Portraits of Jesus: Messiah, Servant, Son of Man, Savior.

Why this matters

Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell the one gospel in three distinctive voices. To read them well, you need to see how each evangelist “paints” Jesus with richly layered titles and images. Four portraits dominate the Synoptic canvas:

• Messiah (Christ): the anointed Davidic king whose mission fulfills Israel’s story.

• Servant: the Isaianic figure who embodies mercy, bears suffering, and gives his life.

• Son of Man: Jesus’s favored self-designation, blending present authority, suffering, and eschatological vindication.

• Savior: especially in Luke, Jesus as God’s appointed deliverer who rescues the lost and inaugurates universal good news.

These portraits are not competing masks; they interlock. The Synoptics argue that the true Messiah reigns by serving, the Son of Man is exalted through suffering, and the Savior saves by the cross. Seeing how each Gospel arranges episodes, quotes Scripture, and frames key scenes will sharpen your exegesis and your theology (Brown, 1997; France, 2007; Marcus, 2009; Marshall, 1978; Green, 1997; Wright, 1996).

Learning outcomes

By the end of this article, you will be able to:

1. Explain how “Messiah/Christ” functions across the Synoptics, with attention to Davidic promises, fulfillment formulae, and the “messianic secret.”

2. Trace the Servant motif (Isa 40–55) through programmatic Synoptic texts (Mark 10:45; Matt 12:18–21; Luke 22:27).

3. Classify Son of Man sayings into present authority, suffering, and future glory, and show how Dan 7/Ps 110 shape the trial scene.

4. Describe Luke’s distinctive emphasis on “Savior” and the way salvation is narrated (table fellowship, reversals, the lost).

5. Integrate all four portraits into a coherent Synoptic Christology, avoiding reductionism and proof-texting.

(Citations throughout to standard academic works: Brown, 1997; France, 2007; Marcus, 2009; Keener, 2009; Marshall, 1978; Green, 1997; Hays, 2016; Hurtado, 2003; Wright, 1996; Bird, 2009.)

1) Messiah: The King Who Fulfills Israel’s Story

1.1 Background: Anointed hope

“Messiah” (Heb. māšîaḥ, Gk. Christos) evokes Israel’s long arc of promises—an anointed king from David’s line who would shepherd the people, defeat their enemies, and establish God’s righteous rule (2 Sam 7; Ps 2; Ps 72; Isa 9; 11). By the first century, messianic expectation was diverse, but royal-Davidic hopes were prominent (Bird, 2009; Wright, 1996). The Synoptics present Jesus as fulfilling these hopes while redefining kingship through suffering.

1.2 Matthew: Davidic fulfillment and Emmanuel

Matthew frontloads messiahship with a genealogy that traces Jesus to David and Abraham, signaling covenant fulfillment (Matt 1:1–17). Joseph is told the child will be called “Jesus” (YHWH saves) and “Emmanuel” (God with us), fusing royal and divine-presence themes (1:20–23). Matthew repeatedly uses fulfillment formulae (“this was to fulfill…”) to tether Jesus’s actions to Scripture (e.g., 2:5–6; 4:12–16; 21:4–5) (France, 2007; Hays, 2016).

Key moments:

• Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16). Jesus affirms but immediately predicts suffering, rebuking any royal program without the cross (16:21–23).

• Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew cites Zech 9:9, presenting a gentle king on a donkey—royal yet humble (21:1–11).

• Trial scene: Jesus’s royal identity is the charge; the placard over the cross reads “King of the Jews.” The irony is thick: the Messiah reigns by being enthroned on a cross (27:11, 29, 37) (France, 2007).

1.3 Mark: Messiah concealed and revealed

Mark opens, “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Messiah, Son of God” (1:1), then dramatizes a tension often dubbed the “messianic secret”: demons and disciples glimpse his identity; Jesus silences confessions and redefines messiahship around suffering (Marcus, 2009).

• Midpoint turn (8:27–33): Peter rightly names Jesus Messiah, but Jesus immediately announces rejection, death, and resurrection. Peter’s resistance shows messiahship is being reframed (Marcus, 2009).

• Transfiguration (9:2–8): A royal-prophetic theophany with Moses and Elijah, yet the voice says “listen to him” as he walks toward Jerusalem and a cross.

• Crucifixion climax (15:39): The centurion—a Roman!—confesses, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” In Mark’s narration, the cross is the moment of royal revelation (Wright, 1996; Marcus, 2009).

1.4 Luke: Davidic king and Spirit-anointed prophet

Luke blends royal messiahship with prophetic anointing. The infancy narrative names Jesus “Son of David” (1:32–33), “Savior” and “Lord” (2:11). In Nazareth, Jesus reads Isa 61—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… he has anointed me”—declaring the messianic jubilee at hand (4:16–21). The royal entry (19:28–40) has a Davidic refrain (“the king who comes in the name of the Lord”) yet moves inexorably to a passion where kingship is mocked and vindicated in resurrection (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

Takeaway: For all three, Jesus is Messiah, but the meaning of messiahship is cruciform: the king’s victory is won by obedient suffering (Wright, 1996; Brown, 1997).

2) Servant: The One Who Gives His Life

2.1 Isaiah’s Servant in Synoptic focus

Isaiah 40–55 promises a Servant who will bring justice, be a light to the nations, and bear the sins of many (Isa 42; 49; 50; 52–53). The Synoptics repeatedly echo and cite these texts to interpret Jesus’s mission.

• Baptism echo: The heavenly voice—“my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”—blends Ps 2 (royal son) with Isa 42:1 (Servant in whom God delights), hinting that royal sonship is servant-shaped (Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) (Hays, 2016; Brown, 1997).

• Programmatic citation (Matthew 12:18–21): Matthew explicitly quotes Isa 42:1–4 to frame Jesus’s gentle authority: “He will not quarrel… a bruised reed he will not break.”

• Passion language: Synoptic passion narratives echo Isa 53 (“numbered with transgressors,” “poured out his life”) as interpretive subtext (Luke 22:37; Mark 15) (Hays, 2016).

2.2 Mark 10:45 as a thesis: service and ransom

“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Here Mark weaves Servant and Son of Man strands: royal authority (Son of Man) is exercised as self-giving service; the ransom language evokes Isa 53:10–12 (“he bore the sin of many”) (Marcus, 2009; Wright, 1996). The context—disciples vying for status—makes the theology pastoral: greatness = service.

2.3 Luke 22:27 and the table ethic

“At table I am among you as the one who serves.” In Luke’s last supper discourse, Jesus models diakonia as the shape of leadership (Luke 22:24–30). The community born from Jesus’s death must mirror the Servant by reconfiguring status around care for the lowly (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

2.4 Matthew’s compassionate king

Matthew shows the royal Messiah serving the broken: touching lepers, feeding crowds, summoning laborers to a yoke that is easy (8–9; 11:28–30). The church’s mission (Matt 28:18–20) is commanded by the crucified-risen king whose lordship is gentle and missional—the Servant-King sending servants (France, 2007; Keener, 2009).

Takeaway: The Synoptics insist that the path of the kingdom runs through the towel and the cross—a Servant way of power that becomes the church’s ethic (Wright, 1996; Hays, 2016).

3) Son of Man: Authority, Suffering, Glory

3.1 Why Jesus says “Son of Man”

“Son of Man” (ho huios tou anthrōpou) is Jesus’s preferred self-reference in the Synoptics. It is Scripture-saturated (especially Dan 7:13–14) yet indirect—both ordinary (“a human”) and apocalyptic (the exalted figure given dominion). This dual resonance lets Jesus speak cryptically yet powerfully about his vocation: authority now, suffering to come, vindication at the end (Brown, 1997; France, 2007; Wright, 1996).

3.2 Three clusters of Son-of-Man sayings

1. Present authority: The Son of Man forgives sins, is Lord of the Sabbath, exercises heaven-earth authority (Mark 2:10, 28; Matt 9:6; 12:8; Luke 5:24). These claims already press against prevailing assumptions about who may redefine Torah practices and pronounce forgiveness (France, 2007; Green, 1997).

2. Suffering and death: “The Son of Man must suffer… be killed, and after three days rise” (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34; Matt 17:12, 22–23; Luke 9:22, 44). The necessity language (“must”) frames the cross as divine plan, not accident (Marcus, 2009).

3. Future vindication/glory: The Son of Man will come on the clouds with angels, sit at the right hand, and judge (Mark 8:38; 13:26; 14:62; Matt 24:30; Luke 21:27). These texts blend Daniel 7 (human-like figure receiving dominion) and Psalm 110 (the Lord’s right hand), anchoring Jesus’s exaltation (Wright, 1996).

3.3 The trial scene as interpretive key

At the high priest’s question—“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?”—Jesus replies, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds” (Mark 14:62; cf. Matt 26:64; Luke 22:69). This combines Ps 110:1 and Dan 7:13: the accused identifies himself with the exalted Son of Man who will be vindicated by God. The reaction (tearing garments, charge of blasphemy) fits the claim: Jesus places himself at the divine side of the judgment seat (Marcus, 2009; France, 2007; Wright, 1996).

3.4 Title or idiom?

Debate continues whether “Son of Man” is a fixed title or an idiomatic self-reference. Most agree the Synoptics use it as a distinctive category loaded with Danielic and psalmic echoes, not a mere periphrasis for “I.” What matters for exegesis is the triadic pattern above and the cross-to-crown trajectory it narrates (Brown, 1997; France, 2007).

Takeaway: The Synoptics claim that authority belongs to the Son of Man who suffers and that glory comes by vindication after obedience unto death (Wright, 1996; Hurtado, 2003).

4) Savior: God’s Rescue Arrives (Luke’s Accent)

4.1 Luke’s soter vocabulary and plot

Only Luke among the Synoptics uses the noun “Savior” (sōtēr) explicitly for Jesus in narrative voice (Luke 2:11; cf. 1:47 for God). From the Magnificat and Benedictus to Jesus’s Nazareth manifesto (4:16–21), Luke narrates salvation (sōtēria) as forgiveness, release, healing, and inclusion (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

• Programmatic scene (Luke 4): Jesus reads Isa 61—good news to the poor, release to captives, sight to blind, freedom for the oppressed—and says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled.” Salvation is present, social, and holistic.

• Table fellowship as salvation theater: Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors (5:27–32; 7:36–50; 15; 19:1–10). In Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house… for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (19:9–10).

• Cross and promise: The criminal asks to be remembered; Jesus replies, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (23:43). Salvation is immediate and eschatological.

4.2 The universal scope of salvation

Luke emphasizes all flesh (Isa 40:5): Simeon blesses the child as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” and glory for Israel (2:32). Genealogical and narrative choices widen the aperture: the Gospel moves from Israel’s hopes to world mission (Luke–Acts as a two-volume story) (Marshall, 1978; Green, 1997).

4.3 Synoptic complementarity

Matthew also portrays salvation (the name Jesus = “YHWH saves,” Matt 1:21) and links it to forgiveness of sins and new exodus; Mark narratively depicts liberation (exorcisms, healings) as kingdom advance. But Luke makes “Savior” and “salvation” explicit, giving you language to explain what the Messiah/Servant/Son of Man is doing: rescuing humans into God’s reign (Green, 1997).

Takeaway: In Luke, to call Jesus Savior is to say God’s long-promised rescue has arrived in him, touching bodies, households, and nations (Marshall, 1978; Green, 1997).

5) How the portraits cohere in each Gospel

5.1 Matthew: Messiah-Servant-Son of Man as Emmanuel

• Messiah: Davidic king who fulfills Scripture (1:1; 2:5–6; 21:4–5).

• Servant: Explicit Isaianic citation (12:18–21); Jesus’s yoke is gentle; leadership is service.

• Son of Man: Authority (forgives, Lord of Sabbath) yet destined to suffer and come in glory (9:6; 12:8; 16:27; 24:30; 26:64).

• Emmanuel frame: “God with us” (1:23) becomes “I am with you always” (28:20). The kingdom is present in the king who serves (France, 2007; Keener, 2009; Hays, 2016).

5.2 Mark: The Cruciform Messiah, Servant-Lord, and Son of Man

• Messiah: Revealed paradoxically at the cross (15:39); secrecy functions to prevent premature, triumphalist categories (Marcus, 2009).

• Servant: 10:45 crystallizes mission as service unto death.

• Son of Man: Three passion predictions (8–10) form the spine; apocalyptic authority surfaces in 13–14. Mark’s Jesus is royal but bound for Golgotha (Marcus, 2009; Wright, 1996).

5.3 Luke: Savior-King and Spirit-Anointed Son of Man

• Savior: Thematic in infancy and throughout (2:11; 19:10).

• Messiah: Davidic and Spirit-anointed to proclaim jubilee (4:16–21).

• Servant: Leadership defined as serving at table (22:27).

• Son of Man: Present authority (forgiveness), hospitality to sinners, eschatological vindication (Luke 5; 7; 21–22). Luke’s portrait stresses mercy for outsiders and the now of God’s rescue (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

6) Core scenes as “galleries” for the portraits

6.1 Baptism (Matt 3; Mark 1; Luke 3)

• Messiah/Servant/Son: The heavenly voice merges Ps 2 (royal sonship) with Isa 42 (Servant) and inaugurates the Spirit-anointed mission. Jesus’s solidarity with sinners at the Jordan anticipates the Servant’s bearing of sin (Hays, 2016; Brown, 1997).

6.2 Wilderness (Matt 4; Mark 1; Luke 4)

• The true king defeats the adversary where Israel failed, wielding Scripture; Luke’s order climaxes in Jerusalem, highlighting temple and mission geography (Green, 1997; France, 2007).

6.3 Transfiguration (Matt 17; Mark 9; Luke 9)

• Royal-prophetic glory erupts: Moses and Elijah converse about Jesus’s exodus (exodos, Luke 9:31), linking Servant suffering to messianic fulfillment and Son-of-Man glory (Brown, 1997).

6.4 Entry/Temple (Matt 21; Mark 11; Luke 19)

• Messiah enters as humble king (Zech 9:9). Temple action enacts prophetic critique, tilting messianic hope toward renewed worship centered on Jesus (France, 2007; Wright, 1996).

6.5 Last Supper (Synoptic Words of Institution)

• “My blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28). Mark’s “for many” and Luke’s covenant language echo Isa 53 and Exod 24: the Servant-King inaugurates the new exodus by vicarious death (Hays, 2016; Marcus, 2009).

6.6 Trial & Cross

• Son of Man + Messiah + King converge: charges of kingship, identification with Danielic Son of Man, enthronement by crucifixion, recognition by unlikely witnesses (centurion, repentant criminal). Savior language surfaces in Luke’s “today” promises (Mark 14–15; Matt 26–27; Luke 22–23) (Wright, 1996; Green, 1997).

6.7 Resurrection & Commission

• The risen Messiah-Servant authorizes mission (Son of Man now vindicated):

  • Matthew: royal commission—“All authority… go… I am with you” (28:18–20).

  • Mark (shorter ending): trembling witness; (longer ending noted text-critically) summarizes mission.

  • Luke: forgiveness to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem; the Savior’s plan continues in Acts (Luke 24; Acts 1) (Marshall, 1978; Brown, 1997).

7) Theological synthesis: Holding the portraits together

1. Royal identity redefined by service. The Messiah’s victory is Isaiah-shaped: justice through suffering love, not coercion (Matt 12:18–21; Mark 10:45).

2. Authority–Cross–Glory arc. The Son of Man’s present authority (forgiveness, Sabbath lordship) is not negated by suffering but expressed in it; glory is God’s vindication of the obedient Servant (Mark 2; 8–10; 14:62).

3. Salvation is holistic and universal. In Luke, Savior language keeps “kingdom” concrete: bodies healed, debts forgiven, outsiders welcomed; Israel’s hope expands to the nations (Luke 4; 7; 19) (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

4. Scripture-saturated identity. All portraits are exegetical: evangelists read Israel’s Scriptures with and through Jesus (Hays, 2016). Your exegesis should track those echoes.

8) Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Reducing one portrait to the others. Don’t flatten “Son of Man” into merely “human,” or “Messiah” into politics minus the cross, or “Savior” into private spirituality. Keep all four in play.

• Ignoring narrative placement. The same title can sound different in different settings (e.g., “Son of Man” at the healing in Capernaum vs. at the trial).

• Skipping the OT. The Synoptics are commentary on Israel’s Scriptures; study Isaiah, Psalms, Daniel alongside the Gospels (Hays, 2016).

• Forgetting discipleship. Each portrait carries an ethic: if the king serves and the Son of Man suffers, so do his followers (Mark 8:34–38; Matt 20:25–28; Luke 9:23).

9) Key terms (brief definitions)

• Messiah/Christ: Anointed royal deliverer from David’s line; in the Synoptics, kingship is cross-shaped (Bird, 2009; France, 2007).

• Servant (Isaiah): Figure who brings justice to the nations and bears sin; Jesus embodies this mission (Hays, 2016).

• Son of Man: Jesus’s preferred self-designation; clusters: authority, suffering, glory; background Dan 7 and Ps 110 (Wright, 1996; France, 2007; Marcus, 2009).

• Savior: Title prominent in Luke, emphasizing rescue and inclusion (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

• Diakonia: Service; the shape of leadership in the kingdom (Luke 22:27; Mark 10:45).

10) Practice: Compare, classify, and preach

Choose one pericope from each Gospel and do the following in ~200 words each:

1. Matthew 16:13–28: Identify Messiah language and show how Jesus redefines it immediately. Note any Son of Man sayings in the unit.

2. Mark 10:35–45: Trace the argument from ambition to service. Explain how ransom echoes Isa 53.

3. Luke 19:1–10: Show how “Savior” is narrated, not just asserted, and how this scene anticipates the royal entry and passion.

Cite at least two academic sources in your notes (e.g., France, 2007; Marcus, 2009; Green, 1997; Hays, 2016).

11) Guided recap (bulleted with explanations)

• The Synoptics present a cruciform kingship. Jesus is truly Messiah, but his coronation takes place on Golgotha, fulfilling Isaiah and Psalms (Mark 15:39; Matt 27; Luke 23) (Wright, 1996; Marcus, 2009).

• “Son of Man” ties the story together. Present authority, necessary suffering, and future glory are three acts of one drama (Mark 2; 8–10; 14:62) (France, 2007).

• “Savior” keeps salvation concrete. Luke’s vocabulary frames salvation as forgiveness, healing, and social restoration, now and ultimately (Luke 4; 7; 19) (Green, 1997; Marshall, 1978).

• Scripture is the grammar of Christology. The evangelists argue by echo, citation, and allusion (Hays, 2016).

• Discipleship mirrors the portraits. Kingdom leadership is service; following the Son of Man means taking up the cross (Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23) (Brown, 1997).

12) Review questions (for exam prep)

1. How does each Synoptic Gospel frame Jesus’s messiahship, and in what ways do they redefine popular expectations? Provide two text examples per Gospel.

2. Classify five Son of Man sayings—two authority, two suffering, one glory—and explain how they map the plot of the Gospel.

3. In what ways do the Synoptics connect Jesus to Isaiah’s Servant? Discuss at least Mark 10:45 and one Matthean or Lukan text.

4. Why is “Savior” especially prominent in Luke, and how does Luke show salvation rather than merely state it?

5. Synthesize: Write a 300-word paragraph that integrates Messiah, Servant, Son of Man, Savior into one coherent statement of Synoptic Christology.

Further reading (student-friendly academic)

• France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (NICNT). Eerdmans.

• Marcus, J. (2009). Mark 8–16 (AYB). Yale.

• Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (NICNT). Eerdmans.

• Hays, R. B. (2016). Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels. Baylor.

• Bird, M. F. (2009). Are You the One Who Is to Come? Baker.

• Wright, N. T. (1996). Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress.

• Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Eerdmans.

• Brown, R. E. (1997). An Introduction to the New Testament. Doubleday.

References (APA)

Bird, M. F. (2009). Are you the one who is to come? The historical Jesus and the messianic question. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Brown, R. E. (1997). An introduction to the New Testament. New York, NY: Doubleday.

France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Hays, R. B. (2016). Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.

Hurtado, L. W. (2003). Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in earliest Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A socio-rhetorical commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Marcus, J. (2009). Mark 8–16 (Anchor Yale Bible 27A). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (See also Marcus, 2000, Mark 1–8, for the first half.)

Marshall, I. H. (1978). Luke: Historian and theologian (Rev. ed.). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.

Wright, N. T. (1996). Jesus and the victory of God. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Closing encouragement

Keep these four portraits on your desk as you read any Synoptic passage. Ask: Where is kingship? Where is service? Where is the Son-of-Man arc from authority through suffering to glory? Where is salvation being narrated? The Synoptics will answer—often all at once.