Son of man came to serve

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 (7:13–14) 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. 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.