Jesus Christ: The Name he Gave Himself.

Jesus refers to himself eighty times in the Gospels as 'The Son of Man' when he is speaking of his life and work as the Saviour of Mankind. When speaking of his relationship to His Father, he calls himself 'Son of God' (q.v.).

Jesus asked his disciples: "'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?… what about you?…who do you say I am?'…Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'" (Matthew 16:13-16).

In the Old Testament, two of the prophets, Ezekiel and Daniel are addressed by God as 'Son of Man'. Scholars suggest that this was a form of address used in Babylonia where both these prophets were at the time. (See Daniel 8:17; Ezekiel 2:1, et seq.).

There does not appear to be any direct and clear connection between the Old Testament and New Testament use of this title.