Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

When, what and how?

⁶ So when the apostles came together, they put this question to Jesus.

“Master,” they said, “is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ “It’s not your business to know about times and dates,” he replied. “The father has placed all that under his own direct authority. ⁸ What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.”

Ascension!

⁹ As Jesus said this, he was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ They were gazing into heaven as he disappeared. Then, lo and behold, two men appeared, dressed in white, standing beside them.

¹¹ “Galileans,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

¹² Then they went back to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, which is close to Jerusalem, about the distance you could travel on a sabbath. ¹³ They then entered the city (“they” here means Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James) and went to the upstairs room where they were staying. ¹⁴ They all gave themselves single-heartedly to prayer, with the women, including Mary, Jesus’ mother, and his brothers.

Sharing the Messiah’s sufferings

¹² Beloved, don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is coming upon you to test you, as though this were some strange thing that was happening to you. ¹³ Rather, celebrate! You are sharing the sufferings of the Messiah. Then, when his glory is revealed, you will celebrate with real, exuberant joy. ¹⁴ If you are abused because of the name of the Messiah, you are blessed by God, because the spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you.

⁶ Humble yourselves, then, under God’s powerful hand, so that he may lift you up at the right time. ⁷ Throw all your care upon him, because he cares about you.

Standing firm by God’s power

⁸ Stay in control of yourselves; stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is stalking around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, staying resolute in your faith, and knowing that other family members in the rest of the world are facing identical sufferings. ¹⁰ Then, after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you in Messiah Jesus to the glory of his new age, will himself put you in good order, and will establish and strengthen you and set you on firm foundations. ¹¹ To him be the power forever. Amen.

Glorify the son

17 After Jesus had said this, he lifted up his eyes to heaven.

“Father,” he said, “the moment has come. Glorify your son, so that your son may glorify you. ² Do this in the same way as you did when you gave him authority over all flesh, so that he could give the life of God’s coming age to everyone you gave him. ³ And by ‘the life of God’s coming age’ I mean this: that they should know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, the one you sent.

⁴ “I glorified you on earth, by completing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ So now, Father, glorify me, alongside yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

⁶ “I revealed your name to the people you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you; you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything which you gave me comes from you. ⁸ I have given them the words you gave me, and they have received them. They have come to know, in truth, that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.”

Jesus prays for his people

⁹ “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for the people you’ve given me. They belong to you. ¹⁰ All mine are yours; all yours are mine; and I’m glorified in them.

¹¹ “I’m not in the world any longer, but they’re still in the world; I’m coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, the name you’ve given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are one.