This saying of Jesus to the people in the Temple—(only Matthew has made of [pg 190] it an embarrassing polemic)—is on a line with his utterance about the Baptist. Whoever could apprehend with what authority John baptised—that is, with the power and authority of Elijah,—whoever could understand how the Messiah could be in one instance David’s son, in another David’s Lord,—he must know also who _he_ is that so speaks. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear! 3. The Son of Man and the Futuristic Character of Jesus’ Messiahship. The expression “Son of David” contains an enigma. Therefore Jesus never used it in speaking of his messiahship, but always refers to himself as the “Son of Man.” Consequently this designation must have been peculiarly apt as a rendering of his messianic consciousness. It is evident that he chose this term deliberately. Every other messianic designation that is applied to him he corrects and interprets by “Son of Man.” As they descend from the mountain where the Disciples had come to recognise him as the Son of God he speaks of himself as the “Son of Man” (Mk 9:7-9). Peter proclaimed him before the others as “the Anointed one” (Mk 8:29). Jesus immediately [pg 191] proceeds to instruct them about the fate of the “Son of Man” (Mk 8:31). “Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed?” the High Priest asked him (Mk 14:61). “Ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven,” is Jesus’ answer. That signifies, Yes. The same expression occurs in the second and in the third prophecy of the Passion (Mk 9:30-32 and Mk 10:32-34) and in the saying about serving (Mk 10:45). The messianic title “Son of Man” is futuristic in character. It refers to the moment in which the Messiah shall come upon the clouds of heaven for judgment. From the beginning this was the sense in which Jesus had used the expression, whether in speaking to the people or to the Disciples. In sending out his Apostles he warned them of the impending approach of the day of the Son of Man (Mt 10:23). He spoke to the people of the coming of the Son of Man as an exhortation to be faithful to him, Jesus (Mk 8:38). Withal, he and the Son of Man remain for the people and for the Disciples two entirely distinct personalities. The one is a terrestrial, the other a celestial figure; the one belongs to the age that now is, the other to the messianic period. Between the two there exists [pg 192] solidarity, inasmuch as the Son of Man will intervene in behalf of such as have ranged themselves on the side of Jesus, the herald of his coming.