is not a reference to Jesus’s humanity as we might think. It’s actually a reference to his deity as God in the flesh. Notice that Jesus refers to himself as the Son of man upon which Nathanael would see angels ascending and descending. 

The title, the Son of man, is no ordinary reference to Jesus’s humanity, but a title associated with his deity. Consider the following texts in which the Son of man does what God does.

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. ~ Matthew 9:6 

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. ~ Matthew 10:23

For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. ~ Matthew 12:8

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity… ~ Matthew 13:41

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. ~ Matthew 16:27

Many other texts could be referenced, but hopefully these will suffice to get the point across. Now consider Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 and observe how Jesus describes himself as both the Son of man and the Son of God.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ~ John 3:9-16 

Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of man, and the only begotten Son of God in the same context. He also describes himself as the Son of man who came down from heaven, yet is in heaven. How could this be?  Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers may shed some light.

If heaven is thought of as a place infinitely distant beyond clouds and sky, or as a time in the far future when this world’s life shall end, then it is indeed hard to understand what is here meant by “the Son of Man which is in heaven;” and a copyist may well have found in omission the easiest solution of the difficulty. But if heaven is something wholly different from this coldness of distance in space or time; if it is a state, a life, in which we are, which is in us–now in part, hereafter in its fulness–then may we understand and with glad hearts hold to the vital truth that the Son of Man, who came down from heaven, was ever in heaven; and that every son of man who is born of water and of the Spirit is “made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor (in the present, ??????????) of the kingdom of heaven.”

The phrase, the Son of man which is in heaven seems to point to oneness that Jesus has with the Father. The Father and the Son are one, with this text in mind consider Jesus’ exchange with Philip later in John 14:

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. ~ John 14:7-12 

Though he came to earth and lived as a man, he was never severed from God. He and the Father are one, and have an eternal bond that can not be separated, Jesus is forever God in the flesh and God with us. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.~ John 1:18

No matter how much we think we understand the incarnation of Jesus Christ, there is still a part of it which remains a mystery.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3:16

Until the next post on this topic, read Daniel 7:13-14, and we’ll pick up there.