Note 11 at Jn. 5:27: This is a very important statement. Jesus had this authority because of His humanity (see note 12 below). God is a spirit (Jn. 4:24), and when He created this physical world and all of its inhabitants, He gave mankind authority to rule and subdue His creation (Gen. 1:26,28; Ps. 8:4-8; 115:16). Although God still owned the universe and all that was in it (Ex. 9:29; Ps. 24:1; 89:11), He gave the control of the earth to man.

When man sinned, he began to use this power against God's wishes. God did not ordain all the terrible things that have happened throughout history, and yet He did not take back man's right to dominate the earth. Instead, He became a man (1 Tim. 3:16) and took back that authority to Himself by conquest. After Jesus' resurrection, He said in Matthew 28:18, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," and then He gave the great commission to His disciples, thereby conferring that authority upon them, also. Jesus becoming flesh was absolutely essential for gaining all power (or authority) in heaven and in earth.

Note 12 at Jn. 5:27: The phrase "Son of man" always refers to the humanity of Jesus. Jesus was a "God man." As stated in 1 Timothy 3:16, He was God manifested in the flesh, which is a great mystery.

The phrase "Son of man" is used 85 times in the gospels: 32 times in Matthew; 15 times in Mark; 26 times in Luke; and 12 times in John. The title "Son of God" refers to Jesus' divinity (see note 5 at Mk. 1:1, p. 30), while "Son of David" is distinguishing Him as the Jewish king.