Luke 21:17

Luke 21:17, in plain English

Jesus says: everyone will hate you because of Me. Not because of anything you did wrong — because you carry My name.

Why it's here

Being hated for Jesus' sake isn't a sign that something's wrong with your faith. It's a sign that something's right. The world's rejection is proof of your connection to Him.

Who's speaking

Jesus warns of universal hostility, but frames it as a mark of genuine discipleship.

Where it sits in the story

If the world hated Jesus, it will hate you for following Him. It's not comfortable, but it's honest — and it comes with a promise that makes it all worth it.

The scholarly reading

Jesus warns that His followers will be universally hated (misoumenoi hypo pantōn) because of His name. The hatred is not for personal failings but for bearing Christ's identity.

Language and setting

Universal hatred 'because of My name' connects persecution to christological confession. The name of Jesus becomes the dividing line between the world and the church. This theme runs through Acts and the epistles.

Voice

Jesus prophesies that His followers will face universal hostility on account of their identification with Him.

Significance

The promise of hatred is also a badge of identity. The world's rejection confirms their connection to Jesus. They are hated not for being bad but for belonging to Him.

15For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.

17And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.

18Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.

19By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.

Read all of Luke 21 — A widow drops two coins into the treasury, and Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple. The end is coming, but so is redemption.