Brother will hand brother over to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against their parents and kill them.
The persecution would be so deep that even natural family bonds would be broken. The name of Christ becomes a dividing line where some receive Him by faith, while others hate His truth. The mention of brother, father, son, and parents shows that the sinful heart can become so hardened that even natural love gives way to religious or social hostility. This happened in the lives of the first Christians and continues in various forms to this day. The Lord declares this painful truth beforehand so that His disciples will not stumble when persecution comes not only from strangers, but also from the closest people.