Luke 12:8 - Printer Friendly

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.

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).

Luke 12:8–12 encourages Jesus' disciples to stand firm. The prior passage spoke of fear of death. Jesus reminded His followers that physical death is not the same as spiritual death. He encouraged them with the truth that God sees them, knows them, and cares for them. Here Jesus reassures His followers: when authorities, religious leaders, or civil magistrates and kings accuse them of crimes, the Holy Spirit will give the disciples the words to speak. The judges who reject their words will stand condemned of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and worthy of hell. Matthew 10:32–33 and 12:31–32 and Mark 3:28–30 also record Jesus' teaching on this subject.

Luke 12:1—13:9 compares the world with the kingdom of God. Jesus has condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 11:14–54). He now instructs His disciples to reject the fame and security that Pharisees crave, and hold lightly to their lives, wealth, security, and even family. He then warns the crowd to be wise about their relationships with other people and with God. The next two units each include a miracle and teaching on God's kingdom and salvation (Luke 13:10—15:32). Then the final section in the "travelogue" repeats that three-unit pattern (Luke 16:1—19:27) before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem.

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.