Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Majesty of the Lord.

¹³ He picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell off him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets who were [watching] opposite at Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him [in respect].

²¹ Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” ²² So the Jews were asking [among themselves], “Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ²³ He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. ²⁴ That is why I told you that you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am the One [I claim to be], you will die in your sins.”^{(A) 25} So they said to Him, “Who are You [anyway]?” Jesus replied, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? ²⁶ I have many things to say and judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I say to the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.” ²⁷ They did not realize [or have the spiritual insight to understand] that He was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will know then [without any doubt] that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but I say these things just as My Father taught Me. ²⁹ And He who sent Me is [always] with Me; He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.” ³⁰ As He said these things, ^[a]many believed in Him.