Zumbro Lutheran Congregation - Son of God, Son of Man

Silent Prayer before Worship: Lord Jesus, we claim you as our king – the one true ruler of our world and of our hearts. Help us to understand the mystery of your being Son of God and Son of Man, at the same time that we give thanks for your dominion, glory and kingship. Keep us always in your grace. Amen

Today, I want to take advantage of a rare occurrence in our worship year. There are only a few times during the church year that our appointed lessons include a reading from the book of Daniel. We use this book much less often than Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, even Micah and Amos. So it may come as a surprise to learn that Daniel is considered one of the major Hebrew prophets. The book is named after the prophet, whose name means “God will judge,” it records his ministry and significant events that took place during Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Written about 530 B.C.E., Daniel tells us about life in Exile from 586 until 539 B.C.E., when Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and sent the captive Jews home. Daniel has many exciting stories to tell of the bravery and faith of God’s people in a foreign land – the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace, for instance, and of course Daniel in the lion’s den. There is also interpretation of dreams – the foreign king’s and Daniel’s, and there are prayers and visions of Israel’s future and God’s judgment.

Today being Christ the King Sunday, our text comes from one of Daniel’s visions, his dream of deliverance of God’s people. It comes not longer after Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den, a scene with King Darius the Mede, the conqueror of Babylon and Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Upon taking power, Darius appointed three presidents for portions of his kingdom, and Daniel was one of them. The other presidents and satraps were offended that a Jew should have such a position, and they set up Daniel for a fall. They convinced King Darius to declare that a person who prayed to anyone except Darius, divine or human, would be thrown into a den of lions. Daniel prayed to his God three times a day, and it was not long before he was arrested and thrown in with the hungry lions. Darius had the den sealed with a heavy stone and marked with his signet ring to ensure that the den would not be disturbed. In the morning, after a restless night, the king went to the lions’ den and ordered the seal removed. And there stood Daniel, unharmed. He told of God’s angel who had shut the lions’ mouths and kept him safe. King Darius ordered Daniel’s accusers and their families to be thrown to the hungry lions, and then the king embraced our God, saying, “For he is the living God, enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; for he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” And Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and into the reign of the next conqueror, Cyrus the Persian.

The seventh chapter of Daniel – the source of today’s lesson - begins with his visions of four beasts that are understood to represent the conquerors of Babylon – the Medes, the Persians, the Greeks under Alexander the Great and the successor of the Greeks (which turned out to be Rome). In the midst of the four great beasts, a little horn appears, representing a tiny little king named Antiochus Epiphanus, one of the predecessors of Herod the Great. What Daniel saw was the return of Israel to its own land. The exiles would be home, but they would be ruled by foreign conquerors and puppet kings.

Then Daniel saw an even greater vision. “As I watched,” he writes, “thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” This Ancient One is also known as the Ancient of Days. This is the one whose history predates the creation of the cosmos. This is God.

I have to admit that it bothers me a bit that God is described as ancient and woolly with snow white clothing and a fiery throne with wheels of fire (sort of like Pastor Gary’s Harley). It is such a lofty image that I am not sure I can relate to this God. I tend to lean toward the appearances of God that were brought to us in the two-season television show, “Joan of Arcadia.” Teenaged Joan was privileged to be visited by God in many places through various people – an old woman in a bookstore, a food server in the school cafeteria, a little girl in the park, an older man with five unruly dogs, even a hot-looking young man. The theme song of the show was Joan Osbourne’s “What if God Was One of Us?” Like many prophets of old, Joan was visited by God and given assignments that she did not want to do but eventually carried out, all to the benefit of everyone involved. Never once was Joan visited by a woolly white-clothed really old guy on a throne of fire. Her visitors somehow made God seem more real to me.

That is where the second part of today’s reading comes in. Daniel saw a few gory happenings before receiving this vision in the night: “I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.”

“One like a human being” is also translated as “Son of Man.” In the Gospels, this is the term Jesus used to refer to himself. Not once did he call himself “Son of God.” It was the disciples and other followers who recognized his divinity. Jesus preferred a term that emphasized his humanity and reminded people of the prophecy of Daniel.

In the next part of chapter 7, Daniel interprets his own vision, “The kingship and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.” This is a message of hope for the chosen people of God.

When Jesus called himself “Son of Man,” he borrowed the term and the image from Daniel’s vision. Those who heard him would recognize what he meant. The Son of Man is one who comes down from heaven to be given dominion and glory and kingship over all peoples, nations and languages of the earth. He is appointed directly by God to serve for all eternity as the king of all the kingdoms and governments of this world. The realm of the Son of Man includes all earthly nations.

Today, as we end the church year, we celebrate Christ the King, whom we worship and honor as Son of God and Son of Man. As Son of God, Jesus is our one and only ruler. As Son of Man, Jesus is our Savior, the one who makes it possible for us to live with him in his eternal kingdom. For this we proclaim, “Alleluia! King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We praise your name forever and ever. Amen”

Let us pray: O God, you blessed us with the most precious gift of Jesus of Nazareth – Son of Man – to be our teacher and savior, and you have blessed us also with Jesus the Christ – Son of God – anointed to be our ruler in eternal life. How can we express our joy and gratitude for such blessings? We offer ourselves to you, in Jesus’ name. Amen