The phrase "the son of man came to serve" refers to a specific episode in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark , Jesus explains that he "came as Son of man to give his life as ransom". The ransom paid by the Son of man is an element of a common doctrine of atonement in Christianity.
In the Gospel of Mark , this episode takes place shortly after Jesus predicts his death, and then says:
In the Gospel of Luke , Jesus expounds on the import of serving:
The identification of Jesus with the son of man in the context of the Book of Daniel (7:13âÂÂ14) places the death of Jesus and the ransom he pays at a higher level of prominence than the death of other prophets and martyrs, even that of his contemporary John the Baptist. Later in the New Testament account, in , when Jesus considers himself the son of man spoken of in the Book of Daniel, the Jewish high priests accuse him of blasphemy.