John Gill answers Hard
Passages (Modern English)
Jesus tasted death for everyone
Hebrews 2:9 (ESV)
"But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."
The writer is not speaking about seeing Jesus with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith and spiritual understanding. We recognize that Jesus is the One described in the previous verses of Psalm 8. Though we do not yet see all things visibly subjected to humanity, we do see that they have been placed under Christ's authority. We also see both His humiliation and His exaltation.
During His earthly ministry, Christ willingly entered a state of humiliation. By taking on true human nature, He became lower than the angels—not in His divine nature, for He is eternally God, but in His incarnate state as the God-man. He accepted the limitations of humanity, including weakness, suffering, and mortality (see Hebrews 2:7).
This phrase can be understood in two complementary ways.
First, it may explain how Christ became lower than the angels. He entered a condition in which He could suffer and die, something angels do not experience. His death demonstrated the depth of His humiliation and fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 8.
Second, it may explain why He is now exalted. Because Christ humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross, God crowned Him with glory and honor. His suffering was the pathway to His exaltation (Philippians 2:8–9).
After accomplishing the work of redemption, Christ was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and exalted to the Father's right hand. The crown of glory and honor is the Father's public declaration that the Son's work is complete, accepted, and victorious. The One who was despised and crucified now reigns as Lord over all.
Christ became man and assumed a frail, mortal body so that He could die for His people.
The expression "taste death" was a common Jewish idiom meaning to truly experience death. Jesus did not merely appear to die or come close to death—He fully endured its reality. He experienced not only physical death but also the full bitterness of bearing God's wrath against sin and the curse of the law on behalf of His people.
Yet His experience of death was temporary. Death did not hold Him. He remained under its power only briefly before rising triumphantly from the grave.
The reason Christ was sent to suffer was not because the Father was displeased with Him or because He deserved punishment. Rather, His death flowed entirely from the grace and love of God. Out of His sovereign mercy, God ordained Christ from eternity to be the sacrificial Lamb, sent Him into the world at the appointed time, and delivered Him over to death as the substitute for sinners.
The phrase "for everyone" has often been used to argue that Christ died equally for every individual who has ever lived. However, the context of Hebrews suggests a different understanding.
The Greek text simply reads "for everyone" (hyper pantos). The word "man" does not appear in the original.
The surrounding verses define who these "everyone" are:
Everyone of the many sons whom God brings to glory (Hebrews 2:10).
Everyone of the brothers and sisters whom Christ sanctifies (Hebrews 2:11).
Everyone within the church whose midst Christ calls His family (Hebrews 2:12).
Everyone of the children whom the Father has given to the Son (Hebrews 2:13–14).
Everyone of the spiritual offspring of Abraham, whose nature Christ assumed in order to redeem them (Hebrews 2:16).
Read within its immediate context, the passage consistently speaks about Christ's redeeming work on behalf of His covenant people rather than every individual without exception.
Therefore, Christ's death was not merely an example of self-sacrifice, nor simply an act intended for the general benefit of humanity. He died as the covenant Surety and substitute for His people, fully satisfying divine justice on their behalf and securing their eternal salvation.