Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The ascension of Christ. Matthias is chosen in Judas’ place.

1 In the former treatise (dear friend Theophilus), I have written of all that Jesus began to do and teach ² until the day in which he was taken up, after he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ To them also he showed himself alive after his passion by many certain proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking of the kingdom of God. ⁴ And he gathered them together and instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father – Of which (he said) you have heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and that within this few days.

⁶ When they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? ⁷ And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power. ⁸ But you will receive power from the Holy Spirit, who shall come on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the world’s end.

⁹ After he had spoken these things, while they looked on, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly up to heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way as you have seen him go into heaven.

¹⁵ Therefore I (after I heard of the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints) ¹⁶ cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of glory to give to you the spirit of wisdom, and to open to you the knowledge of himself, ¹⁸ and to enlighten the eyes of your minds, so that you may know what that hope is to which he has called you, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is upon the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power in us who believe pursuant to the working of that his mighty power, ²⁰ which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him on his right hand in heavenly things, ²¹ above all rule, power, and might, and dominion, and above all names that are named, not in this world only, but also in the world to come. ²² And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him above all things, the head of the congregation, ²³ which is his body, and the fullness of him who fills all in all things.

⁴⁴ And he said to them, These are the things that I told to you while I was still with you: that all must be fulfilled that was written about me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms.

⁴⁵ Then he opened their wits to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and to rise again from death the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, and must begin at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I will send the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

⁵⁰ And he led them out into Bethany, and lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ And it came to pass, as he blessed them, he departed from them and was carried up into heaven.

⁵² And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple, praising and lauding God.

Amen.

Here ends the gospel
of Saint Luke.