The paper develops the fundamental characteristics of Johannine Christology of the Son of man and explains the main aspects present in statements about this figure, claiming these come from a tradition related to martyrdom of the people originated in apocalyptic marginal Jewish environments which are critical of official Judaism. This theology of martyrdom constitutes a legitimation with regard to an institutional and exclusive Judaism. The hypothesis shows that there is a link between the context of martyrdom and the theological development of martyrdom and exaltation which is more determining than what is proposed by L. Martyn and R. Brown. The experience of persecution functions as a theological place from where the Johannine community develops a theology of martyrdom similar to the one of apocalyptic groups of Judaism. The evangelist's contribution to this theology is that the statements express the paradoxical superiority of the Son of man -incarnated and delivered unto death- in face of all Jewish institutions.