Acts 1:1-11; John 17:6-19

1 Dear Theophilus: In my first book I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work

2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles.

3 For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God.

4 And when they came together, he gave them this order: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised.

5 John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?"

7 Jesus said to them, "The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be.

8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

9 After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them

11 and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

6 "I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word,

7 and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you.

8 I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.

9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you.

10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and my glory is shown through them.

11 And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one.

12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost - so that the scripture might come true.

13 And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness.

14 I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

15 I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One.

16 Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world.

17 Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth.

18 I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.

19 And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.