Luke 21:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death.

NIV: You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.

NASB: But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

CSB: You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

NLT: Even those closest to you — your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends — will betray you. They will even kill some of you.

KJV: And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

NKJV: You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.

Jesus is describing the intense persecution His disciples will experience. He has said they will be judged by the synagogues, thrown into prison, and brought to trial before governors and kings. These trials have an upside. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the disciples will be able to share the gospel with powerful religious and civil leaders (Luke 21:12–15). Some will even accept (Acts 6:7).

Now, Jesus describes the betrayals some of the disciples will face that will result in their capture. Jesus has already talked about this break in relationship. He said that He did not come to bring peace to the world but division to separate His followers from those who reject Him. That means families will be broken up: a great tragedy in general, but especially for a culture so grounded in ancestry and kinship (Luke 12:51–53).

Days before He goes to the cross, Jesus intensifies His warning. The disciples will not only be divided from their families, but they will even be betrayed by them. Families and friends will tell synagogue leaders that they worship the man Jesus and claim He rose from the dead. The family is central to Jewish life and the local synagogue is central to Jewish culture. The disciples must be ready to surrender their cultural identity and find a new identity in Christ.

Even more horrible, friends and family members, including children (Mark 13:12) will initiate or commit the murder of Jesus' disciples. We don't have any examples in the New Testament, but this does go on today. People in some cultures desperately want to follow Jesus but know they risk an "honor killing" if they tell their families.

Warnings like this should prompt gratitude in Christians who live in relative peace with their families, friends, government, and culture. It should put into perspective what persecution really looks like. And it should convict us to pray for the persecuted church—for their safety, their courage, and for opportunities to worship together and share the gospel.

Luke 21:12–19 warns Jesus' disciples that their newfound admiration amongst the people will be short-lived. Soon, religious leaders will use the Roman government to arrest them, and their relatives will even conspire for their deaths. Still, they will have the opportunity to share the gospel and God will hold them safe, even as they die. Although Jesus is speaking to the disciples, the warning applies to the whole church age. The church's persecution is also found in Matthew 24:9–13 and Mark 13:9–13.

Luke 21 records the last of Jesus' teachings before the Last Supper, His arrest, and His crucifixion. Luke 21:1–4 fits well with the themes of Luke 19:28—20:47. Luke 21:5–11 describes how false messiahs, war, and natural disasters will become normal. Luke 21:12–24 prophesies challenges prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Luke 21:25–28 moves to the tribulation. Luke 21:29–36 is Jesus' instructions about the disciples' lives and ministries with respect to the delayed kingdom. Luke 21:37–38 is a note about Jesus' schedule in the days between the triumphal entry and His arrest.

Luke 21 finishes the presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem as the Messiah of the Jews. This lays a foundation for the Passion Narrative: the final days before Jesus is crucified. Luke 19:28—20:47 covered most of the discussions about His authority which are completed with His words about the widow's sacrificial offering (Luke 21:1–4). The rest of the chapter records His warnings to the disciples about the violence they, the temple, Jerusalem, and the world will face between His ascension and His return. Matthew 24 and Mark 12:41—13:37 cover the same material.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.