Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Christ first refers to himself as the "son of man" in Mat 8:20. He uses it in Matthew over 30 times, in Mark 15 times, in Luke 25 times, and in John a dozen times. No one else uses it in the Gospels except the people in Joh 12:34 who want to know what the term means. Christ answers metaphorically, referring to himself as the light who allows people to see where they are going and to those who trust in the light as "children of the light."

This metaphorical answer fits nicely into the purpose of this blog.

Christ discusses the parent-child relationship many different times in the Gospels. In all his uses, sons are subject to their parents, servants who do their bidding. Here, Christ uses the word for "master" to contrast it with the idea of a son. In Mat 22:45, Christ uses this same contrast of terms to question how a "son of David" could be also his "master" since the terms have opposite meanings. By calling himself, a "son of Man," Christ was saying that he wasn't humanity's master but its servant.

Christ also uses the parent-son relationship to indicate shared and inherited knowledge (Mat 11:27) and power (Mat 5:45). In a sense, this verse itself falls into this category. The Sabbath was made for mankind so Christ is the master of the Sabbath because he is the son of man. Christ doesn't get this ability from God but from a prior gift of God to man.

Finally, Christ also uses the parent-son relationship to indicate one of trust. A parent only wants what is best for the son and a son trusts in his parent's love (Mat 7:9). In identifying himself as a son of humanity, Christ is expressing his trust in the human race. He was saying that we, the human race, loves him and that he ultimately trusts in our love.

Since Christ recognized God as his Father (and our Father), how can "man" also be his father? Mankind wasn't his father but rather his mother, through Mary obviously, but there is a symbolic marriage here between God and Mankind, where the result is Christ.

"Son" is from huios (huios), which means a "son," and more generally, a "child."

"Lord," is from kurios (kurios), which means "having power," "being in authority" and "being in posession of." It also means "lord," "master of the house," and "head of the family."