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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Son of Man

The Son of Man was a title Jesus applied to himself. As such, most New Testament mentions of this phrase are found in the four gospels.

Jesus used this phrase euphemistically. His close followers likely understood it to mean the Son of God, yet his adversaries (the Jewish leaders) were in the dark.

It’s likely that had he publicly called himself the Son of God, he would have been quickly executed for blasphemy. In fact, he was killed only hours after he admitted to being the Son of God (Luke 22:70).

The phrase son of man is also found in the Old Testament, mostly in the book of Ezekiel, seemingly as a pet nickname that God called Ezekiel.

However, Daniel records that “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13).

Jesus likely took his title, the Son of Man, from this verse.

Key verse about Son of Man: Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:3-5, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Son of God

The Son of God is a descriptive name for Jesus since he is the Son of the Heavenly Father (God).

However, instead of referring to himself as the Son of God, Jesus generally called himself the Son of Man.

Key verse about Son of God: We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:19-21, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Son

The Son, or Son of God, is the second part of the Godhead, or Trinity, which is comprised of the Father, the Son (Jesus, the Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem or reconcile us to him.

While he was on earth, Jesus generally referred to himself as the Son of Man.

Key verse about Son: I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. (Genesis 6:17-19, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Savior

A savior is one who saves or rescues another from a calamity or danger. This descriptive noun is often used as a proper noun, Savior, to reference Jesus who rescues those who follow him.

Also see Christ and Messiah.

Key verse about Savior: Come quickly to help me,  my Lord, and my Savior (Psalm 38:22, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Messiah

Messiah is another name for Christ, which literally means messiah. Both Christ and Messiah are titles for Jesus; as such they are often used interchangeably to refer to him.

[Read Bible verses about Jesus, the Messiah.]

Key verse about Messiah: Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, NVI).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Jesus

Jesus is God who came to earth as a man.

The purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth was to die in place of all of us for the wrongs we have done. In essence, he paid our fine and did our time — so we won’t have to.

If we accept this act of Jesus, it makes us right with God the Father, thereby allowing us to serve him now and be with him for eternity. It’s easy to accept this gift (it’s free) and start on a journey with Jesus. Jesus simply said, “Come, follow me,”(Mark 1:17).

After Jesus died, he rose from the dead, thereby overcoming death, and waits for his followers to join him in heaven.

The Bible sometimes calls him “Jesus of Nazareth” or “Jesus the son of Joseph.”

Jesus referred to himself as the Son of man. Son of God is another apt title, which others used for him, but which Jesus seldom used himself, because doing so would inflame the religious leaders who would charge him with blasphemy and prematurely execute him.

Later, when the time was right, they did execute him (Luke 23:33).

Jesus, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, make up the Trinity.

Key verse about Jesus: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Great Physician

Interestingly, the phrase “Great Physician” is not found in the Bible.

However, Jesus referred to himself as a healer and a physician, caring for people and curing them of their diseases and illnesses. Because of his immense healing ministry he is often called the “Great Physician”and this is a commonly accepted descriptive name for him.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is a descriptive title for Jesus. Just as a good shepherd watches over and cares for his sheep, Jesus, our Good Shepherd watches over and cares for those who follow him, that is, his sheep.

Key verse about Good Shepherd: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me (John 10:14, NIV).

See John 10:1-16; also Psalm 119:176, Isaiah 53:6, Ezekiel 34:11, 1 Peter 2:25, and Matthew 9:36.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Godhead

The Godhead is essentially another name for the Trinity and encompasses the divine nature of God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Key verse about Godhead: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20-21, NKJV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Christ

Christ is often used interchangeably as a name for Jesus. Sometimes the two are used together, as in Jesus Christ or Jesus, the Christ.

When stated as Jesus, the Christ, this renders Christ as a title. Literally, Christ means the anointed or Messiah.

Key verse about Christ: The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ) (John 1:41, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.