The phrase "the son of man came to serve" refers to a specific episode in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew 20:20–28 and the Gospel of Mark 10:35–45, Jesus explains that he "came as Son of man to give his life as ransom".[1] The ransom paid by the Son of man is an element of a common doctrine of atonement in Christianity.[2]
In the Gospel of Mark 10:35–45, this episode takes place shortly after Jesus predicts his death, and then says:
In the Gospel of Luke 22:24-27, Jesus expounds on the import of serving:
The identification of Jesus with the son of man in the context of the Book of Daniel (7:13–14) 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.[3] [4] Later in the New Testament account, in Matthew 26:63–64, when Jesus considers himself the son of man spoken of in the Book of Daniel, the Jewish high priests accuse him of blasphemy.