Luke 21:12

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

“But before all these things.” Mark omits this, probably because Peter did not include it in his summary of the speech, but Luke is concerned to ensure that we recognise that this would happen from the very beginning, as he makes clear in Acts 1-12, and having questioned his other witnesses carefully, feels that he can introduce these words as genuine words of Jesus. For these things will commence immediately after His resurrection and enthronement.

Jesus here assumes their future ministry, and reveals that as a result of it they will face persecution (Mark 13:10 makes their future ministry plain). He declares that His followers must expect to taken hold of by men's hands, to be persecuted, to be delivered up to synagogues and prisons, and to be brought before kings and governors, for His name's sake. For if such people do it to Him they can be sure that they will do it to them (John 15:18). The fulfilment of all this Luke will depict clearly throughout Acts. And all this will happen ‘for His name's sake', that is, because they are representing themselves as His and are going out in His name. And it will go on happening.

Synagogues are specially mentioned because they had as part of their responsibility the disciplining of heretical or openly sinful Jews, which would be done by beatings (compare Mark 13:9). Many early Christian Jews were no doubt subjected to such beatings because of their open testimony for Christ. The references to imprisonment, and being brought before kings and governors was a declaration of the wider nature of the future ministry of the Apostles. For examples of such beatings see Acts 22:19; see also Acts 5:40; Acts 16:22; for examples of imprisonment see Acts 4:3; Acts 5:18; Acts 8:3; Acts 9:2; Acts 16:23; etc. For being brought before kings and governors see especially Paul's experiences in the last part of Acts, following on Jesus' own experiences of both in Acts 23:1.