What did Jesus say about Martyrdom?

⁴ “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.

⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.

⁸ But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

¹⁰ Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.

¹² Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

¹³ But he who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

¹² “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:

¹³ “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

¹⁵ So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

¹⁶ Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,

³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

³¹ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.

³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

³³ You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

³⁴ Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

³⁶ Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

⁴⁶ “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

⁴⁷ Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

⁴⁸ So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

⁴⁹ Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,

⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

⁵² Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”

⁸ “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them.

⁹ When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.”

¹⁰ “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

¹² But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

¹³ It will turn out as a testimony for you.

¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

¹⁶ You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.

¹⁷ You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

¹⁸ And not a hair of your head will perish.

¹⁹ “By your endurance you will win your lives.

²⁶ Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.

²⁸ Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

²⁹ “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹ Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.

¹⁸ Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say.

²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

²² You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

²³ But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

¹ “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.

² When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

³ They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴ Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

⁵ Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.

⁶ Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

⁸ They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰ Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.

¹¹ This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”

⁵ “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

⁶ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.

⁷ “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.

⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.

¹⁰ The Good News must first be preached to all the nations.

¹¹ When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

¹³ You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

³⁴ “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword.

³⁵ For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

³⁶ A man’s foes will be those of his own household.

³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.

³⁸ He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me.

³⁹ He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

² “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,

³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

⁴ Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’

⁵ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;

⁶ and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

⁷ When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.

⁹ Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’

¹⁰ Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,

¹² and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.

¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’

¹⁴ For many are called, but few chosen.”