Did Jesus die for mankind or the world?
This is a very unique question. Let’s consider what happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. Genesis 3:17-18 says, “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: CURSED IS THE GROUND for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” Not only were the serpent, Adam, and Eve cursed for their part in sinning, but the ground was also cursed. We don’t have to look very far to see that the curse is still in effect.
Paul speaks of the creation being under the curse in Romans 8:21-23 where we read, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” It’s evident that all nature struggles under the burden of suffering that comes from the curse, awaiting that day when the curse will be removed.
Christ did die for mankind, but not exclusively for mankind. He also died for the world. Let’s consider Colossians 1:20-21, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all THINGS unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And YOU, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.” Paul tells the church at Colosee that it was the blood of Christ that brings reconciliation. He died to reconcile all THINGS to Himself and YOU to Himself. What kind of things has he reconciled? As it says in the verse, “things in earth or things in Heaven.” It is the death of the Lord Jesus that will lift this curse off the earth that was implemented when Adam and Eve sinned.
Men, by exercising faith in the Lord Jesus have already been reconciled to God. To ‘reconcile’ means to put in the right relationship. The world is still waiting for that reconciliation and it groans and travails awaiting that day. That day will occur when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth to establish His millennial kingdom on the earth. What will the earth look like when that awful curse is lifted? Isaiah gives us an insight into that world when he prophesied in Isaiah 11:6-9, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” What a glorious day that will be! The reconciled people will inhabit the reconciled creation.
Creation had no choice in this matter. It was put under a curse because of the actions of Adam. It will be relieved of that curse by the actions of the Lord Jesus. You and I do have a choice. We can receive this reconciliation by putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or we can reject that reconciliation which will cause us to spend an eternity in Hell. Notice that in reconciling all things to Himself, it mentions earth and Heaven. It does not mention Hell. Hell will not be reconciled to Him…ever! To leave this world without Christ will send you to an everlasting judgment in Hell. It will never cease! 2 Corinthians 5:20 is very clear in its admonition. It says, “…be ye reconciled to God.” (209.9)