Book of Common Prayer

1 Theophilus, in the first book I wrote to you, I wrote about all the things Jesus began to do and to teach.

² He did those things until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he went up, he gave orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

³ In many ways he proved to them that he was living again after his terrible death. For forty days they often saw him. Then he told them things about God's kingdom.

⁴ One day when he was eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, `Wait here for what the Father promised you. I have told you about that promise already.

⁵ John baptised with water. But you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit when a few days have passed.'

⁶ When they had come together, the apostles asked Jesus, `Lord, are you now going to set up the kingdom of Israel?'

⁷ He answered them, `You will not know the days or the months which the Father has chosen.

⁸ But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will speak of me in Jerusalem and all around in Judea and Samaria and everywhere in the world.'

⁹ When Jesus had said this, he went up. They watched him going. Then a cloud hid him, and they did not see him any more.

¹⁰ While they were looking at the sky as he went up, two men stood by them in white clothes.

¹¹ They said, `You men from Galilee, why do you stand there looking at the sky? Jesus has gone up into heaven. In the same way that you saw him go up, he will come again.'

¹² Then they left the hill called the Mount of Olives. They went back to Jerusalem which was not far away. (It was how far the law said people may walk on the Sabbath day.)

¹³ When they reached Jerusalem, they went to a room up in a house. Here lived Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon the freedom fighter, and Judas the son of James.

¹⁴ All of these people were talking to God. The women, Jesus' mother Mary, and Jesus' brothers were there talking to God also.

⁴⁵ About midday, the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.

⁴⁶ About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'

⁴⁷ Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said `This man is calling for Elijah.'

⁴⁸ Right away, one of them ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink.

⁴⁹ The other people said, `Wait. We will see if Elijah will come and save him.'

⁵⁰ Jesus called out loud again. Then he died.

⁵¹ At that time the thick cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom. The earth shook and big rocks broke.

⁵² The graves opened. Many of God's people who had died rose from death.

⁵³ They came out of their graves after Jesus rose from death. They went into Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.

⁵⁴ The Roman captain and some of his soldiers were guarding Jesus on the cross. When they saw the earth shake and the other things happen, they were very much afraid. They said, `Surely this man was God's Son.'