Jesus Speaking in First person and Third Person language
Jesus spoke and was quoted all through the New Testament. Sometimes he was very direct in His message, and other times he spoke in parables. It is often in parable-like language that he was using a grammatical type of speaking that today we call, “Third Person language” or “illeism.” This can be confirmed at the end of a three chapter delivery of Christ (John 14, 15 & 16) when he said in John 16:25 – “These thing have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.” The disciples confirmed this and understood it as they replied in verse 29, “His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.”
First person examples:
It is obvious and easy to tell when Jesus is speaking in “First Person language”. It is a direct communication that leaves nothing to guess. He speaks of himself as “I”, “me”, “my”, “own”, “myself” in the following verses.
John 4:14 - But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 5:24, 30-32,34,5:46-47 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. v30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. v31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. v32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true..... v34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. v46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. v47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
John 6:32-33 - Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John 6:35, 38-39, 47-48, 51, 54 – And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. v38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. v39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. v47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. v48 I am that bread of life. v51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. v54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 8:12 - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 14:14, 18, 21 – If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. v18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. v21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Now lets see what happens when Jesus is speaking about himself in “Third Person language”. For some reason people get tripped up on this. This is a grammatical type of language used more common than you would think. Jesus is speaking about himself as if he had “ANOTHER” of himself standing before him and whoever he is conducting his conversation with.
Third person examples:
Here Jesus is speaking about himself as “the Son”, the “Son of man”, “he”, “his”, “him”, “himself”, “Son of God” which in the context is “Third person language”. The words, “Son of man” are in the New Testament 84 times. And almost everyone of them is Jesus speaking about himself as an illeism, or third person language. If you can understand this, the parable in John 14 thru 16 will come to life!
Matthew 16:27, 28 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. v28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 25:31 - When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mark 9:31 - For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 14:41 - And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mark 14:62 - And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Luke 5:24 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Luke 6:5 - And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
Luke 18:8 - I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
John 1:51 - And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
John 3:13, 14 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. v14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:16-18 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. v17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. v18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 5:19-23 – “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”
John 5:25-27 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
Combined First Person and Third Person verses:
Mark 8:38 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (“me”, “my” is in the first person; “Son of Man”, “he”, “his” is in third person language)
John 6:40, 46, 53 - And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. v46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. v53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (“I”, first person; “he”, “him”, “his”, “the Son”, “Son of man” is third person.)
John 8:28 - Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (“I”, “me”, "my" and “myself” are first person; “Son of man” and “he” are third person.)
John 14:16 - And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. (“I” is first person; “another Comforter” and “he” is third person.)
Back to third person language only:
John 14:17 - Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Now imagine If Jesus were to speak in First Person language in John 3:16-18, it would look very different. Compare this with the actual Scripture as it was written.
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave ME, the only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth ME should not perish, but have everlasting life. v17 For God sent not ME into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through ME might be saved. v18 He that believeth on ME is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of ME the only begotten Son of God.‘
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SON OF MAN scriptures – 84 times in the New Testament in the KJV
79 times Jesus is speaking about Himself while 5 others are discussing Him
Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 10:23, 11:19, 12:8, 12:32, 12:40, 13:37, 13:41, 16:13, 16:27, 16:28, 17:9, 17:12, 17:22, 18:11, 19:28, 20:18, 20:28, 24:27, 24:30, 24:37, 24:39, 24:44, 25:13, 25:31, 26:2, 26:24, 26:45, 26:64.
Mark 2:10, 2:28, 8:31, 8:38, 9:9, 9:12, 9:31, 10:33, 10:45, 13:26, 13:34, 14:21, 14:41, 14:62.
Luke 5:24, 6:5, 7:34, 9:22, 9:26, 9:44, 9:56, 9:58, 11:30, 12:8, 12:10, 12:40, 17:22, 17:24, 17:26, 17:30, 18:8, 18:31, 19:10, 21:27, 21:36, 22:22, 22:48, 22:69, 24:7.
John 1:51, 3:13, 3:14, 5:27, 6:27, 6:53, 6:62, 8:28, 12:23, 13:31.
5 times out of the 84, the “Son of Man” is mentioned, but it is other individuals talking about Jesus in the conversation: John 12:34, Acts 7:56, Hebrews 2:6, Revelation 1:13 & 14:14
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Matthew 8:20 - And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Matthew 9:6 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
Matthew 10:23 - But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Matthew 11:19 - The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Matthew 12:8 - For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Matthew 12:32 - And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Matthew 12:40 - For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 13:37 - He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Matthew 13:41 - The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Matthew 16:13 - When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 16:28 - Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 17:9 - And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 17:12 - But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Matthew 17:22 - And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Matthew 18:11 - For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Matthew 19:28 - And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 20:18 - Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Matthew 20:28 - Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 24:27 - For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:30 - And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:37 - But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:39 - And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:44 - Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:13 - Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:31 - When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Matthew 26:2 - Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Matthew 26:24 - The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
Matthew 26:45 - Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Matthew 26:64 - Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 2:10 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
Mark 2:28 - Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Mark 8:31 - And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 8:38 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Mark 9:9 - And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
Mark 9:12 - And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Mark 9:31 - For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 10:33 - Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 13:26 - And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Mark 13:34 - For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mark 14:21 - The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
Mark 14:41 - And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mark 14:62 - And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Luke 5:24 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Luke 6:5 - And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Luke 7:34 - The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luke 9:22 - Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luke 9:26 - For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:44 - Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
Luke 9:56 - For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Luke 9:58 - And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Luke 11:30 - For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
Luke 12:8 - Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luke 12:10 - And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
Luke 12:40 - Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luke 17:22 - And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luke 17:24 - For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luke 17:26 - And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luke 17:30 - Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luke 18:8 - I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Luke 18:31 - Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 21:27 - And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 22:22 - And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
Luke 22:48 - But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
Luke 22:69 - Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
Luke 24:7 - Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
John 1:51 - And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
John 3:13 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even
the Son of man which is in heaven.
John 3:14 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 5:27 - And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
John 6:27 - Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
John 6:53 - Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:62 - What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 8:28 - Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
John 12:23 - And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
John 13:31 - Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
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While the following five Scriptures on the Son of Man are about Jesus, they are not Jesus speaking about Himself.
John 12:34 - The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
Acts 7:56 - And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Hebrews 2:6 - But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Revelation 1:13 - And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Revelation 14:14 - And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.