[RCL] Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11 Acts 1:6-14 “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” It is difficult to remember that Jesus defied the Messianic expectation. Jesus was not a mighty warrior king; he was a humble itinerant preacher. Rather than cast out…

Acts 1:6-14 The first lesson for the seventh Sunday of Easter is the narrative of the Ascension. Jesus has been resurrected and the disciples know that life will never be the same again! But they still can’t wrap their minds around what that really means. In our reading, they ask Jesus, “Lord, is this the…

Acts 1:6-14 At this point in Scripture, the disciples have devoted the last few years of their lives to following Jesus. During those years, they have witnessed amazing things: healings, the recovery of sight, abundance from nothing (five loaves and two fish), calming storms, and even raising people from the dead. And when all their…

Acts 1:6-14 This text from the Acts of the Apostles serves several purposes. First, the disciples of Jesus are not to occupy themselves with trying to decipher the time of Jesus’ return. Second, the nature of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had preached in his earthly ministry is clarified. Third, a “table of contents”…