1  IN the beginning [ This verse starts out exactly the same as the 1st verse in Genesis. It is talking about that period before there was even an earth, that premortal period. It marks the beginning of the creation process, the time of creation. In this, first God is directly associated with divine utterance. John the beloved is quoting here - he is quoting his teacher who was John the Baptist. ] was [ So in the beginning, the beginning that is identified in Genesis Jesus already existed, "he was". So that time that the creation began he already existed. ] the Word, [ "the Word" can mean Gospel, it can mean Plan, it can mean Council as in Greek it means “In the beginning was the Council.”. The word signifies God’s power of creation and redemption; as a means of expression, reason (or truth), and grace it is identified with Jesus (vv. 9, 14, 17). “ the Father operated in the work of creation through the son, who thus became the executive through whom the will, commandment, or word of the Father was put into effect... or as declared by the Father the word of my power.” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ ] and the Word [ Upper case Word is used as a proper noun so it denotes a title for the Savior. Comes from the word Logos - which means which signifies a word spoken, speech, eloquence, doctrine, reason. See Moses 1:32 It was the Word that created the earth - even Jesus Christ. He’s referred to here as the Word, or in the original Greek, the logos. In this passage, we have the beginning, the time of the primordial waters. God as the Creator, and the Word, or divine utterance. John wants to emphasize how God’s Word initiated the creation, brought about the cosmos(the word cosmos, which in Greek actually means to order or arrange), brought light to the dark waters. But then he suggests that God’s word, his divine utterance, can do the same thing for us as human beings, bring us out of darkness into spiritual light. ] was with God, and the Word was God. [ Means that he was with God in that he fully comprehended the entire plan of salvation which the father had. With also suggests that there are more than one, we are not with ourselves, but are with others. He comprehended Grace, mercy, justice, the law of sanctification, the law of justification and there relationship to the atonement. . Because he understood it he was in a position to reveal it to others, others who would be known as prophets our tutors here on earth. Could it be that God used the authority of his personal name to command the elements to organize themselves into the earth? Is that what God uttered as a way to act upon the elements? ]] [ IV:1 In the beginning was the gospel preached through the son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the son, and the son was with God, and the son was of God. We also know that the New Testament was originally written in Greek. So, in the Greek, the first mention of God is Theon (T-H-E-O-N), which is one of the plural forms for God. And it depends on the verb form. And, the second mention of God is Theos, which is the singular form of God. So, in this verse, we know that the word refers to Christ. So, we could then translate this passage as: “Before the creation was Christ(Logos), and Christ(Logos) was with the gods(Theon), and Christ(Theos) was a God. The same was in the beginning with God.” So from this we have two proofs:Number one: Christ existed before the earth was created, in a primordial realm, and this is clear by the reference in the passage, two times, to “In the beginning“, which refers to the time before the world was created. Number two, that Christ existed in the primordial realm with at least one other God, or perhaps several other gods, depending on how the Greek is translated.]

2 The same [ Or "the Word" who is the Savior Jesus Christ, but can also mean the Word, the Gospel or the Plan. ] was in the beginning with God. [ Was there with Heavenly Father. Denoting that there are at least 2 members of the Godhead that are distinct from each other. We Heaven;y Father created the plan he did not ask what shall we do, or what plans do we have. No he asked whom shall I send to complete my plan. ]

3 All things were made by him; [ We are still talking about the Word. Compare v. 10, Isa. 17:8, 40:22, 44:21, Col. 1:16, 2 Ne. 2:15. Pretty explicit in the fact that Jesus is the creator. What were his other 4 missions? 2) Teach the plan of salvation and set an example in all things 3) Work out the Atonement 4) Commence work for the dead 5) The Father has committed all Judgement to the son John 5:22. ] and without him was not any thing made that was made. [ So nothing was done or made without Jesus Christ participating at least in its creation. ]

4 In him [ Jesus Christ. ] was life; [ He gave both life to things in the creation - mortal life; as well as he is the one through whom life eternal will come as well.  ]  and the life was the light of men. [ Gen. 3:20: And Adam called his wife's name Eve, "hwj chava, zwh", or  LIFE, because she was the mother of all living? And was not Jesus that seed of the woman that was to bruise the head of the serpent, and to give life to the world? As for light, what was the first thing that God did in the creation? He divided the darkness by providing light to chaos.(Gen 1:3; Moses 2:3) ]

5 And the light [ Or that truth. And how do you get the light? Answer: see D&C 93:28! Jesus Christ. See also D&C 84:45-47. ] shineth in darkness; [ IV: world. ] and the darkness comprehended it not. [ "auto ou katelaben" which translated means Prevented it not- hindered it not. So the world does not understand the message, they don't want to listen, some even reject it. In Greek when it says the darkness did not comprehend it, the word is actually foreign language. Katalambanō means literally to take down. Lambanō means to take something, kata is the adverbial prefix, like sacking a quarterback. Now it can mean- ... to hold something in your mind and hence, understand it, which is what our English word to comprehend usually means. But to King James translators, it meant something more than that. The darkness not only did not understand the light, it wasn't able to sack the quarterback. It wasn't able to take him down. It wasn't able to restrain him. Why don't they comprehend it? ]

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [ John The Baptist. His mission is defined in Mark 1:4; Matt 3:1-3. ]

7 The same came for a witness, [ "Same" - John The Baptist. Fulfilling Mal 3:1; note how all of this was orchestrated from the beginning - there was a plan, and the plan was followed. The gospel has and always will be preached thru the son. ] to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. [ John The Baptist bore solemn testimony of the Savior and his mission to save the souls of man. ]

8  He [ John The Baptist. ] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. [ That light = Jesus Christ. Gen. 1:1-4, 2 Sam.
23:2-4, Mal. 4:2, D&C 93:29. ]

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. [ "Or, coming into the world- ercomenon eiv ton kosmon: a common phrase among the rabbi's, to express every human being. As the human creature sees the light of the world as soon as it is born, from which it had been excluded while in the womb of its parent; in like manner, this heavenly light shines into the soul of every man, to convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and it is through this light, which no man brings into the world with him, but which Christ mercifully gives to him on his coming into it, that what is termed conscience among men is produced. No man could discern good from evil, were it not for this light thus supernaturally and graciously restored." ]

10 [ IV: Even the son of God. The Light of truth. ] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. [ auton ouk egnw-Did not acknowledge him ]

11 He came unto his own, [ He came to the children of Abraham - to fulfill his covenant with them. "ta idia" -to those of his own family, city, country:-and his own people, "oi idioi" -his own citizens, brethren, subjects. ] and his own received him not. [ They could not accept that he was the Messiah and that he prepared the way for their eternal slavation. Those who were in darkness. To become a “son of God” we must ‘comprehend’ and ‘receive’ Him and His doctrine. See (D&C 45:8).]

12 But as many [ Everyone that does, all that do - no exceptions. ] as received him, [ That changed their character to be like his. ] to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [ According to this verse, there are at least, two requirements are necessary to become a son of God. As “many as received him” and “them that believed on his name,” the Savior gave the “power” to become sons of God. This implies that there are requirements, obligations, and perhaps stipulations to become a son of God, and the “power” to do so is internal not external, in this non- genetic, yet progenitorial blessing. The information is now on the earth and we must do something to become something. ] even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, [ Suggesting to those present that just because they have the right heritage - that is that they are the ancestors of Abraham and Sarah; does not provide them with the eternal blessings that come about in entering into personal covenants with God. ] nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [ The creation was from God. John ties the creation directly to spiritual rebirth(verse 12). ]

14 And the Word was made flesh, [ Jesus Christ - The Lord premortally administered the gospel to us as spirit children, and here he comes to deliver it to the world in the flesh. ] and dwelt [ The word for dwelt among us in Greek comes from the word for tent. Literally meant he pitched his tent or tabernacle. The translation, according to Richard Holzapfel could be, "He pitched his tent with us." Symbolizing the presence of God with them. Jesus Christ came to earth as a temporary sojourner in order to redeem us from death and sin. ] among us, (and we beheld his glory, [ Which occurred where? At the transfiguration where Peter james and John were all present. ] the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) [ So he was like our Father in Heaven. Like son and Father in mortal life. The only person where God was his literal Father and Mary a mortal was his mother. ] full of grace and truth.

15 ¶ John bare witness of him, [ Jesus Christ - the Messiah - the Word. ] and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. [ A declaration that Jesus was a God who was Eternal. Hence he was born after in this life but was alive in the eternal sense before his mortal birth. ]

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. [ Which would suggest some sort of exchange - I will give you this to get that. Think about grace as an enabling power. D&C 93:13. "13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; " Grace to grace suggests that he told of the grace given him and increased that grace until it was greater than before - the parable of the talents. When we ask God to help us, he does so bu giving us a talent and as we grow that talent he gives us more, or greater talents. Grace to grace then is our progression. ]

17 For the law was given by Moses, [ God gave the law to Moses; and Moses in turn gave the law to the Jews. Acts 7:38. IV: The law was after a carnal commandment. ] but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. [ To this point you have only had the law, now you have a way to receive of the fulness of the Father through Jesus Christ. ]

18 No man hath seen God at any time; [ Other possible interpretations from the source might include: No man, how highly soever favored, hath fully known God, at any time. It is likely that the word seen, here, is put for known, as in John 3:32; 1 John 3: 2, 6 So that the latter clause of the verse would then read:-No man, how highly soever favored, hath fully known God, at any time, in any nation or age; the only begotten son, who is in the bosom of the Father, who was intimately acquainted with all the counsels of the Most High. ] the only begotten son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19 ¶ And this is the record of John, [ Or this is what John consistently taught. ] when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, [ Common mode of Jewish phraseology as to say "He who makes use of God's gifts to feed and strengthen his pride and vanity will be sure to be stripped of the goods wherein he trusts, and fall down into the condemnation of the devil. We have nothing but what we have received; we deserve nothing of what we possess; and it is only God's infinite mercy which keeps us in the possession of the blessings which we now enjoy." ] I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? [ So who are you then - we are confused ] Art thou Elias? [ Based on their understanding that Elijah was to come before the Messiah they ask the next most logical question to determine who he really is. Matt 17: 10; Mal 4:5 ] And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? [ Who are they referring to as that prophet? see Deut. 18: 15, 18. They Jews misunderstood these verses from Moses; they held a tradition that Jeremiah was to return to life, and restore the pot of manna, the ark of the covenant, ..., which he had hidden that the Babylonians might not get them. In addition they had a general expectation that all the prophets should come to life in the days of the Messiah. When in reality the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was none other than the Messiah himself. See Acts 3:22. ] And he answered, No. [ I am not this prophet which you expect. Rather he was Elias but not the Messiah of which they were expecting here. See Matt. 11: 14; 17: 10-13.]

22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? [ You keep telling us who you aren't, so who are you really. ] that we may give an answer to them that sent us. [ Who was it that had sent them then? They were most likely representatives from the grand Sanhedrin (so Pharisees); sent by the Sanhedrin based on the success of the John the Baptist's preaching, as a result they were puzzled to know what to do about him so they sent representatives to see for themself and ask the appropriate questions needed to determine who he proclaimed to be. ] What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, [ Or, A voice of a crier in the wilderness. This is quoted from Isa. 11: 3, which declares that John the Baptist was the person of whom the prophet spoke. A Crier in the wilderness is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they began an expedition or journey through a desert country, they would send a person to go ahead and make known the approach of another before them, and prepare all things for their passage. To level the ways, and to remove all impediments. The officers appointed to superintend such preparations were called by the Latins, stratores. If we look at the condition of the Jewish Church that was in the desert country, where John was sent to preach, and to announce the coming of the Messiah. They were destitute at that time of all religious cultivation, and of the spirit and practice of piety; and John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, by preaching the doctrine of repentance. The desert is therefore to be considered as affording a proper emblem of the rude state of the Jewish Church, which is the true wilderness meant by the prophet, and in which John was to prepare the way of the promised Messiah. The awful importance of the matter, and the vehemence of the manner of the Baptist's preaching, probably acquired him the character of the crier. ] Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. [ The ones who were so concerned about authority, about the legality of everything. They are there to challenge him as to who do you think that you are anyway? Show us you credentials. ] .

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? [ The Jewish tradition was that although Baptism was a common ceremony among the Jews, no one ever was permitted to a Jew's privileges, till he was both baptized and circumcised. Tese baptisms were only performed as an ordinance of the Sanhedrin, or in the presence of three magistrates. However they never baptized any Jew or Jewess, nor even those who were the children of their proselytes; for, as all these were considered as born in the covenant, they had no need of baptism, which was used only as an introductory rite. so John acting in this manner had, in respect, altered the common custom, admitting to his baptism the Jews in general, the Sanhedrin took it for granted that no man had authority to make such changes, unless especially commissioned from on high; and that only the prophet, or Elijah, or the Messiah himself; could have authority to act as John did. ]

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, [ "emprosqen mou gegonen", Who was before me. ] whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. [ You guys are asking the wrong question. It does not matter who I am you should be asking who it is that I am preparing the way for. You are focusing on the wrong person. ]

28 These things were done in Bethabara , [ In Hebrew it means "House of the crossing. ""According to John, the place where these events occurred was in ‘Bethabara’ (John 1:28), a place name which is confirmed in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 10:9). Most ancient Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of John, however, place the events in Bethany instead of Bethabara. some critics have seen in this an opportunity to criticize the Book of Mormon for using a less known and attested version of the story. The fallacy with this criticism is that a city or place named Bethany ‘beyond Jordan’ is otherwise unattested, whereas Bethabara, ‘the crossing,’ is mentioned in the Talmud" (Holzapfel and Wayment, Making Sense of the New Testament, 28). The location of Christ's birth and the name Bethabara—"the crossing" or "house of the crossing"—deepen in meaning when we consider another significant biblical event that occurred on the River Jordan. While near the roiling waters of the River Jordan during flood season, the prophet Joshua told the some 600,000 Israelite warriors and their families, "Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5). That following morning, Joshua—whose name translates to Jesus in Greek—instructed the people: "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap" (Joshua 3:11-13). It wasn't until the Israelites' feet were wet—when they took that first step of faith—that the Lord parted the waters and made their passage possible. The Lord continues to work miracles among us today, and when we step forward with faith and believe on His name, He will part the waters of chaos, death, hell, and pain and make a way possible for our future progression. It was here, where Jehovah parted the waters for His chosen people, that Jesus Christ condescended to be baptized and begin a ministry that would culminate in the Atonement—the ultimate path to eternal life or crossing into a new, sanctified life. As President Nelson taught: "Could it be that Christ chose this location for His baptism in the River Jordan as a silent commemoration of the crossing of the faithful Israelites under Joshua’s direction so many years before (see Josh. 3), as well as a symbol that baptism is a spiritual crossing into the kingdom of God?" (“In This Holy Land,” Ensign, February 1992). It's no wonder President Nelson has called on us to "study Jesus’s life as our exemplar." He continues: "He came into the world to show us a better way. . . . Now, we know that perfection won’t come to us in this life, but every day we can strive to follow Jesus’s example: the way we love, the way we focus on ordinances, baptism, sacrament, endowments, sealings, temple marriage. He focused on ordinances. He taught us by His example the importance of baptism and participation in the sacrament" (Louisville Kentucky Temple Dedication, session one, March 19, 2000). ] beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 ¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, [ The lamb to be sacrificed. in Greek it is "Amnos tou Theou" Elder Russell M Nelson said that Amnos was from the same latin root as amnionic - amnionic fluid which is the source of lif for the unborn infant. ] which taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: [ Suggesting that John the Baptist had never meet Jesus in the flesh referring to verse 15. Remember John had spent thirty years in the hill country of Hebron, and Jesus remained in privacy in the city of Nazareth, in the far borders of Galilee. ] but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. [ The results of John the Baptist performing baptisms brought Jesus to seek him out; and there at the baptist of Christ the heavens declared his glorious mission and who he was. ]

32  And John bare record, [ John testifies that he indeed did baptise Jesus, and here is what he learned in the process. ] saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. [ The spirit remains on him, it stays with him permanently.]

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the son of God.

35 ¶ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; [ We know that one of them was Andrew (see vs 40) we can assume that the other was John - as John tried to not honor himself. ]

36 And looking [ "embleyav" - Attentively beholding ] upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, [ They listened, they believed, they were borne a witness of the truth of which he taught and then they took the appropriate action. How often do we take the appropriate action when we hear the words of the Master? ] and they followed Jesus. [ What prepared them to change their loyalty so quickly? John has done a great job in preparing them. ]

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? [ They are just new converts; choosing to change their lives and the Savior asks them What are you looking for? Imagine how would you have felt? what question would you have responded with? Think of Joseph Smith - who responded "I was only asking what church to join". Note how they respond with a affectionate "Rabbi" suggesting a student teach relationship. ] They said unto him, Rabbi, [ Teacher - we want to learn from you. We respect your calling and desire to be taught. ] (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? [ Why might they have asked where he lived? Maybe that was all they could think to ask as they were so taken back by the question of them. Maybe they wanted to know where he lived so that they could be sure to come by his house so to speak to learn more of him. ]

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. [ About four o'clock in the afternoon. According to John 11:9. Jews reckoned twelve hours in the day; and of course each hour of the day, thus reckoned, must have been something longer or shorter, according to the different times of the year in that climate. The sixth hour with them answered to our twelve o'clock, as appears from what Josephus says. According to the Roman time it would have been ten o'clock in the morning; so the suggestion that, they abode with him that day implies that there was considerable time spent with the Savior, during which, he removed their doubts, and they concluded that he was the Messiah. But, had it been the Jewish tenth hour, it would have been useless to remark their abiding with him that day, as there were only two hours of it still remaining. ]

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, [ Petrov signifies a stone, or fragment of a rock. Simon who would afterwords be called Peter. ] which is by interpretation, A stone.

43 ¶ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. [ It is supposed that he was a married man, and had several daughters. Clemens Alexandrinus mentions it as a thing universally acknowledged that it was this apostle who, when commanded by our Lord to follow him, said, Let me first go and bury my father, Matt. 8:21, 22. ]

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, [ It is supposed that he is Bartholomew, which is very likely, for these reasons 1. The other writers mention Bartholomew say nothing of Nathanael; and John, who speaks of Nathanael, says nothing of Bartholomew. 2. No notice is taken any where of Bartholomew's vocation, unless his and that of Nathanael mentioned here be the same. 3. The name of Bartholomew is not a proper name; it signifies the son of Ptolomy; and Nathanael might have been his own name. 4. John seems to rank Nathanael with the apostles, when he says that Peter and Thomas, the two sons of Zebedee, Nathanael, and two other disciples, being gone a fishing, Jesus showed himself to them, John 21: 2-4. ] and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, [ A worthy descendant of the patriarch Jacob, who not only professes to believe in Israel's God, but who worships him in sincerity.] in whom is no guile! [ Sly or deceit. Characteristics that were found among those who were elite and considered the teachers. So to find a man, living in the midst of so much corruption, walking in uprightness before his Maker, was a subject worthy the attention of God himself. ]

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? [ Nathanael is new to all of this and yet the Savior knows his heart already, he knows his actions and there was know way to acquire that knowledge except he was a God. ] Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, [ What is the significance of THE FIG TREE - as opposed to a fig tree? The shade of this particular fig tree of which he speaks shows that not only did the Savior recognize that he was praying under the shade of a fig tree, but that he also knew that he had a specific fig tree that he would frequent to engage in prayer. It is not A fig tree, but the sukhn, THE fig tree, one particularly distinguished from the others. There are many proofs that the Jewish rabbins chose the shade of trees, and particularly the fig tree, to sit and study under.. It is not A fig tree, but the sukhn, THE fig tree, one particularly distinguished from the others. There are many proofs that the Jewish rabbi's chose the shade of trees, and particularly the fig tree, to sit and study under. ] I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, [ Teacher. ] thou art the son of God; [ A bold declaration from Nathanael. And how does he know or what is the source of his knowledge. He knows it because there is no way that the Savior could have known his thoughts, and why he went to a certain fig tree and that he even went to a certain fig tree on some kind of regular basis. So he knew without doubt. ] thou art the King of Israel.

50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, [ Jesus is telling us that he knows Nathaniel, and he knows what he’s like, he’s a man without guile, Why? because of where Nathaniel hangs out. And where does Nathaniel hang out? Under the fig tree(which in ancient culture was symbolic of the tree of life as was the olive tree. If the fig tree in the Genesis account is meant to be understood as the Tree of Life(Adam cover himself with the fig leaves because now he has come to recognize that the tree represents God.), then it’s hugely significant that it’s from the fig tree.), under the tree of life. It’s like saying that Nathaniel is known because he abides or abided close to God. And this becomes quite evident in the next verse when Nathaniel recognizes Jesus as the son of God. ] believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, [ Using this word more than once repeated more than once suggests empasis - repeated 3 times is the highest emphasis (perfect emphasis) that you can get. ] I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. [ The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. Enoch was given the title Son of Man as a descriptor for Jesus Christ. We find in written in the Book of Enoch 46:1-3 “And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who He was, and whence He was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me: This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, with whom dwelleth righteousness, and who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen Him, and whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness forever. (BoE 46:1-3)” So from these verses we can see that Enoch's angelic guide has declared that "the Son Of Man" is another name for Jesus Christ. This phrase is used by Daniel when he likens the person that he saw in his vision "like the Son of Man" (Daniel 7:13-14) as does Abraham when he described the individual who volunteered Himself to do the will of the Father as being “like unto the Son of Man.”  Therefore the phrase “like the Son of Man” or “like unto the Son of Man,” (Abr 3:27) used in these two examples promote the familiarity through an external source to which both prophets would have had access to that being the Book of Enoch. (Abr 1:31) This is also why Christ would have referred to himself as "the Son Of Man" because it was the messianic title that embodied the works and mission that would be preformed creation, example, atonement, resurrection, judgement(John 5:22-23,27) are all responsibilities that were given to the Son Of Man. Christ seems to use this title to place specific importance upon the subject matter He was teaching at the time, because the use of that title by Christ typically focuses on the prophecies of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and His latter-day responsibilities. ] that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, [ The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. There is no reason to belive otherwise than those Jews who heard Christ use this title would have been fully aware the title’s source and the bold declaration represented by the messianic prophecies for him as described in the Book of Enoch. ] .