Understanding Christian Persecution: A Biblical Perspective (Luke 21:12-19)

Christian persecution is hostility or mistreatment because a person belongs to Jesus Christ. It can include rejection, threats, imprisonment, and death. In Luke 21:12–19, Jesus warns His disciples about opposition and teaches them to bear witness, trust His help, and endure in faith.

Jesus does not promise that following Him will keep us from suffering. He promises that persecution cannot overturn God’s care for His people. This passage helps us prepare for opposition and encourage believers who are already experiencing it.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Follow the podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | RSS

The sermon above and the written study below explain the same passage, Luke 21:12–19.

Open Doors serves persecuted Christians around the world. When preparing this study, I drew on its 2024 World Watch List report, which covered October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023. These are historical figures, rather than current totals. Its published summary of that research described:

• More than 365 million Christians facing high levels of persecution and discrimination.
• Roughly 5,000 Christians killed for their faith during the reporting year—more than 13 per day on average.
• 4,125 Christians detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, or imprisoned.
• 3,906 Christians abducted.

For those of us in the United States who have not faced imprisonment or threats to our lives for following Christ, these accounts should humble us. We should not equate every inconvenience with what these believers endure. At the same time, rejection and hostility for Christ’s sake are real, even when they do not become physical violence.

Jesus first gave this warning to His disciples, and Acts records the persecution they experienced. The warning also prepares us to follow Him when doing so becomes costly. Second Timothy 3:12 teaches us to expect opposition as we seek to live godly lives in Christ. We should prepare ourselves and our children to remain faithful.

Luke 21:12 comes in the middle of the Olivet Discourse. I understand the judgments in Luke 21:8–11 as the birth pains leading toward Christ’s return, associated with Daniel’s 70th Week (the Tribulation). In the related study on Revelation 6, I connect them with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Jesus introduces His warning about persecution this way:

Luke 21:12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

The phrase “But before all this” places this persecution before the events just described. In this understanding of the passage, Jesus is teaching about persecution during the church age, before the Tribulation. His first hearers would experience it, and His words continue to instruct the church.

Christian Persecution Is an Opportunity to Witness

Luke 21:13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 

What a refreshing way to view persecution! We should all desire opportunities to testify about Christ, and that’s exactly what persecution provides. The Greek word for “witness,” or in some translations “testimony,” is martyrion, a derivative of the Greek word martys, related to our word martyr. The word martyr means witness.

Peter and Stephen’s Examples

In the Book of Acts, believers testify about Christ while being persecuted. Here are two examples: the apostle Peter and Stephen. First, consider Peter:

Acts 4:3 [The religious leaders] arrested [Peter and John] and put them in custody…7 When [the religious leaders brought them out and] set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders…10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead…11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Talk about an open door to preach Christ! Peter used his appearance before the religious leaders to proclaim Jesus’s death and resurrection. Persecution put him before an audience that needed to hear the gospel.

Right before Stephen was stoned, he accused the religious leaders of crucifying Christ and then:

Acts 7:59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen used the persecution he experienced to pray for his persecutors and look like Christ doing the same when He was crucified.

William Tyndale and John Huss’s Examples

William Tyndale, best known for his English translation of the Bible, was murdered by the Catholic Church. He was strangled to death while tied to a stake. Then, his dead body was burned. His final words were, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.”¹

The Catholic Church also murdered John Huss. When he was going to be executed, he was undressed, and his hands were tied behind his back. His neck was bound with a chain to a stake around which wood and straw had been piled up to burn him alive. When he was asked to recant to save his own life. Huss declined, stating, “God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today.” When he was about to die, he cried out, “Christ, son of the Living God, have mercy on us!”²

Blessings from Paul’s Imprisonment

Consider these three wonderful things that Paul said were accomplished by his imprisonment:

Philippians 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

First, he said his imprisonment advanced the gospel.

Philippians 1:13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Second, he said it was evident to everyone that he was imprisoned for Christ.

Philippians 1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Third, he said his imprisonment made other believers bolder for the faith.

A Positive Connotation

Words have positive and negative connotations. For example, the word bleak sounds negative because it suggests the absence of hope, and “evasive” sounds negative because it suggests avoiding the truth.

Other words have positive connotations. For example, the word motivated sounds positive because it makes us think of being driven to accomplish something. However, we can be motivated by bad things, so motivation is not always positive. Nurturing sounds positive because it makes us think of helping others. However, we can nurture weaknesses in ourselves and others, so being nurturing also is not always positive.

The word opportunity has a positive connotation. We talk about job opportunities or opportunities to try something new. In Luke 21:13, Jesus said, “This will be your opportunity.” The NKJV says an occasion, like a special occasion. When we experience persecution, we are given the opportunity to bear witness about Christ. It is a special occasion.

We Don’t Have to Worry About What to Say When Persecuted

When we think about giving testimony of Christ, most of us probably have the same fear: “What if I don’t know what to say? What if I say the wrong thing?” Jesus’s words should greatly encourage us:

Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Jesus is not giving us an excuse to be lazy or neglect studying Scripture. The context is being brought before hostile authorities because of our faith. He is assuring His disciples of His help as they answer their accusers.

The words “how to answer” point to that setting. Jesus’s promise is not a general instruction to leave sermons or teaching unprepared. We can study faithfully while trusting Him for wisdom when questions or accusations come unexpectedly.

Fear of Public Speaking

Glossophobia is fear of public speaking. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that seem right? That means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Seinfeld’s joke captures how intimidating public speaking can feel. We do not need to rank it against every other fear to understand Jesus’s encouragement: facing a hostile audience would make giving testimony especially difficult.

And two things make public speaking more terrifying. First, the people you’re speaking in front of. Let’s say people feel comfortable speaking in front of friends and family. But what if you put them before famous people like kings and governors? Even the most confident speakers might become nervous. And that’s exactly what Jesus said we’d be speaking in front of in Luke 21:12.

The other thing that can make public speaking more terrifying is the audience’s demeanor toward the speaker. Again, let’s say people feel comfortable speaking in front of friends and family, but what if you put them in front of a hostile audience? Even the most confident speakers might become nervous. And that’s definitely what Jesus is describing. In Luke 21:12, He says, “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you.” You can’t get much more hostile than that. So, Jesus offers this encouragement: we don’t have to worry beforehand about what to say because God will help us.

Jesus promises wisdom that His opponents cannot refute. That does not mean they will accept the testimony or stop persecuting His people. Stephen’s opponents could not withstand his wisdom and the Spirit with whom he spoke (Acts 6:10), yet they brought false accusations against him.

God’s Grace Will Be Sufficient for Us

Here’s some other encouragement I think Jesus is giving us. I will explain it by inviting everyone to picture a situation we have probably all thought about before. We think about Stephen when he was stoned, William Tyndale when he was strangled, John Huss when he was burned alive, or any other martyrs we have read about, and we wonder how we would respond if we were in their situations. Would our faith remain strong, or might we deny Christ to save ourselves?

This verse also implies that God’s grace will allow us to endure those circumstances. As it is said, we are saved by God’s grace and kept by God’s grace.

Christian Persecution Will Come from Family and Friends

Luke 21:16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.

Tragically, persecution can come from family and friends as well as authorities. Jesus warns that even trusted relationships can become a source of betrayal, as Judas’s betrayal of Christ illustrates. He does not mean that every relative or friend will turn against every believer.

Some of you have probably experienced rejection and betrayal because of your relationship with Christ. Maybe you became a believer, and your family members were upset about it. Or maybe your friends did something sinful and you confronted them about it, and they turned on you. Or maybe your family members did something you couldn’t support, and they got upset with you. You had a good relationship with these people before, but now they call you judgmental, unloving, and a bigot.

Jesus warned that such betrayal could lead to death. These words were relevant to His first disciples and remain sobering for the church today. Following Christ can cost close relationships and, for some believers, their lives.

Suffering Persecution for Christ Is a Privilege

At the end of Luke 21:17, notice “for my name’s sake,” the same reason given in verse 12. Jesus is describing opposition because we belong to Him. This is different from suffering the consequences of wrongdoing; 1 Peter 4:15–16 makes that distinction.

It is very challenging to think about suffering persecution for Christ while telling ourselves it is a privilege, but this is a theme in the New Testament. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Paul said he was content to be persecuted for Christ:

2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

In a few verses, Peter wrote three encouragements about suffering for Christ:

1 Peter 4:13 Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you…16 If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

First, Peter said we should rejoice over being able to share in Christ’s sufferings. Second, he said we are blessed if we are insulted for Christ. Third, he said if we suffer for Christ, we are given the opportunity to glorify Him.

The apostles saw suffering for Christ as a cause for rejoicing:

Acts 5:40 [The religious leaders] beat [the apostles] and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 [The apostles] left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

They thought it was a high honor to be persecuted for Christ.

God Is Sovereign Over Our Christian Persecution

Luke 21:18 But not a hair of your head will perish.

We know this verse can’t be literal or physical. Jesus isn’t going to say that not a hair of our head will perish right after saying in Luke 21:16, “some of you they will put to death.” Instead, Jesus is speaking spiritually about God’s sovereignty over our lives even when we are persecuted.

Persecution is a painful kind of trial. Yet God remains sovereign over His people even when they suffer. I understand Jesus’s promise here as assurance of His preserving care: persecution cannot rob His people of the eternal life He gives them.

Compare Luke 12:4–7, where Jesus connects the fear of persecution with God’s detailed care for His people:

Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

This is also about persecution.

Luke 12:5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Be more afraid of God than man.

Luke 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Notice the similarities between both accounts: they are about persecution and the hairs on our heads.

Jesus’s point is that God remembers even sparrows sold for very little. How much more can we trust His care when He values us more than many sparrows and knows the number of hairs on our heads? Persecution is terrible, but it does not place us beyond His knowledge or sovereign care.

Enduring Christian Persecution Is Evidence of Salvation

Luke 21:19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

This is one of the most encouraging things to know about experiencing persecution. Again, we know Jesus isn’t talking about gaining or keeping our physical lives because earlier, He said some of us would be put to death. Instead, He’s talking about gaining or keeping our spiritual or eternal lives. In the parallel account:

Matthew 24:13 The one who endures to the end will be saved.

This might sound as though enduring persecution earns salvation, but we are saved by grace through faith. Endurance is evidence of God’s saving work in us. Our hope rests in the Lord who sustains our faith, not in our ability to prove ourselves strong.

Biblically speaking, endurance and perseverance are synonymous. This is why some Bible translations use the word endurance, and others use the word perseverance:

James 1:2 NIV Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2 NASB Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Jesus’s statement is about His people persevering in faith. This does not mean a believer can never stumble: Peter denied Jesus, yet repented and returned. Perseverance means that, by God’s grace, His people do not finally abandon Christ.

Perseverance of the Saints

We are jumping into the middle of the Tribulation when persecution is at its worst. An angel flies around the world warning people not to take the mark of the beast:

Revelation 14:9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” 12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

The angel warns against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark. Revelation 13:15 describes the death threat against those who refuse to worship the beast’s image; verses 16–17 describe the mark and restrictions on buying and selling. These pressures show why faithfulness to Christ requires endurance.

The ESV reads endurance of the saints, but some Bibles, such as the NASB and HCSB, read perseverance of the saints. In Luke 21:19 [Jesus said], “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” This sounds like keeping our physical lives. But in Revelation 14:12 enduring or persevering means refusing to deny Jesus or maintaining faith in Him.

So, enduring or persevering does not mean keeping your physical life. For many saints, it will be the opposite: it means dying. Look at the next verse that’s written as encouragement for these people:

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

These saints do not endure or persevere physically, but they do spiritually and eternally.

Blessings of Christian Persecution

None of us want to experience Christian persecution any more than we want to experience other trials. But just like there are blessings associated with trials, there are blessings associated with persecution:

• Persecution provides us with one of the greatest opportunities to preach Christ.
• We can trust God to give us the words to say.
• Suffering for Christ, as hard as it is to think about, is a privilege because of all Christ suffered for us.
• If we are persecuted, we can be confident that God is as sovereign over it, as He is over other trials we experience.
• And just like trials prove the genuineness of our faith, so too does enduring persecution prove the genuineness of our faith.

As you apply this passage, pray for Christians facing persecution, ask the Lord for courage to speak truth with love, and support believers who are suffering. For a broader study of finding joy through hardship, see my book Enduring Trials God’s Way: A Biblical Guide to Finding Joy in Suffering.

Footnotes

1. Daniell, David (2001) [1994], William Tyndale: A Biography, New Haven, CT: Yale University, p. 383. ↩︎
2. Schaff, Philip (1953). “Huss, John, Hussites”. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, pp. pp. 415–420. ↩︎