God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

The Ascension

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, ^jwill you at this time ^krestore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, ^l“It is not for you to know ^mtimes or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive ⁿpower ^owhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ^pyou will be ^qmy witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ^rSamaria, and ^sto the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, ^the was lifted up, and ^ua cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, ^vtwo ^wmen stood by them in ^xwhite robes, 11 and said, ^y“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, ^zwill ^acome in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then ^bthey returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to ^cthe upper room, where they were staying, ^dPeter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon ^ethe Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these ^fwith one accord ^gwere devoting themselves to prayer, together with ^hthe women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ⁱhis brothers.¹

The High Priestly Prayer

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, ^mhe lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, ⁿthe hour has come; ^oglorify your Son that the Son may ^pglorify you, 2 since ^qyou have given him authority over all flesh, ^rto give eternal life to all ^swhom you have given him. 3 ^tAnd this is eternal life, ^uthat they know you, ^vthe only ^wtrue God, and ^xJesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I ^yglorified you on earth, ^zhaving accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, ^aglorify me in your own presence with the glory ^bthat I had with you ^cbefore the world existed.

6 ^d“I have manifested your name to the people ^ewhom you gave me out of the world. ^fYours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything ^fthat you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them ^gthe words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that ^hI came from you; and ⁱthey have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. ^jI am not praying for the world but for those ^kwhom you have given me, for ^lthey are yours. 10 ^mAll mine are yours, and yours are mine, and ⁿI am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but ^othey are in the world, and ^pI am coming to you. ^qHoly Father, ^rkeep them in your name, ^swhich you have given me, ^tthat they may be one, ^ueven as we are one.

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at ^zthe fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice ^ainsofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad ^bwhen his glory is revealed. 14 ^cIf you are insulted ^dfor the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory¹ and of God rests upon you.

6 ^xHumble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 ^ycasting all your anxieties on him, because ^zhe cares for you. 8 ^aBe sober-minded; ^bbe watchful. Your ^cadversary the devil ^dprowls around ^elike a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 ^fResist him, ^gfirm in your faith, knowing that ^hthe same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And ⁱafter you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, ^jwho has called you to his ^keternal glory in Christ, will himself ^lrestore, ^mconfirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 ⁿTo him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.