His Favorite Title For Himself

# 258 Today’s Living Word comes from Mark 2:10-12 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" --He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

“For the first time in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man.” This was His favorite title for Himself as He used it over 80 times in the Gospels.

The title itself speaks of someone very special. He is not the “Son of mere men” but the “Son of Man.” This title speaks of lowliness and greatness at the same time embodied once and for all in one Person.

The prophet Daniel was the first to use the term in a way that clearly linked the title to the Messiah. So why didn’t Jesus just use the term Messiah? Because the people had WRONG ideas about the Messiah, they saw Him only as a political deliverer, not the suffering Servant who not only had the power to forgive sins, but the power to lay down His life and take it up again, in order for the sins of man to be paid in full. (John 10:17)

God uses government, (good and bad) for His purposes. We would do well to remember that, so we won't fall in the trap of getting so enamored with government that we forget the true kingdom affairs of forgiveness and laying down our lives for others.

2Ti 2:4 No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. (RSV)

The key word here is “entangled.”

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.