Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God, the King of the World

For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Luke Writes Another Book

1 To Theophilus.

The first book I wrote was about everything Jesus began to do and teach ² until the day he was taken up into heaven. Before this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the apostles he had chosen what they should do. ³ After his death, he showed himself to them and proved in many ways that he was alive. The apostles saw Jesus during the forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. ⁴ Once when he was eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, “Wait here to receive the promise from the Father which I told you about. ⁵ John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus Is Taken Up into Heaven

⁶ When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?”

⁷ Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. ⁸ But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”

⁹ After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰ As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”

God, the King of the World

For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Majesty of the Lord

Paul’s Prayer

¹⁵ That is why since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, ¹⁷ asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. ¹⁸ I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people. ¹⁹ And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength ²⁰ God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world. ²¹ God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings, not only in this world but also in the next. ²² God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church, ²³ which is Christ’s body. The church is filled with Christ, and Christ fills everything in every way.

⁴⁴ He said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵ Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “It is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day ⁴⁷ and that a change of hearts and lives and forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I will send you what my Father has promised, but you must stay in Jerusalem until you have received that power from heaven.”

Jesus Goes Back to Heaven

⁵⁰ Jesus led his followers as far as Bethany, and he raised his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. ⁵² They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem very happy. ⁵³ They stayed in the Temple all the time, praising God.