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Luke 12:8
ESV "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,
NIV "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.
NASB Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;
CSB "And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God,
NLT I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
KJV Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
NKJV “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.

What does Luke 12:8 mean?

Jesus and the disciples are being mobbed by thousands of people (Luke 12:1). The crowd knows Jesus has the power to heal, raise the dead, and create food. Few seem concerned about His teaching, although they're willing to let Him handle family disputes (Luke 12:13).

It's unclear if the crowd understands how strongly the Pharisees already hate Jesus. The people respect the Pharisees, admiring their dedication but not recognizing the hypocrisy of their legalism. The Pharisees claimed that Jesus' power to exorcise demons comes from Satan (Luke 11:14–15). When Jesus dined with a Pharisee later, He called them "unmarked graves" (Luke 11:44) and said of their lawyers that they proceeded in the tradition of those who killed God's prophets (Luke 11:48–51). Jesus knows that the adoring crowds will not always be around to protect the disciples (Mark 12:12; Acts 5:26). Even then, He warns, the disciples must not follow in the Pharisees' footsteps, even if it means the death of their bodies. God will protect them from eternity in hell (Luke 12:1–7).

They must stay strong in their faithfulness to Jesus. They must not give in to fear when faced with religious and civil leaders who have the power to sentence them to death. The approval of Pharisees is nothing compared to Jesus' praise in the company of angels.

After an embarrassing showing at and after Jesus' crucifixion (Mark 14:50; John 20:19), the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, will take Jesus' words to heart. Peter and John will speak at the temple and accuse the Jews of crucifying their Messiah (Acts 3:14–15). They will stand before the Sanhedrin and charge the religious leaders with the same crime (Acts 4:8–10). They will refuse to abide by the council's warning to remain quiet about Jesus' resurrection. The council will arrest and beat the apostles (Acts 5:17–42). And the apostles will leave, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name" (Acts 5:41).

"Son of Man" is poetic and messianic title Jesus used for Himself. The term originates in Daniel 7:13–14 where "one like a son of man" is given authority and dominion from the Ancient of Days. Here, it suggests that the Son of Man has a role in the final judgment, an idea solidified when Jesus tells the Sanhedrin, "But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God" (Luke 22:69). Here, angels act as witnesses. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus promises to validate His followers before God. He does so as Stephen is being killed (Acts 7:55–56).
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