For Every Man

In Hebrews 2:9, we read, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

Taken on the surface (which is, unfortunately, as far as most folks get with the Bible these days), and with no regard for the larger context (which, unfortunately, many do quite often these days), this verse appears to be saying that Jesus died for every individual member of the human race.

Please look with me at another passage of Scripture where this exact same Greek word is translated "every man" in Luke 16:16: " The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."

Now, would anyone be willing to assert that every man in this passage is every individual member of the human race? Certainly not, for every individual member of the human race was not pressing into the kingdom of God at that time (or any other, for that matter). No, "every man" in both of these passages was a general term used to describe a great number, and particularly the great many which were particularly under consideration.

Please notice that every man under consideration in verse nine is the same as the many sons whom Christ must bring to glory in verse ten. They are described as my brethren in verses twelve and seventeen. They are said to be in the midst of the church in verse twelve. They are described in verse thirteen as the children which God has given me (John 17:1-3).

My sincere desire, dear reader, is for you to see that all of these expressions are used synonymously in this passage of Scripture; for to divorce "every man" from those synonymous expressions will be to miss the proper interpretation.

As a matter of fact, if you would notice almost every place in the New Testament where the term "every man" in used, you will see that this restricted meaning will hold true. That is, "every man" is whomever under consideration in the particular context. With this truth in mind, we might now clearly understand for whom Jesus, by the grace of God, tasted (bitterly experienced) death. The writer declares that Jesus will bring many sons to glory, and further describes them as the children which God has given me. In Ephesians 1:5 we read, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

The word "adopt" literally means, to place as sons. In this passage these sons of God were said to be chosen in Him before the foundation of the world and predestinated to be placed as sons. Jesus tasted death for them. Concerning those children which God has given to me, Jesus said in John 17:2, "That He (Christ) should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." Jesus tasted death for them.

So, dear reader, one may readily see that when these synonymous expressions used in Hebrews 2 are compared to other places in the Bible where these exact expressions are used in other contexts, the truth of who every man is becomes increasingly clear.

May God bless us to rejoice in the truth of Scripture in which salvation is ascribed alone to God, for He alone deserves the praise and honor for it; and understanding this truth will cause the humble child of grace to do just that.