The words of Jesus
What Did Jesus Say About Confessing Him?
Jesus asked His followers not to be ashamed of Him but to confess Him openly before others. To own Him before people is to be owned by Him before the Father.
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
Jesus, in Matthew 10:32, King James Version
Owning Him now means He owns us before God.
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
Jesus, in Matthew 10:33, King James Version
To disown Him is a loss beyond measure.
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words ... of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed.”
Jesus, in Mark 8:38, King James Version
He asks us not to be ashamed of the One who saved us.
“Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.”
Jesus, in Luke 12:8, King James Version
Confessing Him is celebrated in heaven itself.
“ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
Jesus, in John 15:27, King James Version
Those who know Him become His witnesses.
What Jesus is really saying
Jesus asks for open allegiance, not because He is insecure, but because a hidden faith is a faith not yet fully trusting. To confess Him is to stake our identity on Him publicly, and He promises to answer that loyalty by claiming us before His Father. What we own of Him now, He owns of us forever.
Who these words reveal Him to be
He asks us to confess Him before others and stakes our standing before God on it, for He is the one who will own or disown us before the Father. Only the Lord could make our eternal welcome hinge on Himself. Jesus is not a cause to advertise but a Savior to belong to, and to confess Him is to confess the God who came to save us. What we own of Him now, He owns of us forever.
Come to Him
You do not have to have all the answers to confess Jesus; you only have to trust Him and be willing to be His. Come to Him, own Him as Lord, and He will never be ashamed of you.
His words were always meant to lead you to Himself. You can begin with Jesus here, ask someone to pray with you, or read His words in the Bible.