Son of Man in The Bible Project
Frequently in the Gospels of the Bible, we hear Jesus call himself, “The Son of Man.” The December 2018 video from The Bible Project, “Why Jesus Called Himself the Son of Man,” provides an outstanding overview of how Jesus’ use of this phrase references the Old Testament book of Daniel and foretells the roles he will play in both “defeating the forces of evil / darkness” (the “beast”) on earth, and ultimately rule with God and the Holy Spirit, as a co-equal part of the Holy Trinity which we understand as “God: Three in One.” The video presents important yet sometimes confusing theology in an effective, animated storytelling style. In this post, I’d like to reflect a bit more on this video specifically as well as the Bible Project videos more generally. The video is just 6 minutes long, and I encourage you to check it out and watch it first:
I first learned about The Bible Project from Tim Sean Youmans, at the time (and currently) the head Vicar (priest) at Casady School in Oklahoma City, the Episcopal Day School where I worked and served in various roles for 7 years, from 2015 to 2022. My first blog reference to “The Bible Project” dates to October 2018, in my post, “Gospel Encounter: The Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-35).” Tim Sean is the author of “Blessed to Bless: An Introduction to the Bible,” which is used a guiding text in Bible classes taught at Casady. Father Youmans would often use Bible Project videos in the homilies and messages he shared with students, faculty and staff at Casady.
When I had the opportunity to teach and lead an adult Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma for 3 years (2019-2021, through the pandemic) The Bible Project videos were a frequent media element in my lessons and slideshows. These are (mostly) all archived, by the way, on followjesus.wesfryer.com. These videos also inspired me in my “almost-completed for many years” book project, “Pocket Share Jesus: Be a Digital Witness for Christ,” and the workshops I’ve shared over the years (now through “Storychasers“) on “Christian Digital Storytelling.”
My wife, Shelly, has always been an extremely discerning and spiritual follower of Jesus, and has taught me a great deal over our 28 years of marriage about Biblical values like love, grace, forgiveness, humility, sacrifice, and service. Shelly has been using videos from “The Bible Project” more recently in her own morning devoitions, and she shared the video, “Why Jesus Called Himself the Son of Man,” about a week ago with me via text.
As you may know, I’m a confessing “digital over-sharer” In my life. Slowly over time, in part due to encouragement from my spiritual director, Curt Gruel, I’ve become a more “integrated person” when it comes to my spiritual / Jesus-following / “Sunday morning side” and my “rest of the week” / more secular / professional educator side. This is reflected in several ways, including the ways I now share different kinds of media (most often “Bible Verse InfoPics.”) via the different social media channels I maintain.
Sharing a simple hyperlink can be a powerful and potentially TRANSFORMATIVE act. I credit Tim Sean Youmans with not only introducing Shelly and I, and eventually our FPCE adult Sunday School class, to The Bible Project, but also to the absolutely INCREDIBLE TV series, “The Chosen,” which is soon about to release Season 4. Those videos continue to shape my own understanding and visualization of the characters and narratives in The Bible / Holy Scripture, but also the faith journey of (at least) one of our own children, who has been particularly captivated by watching the series this past year.
I encourage you to not only watch the 6 minute video, “Why Jesus Called Himself the Son of Man,” from The Bible Project, but also check out more of the resources from bibleproject.com. Download the YouVersion Bible app and explore the words of Holy Scripture through its well designed interface, using multiple translations and interpretations of the Bible in your languages of choice. I also encourage you to SHARE these resources and your own experiences with them.
The words of God, expressed in the Holy Bible, are powerful and can be transformative in our lives. We live in an era of challenges and opportunities, and it is vital that we focus our minds DAILY on the words and messages of Jesus Christ, to maintain our hope in a world filled with dangers, fears and perils.
I pray God will bless you this day. I know God continues to bless me through my wife and spouse, Shelly, in many ways… Including the ways she shares helpful resources that assist me in my ongoing journey to deepen my relationship with and understanding of Almighty God. To God be the glory!
