Visual Resources for the Lectionaries

This post offers visual resources for the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary for May 17, 2026. Use this chart for quick links to the texts and the resource pages on cartoonistbible.com.

Easter 7

OR Ascension Sunday

CLICK HERE to jump to the Narrative Lectionary Resources

Revised Common Lectionary Resources

Option 1

Gospel Reading – John 17:1-11

This image is from page 17 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to John

Option 2

Gospel Reading – Luke 24:44-53

This image is from page 24 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to Luke

Food for Thought

We celebrate the ascension of Jesus this Sunday. Historical note: This event was traditionally celebrated on Thursday, the 40th day after Easter Sunday. Many congregations observe it on Sunday so that more people will be in attendance.

The ascension was a necessary part of the incarnation. God became human (the incarnation). Human life is limited. We are finite creatures. We live in one body, in one particularly moment in time. We are born, we live, we die, then the next generation carries the torch of life. We received life from our ancestors and we pass it on to our descendents.

Jesus was a particular human in a particular moment in time. He was born, he lived, he died, AND he rose from the dead. His resurrection was a foretaste of all our hope. Yet, we are still here, in this life, awaiting death. Jesus had to pass the torch to us so that we would carry on his mission in the world. The church is the ongoing incarnation of God’s love in the world, empowered by God’s Spirit.

Without the ascension we would still be stuck staring at the clouds, not doing anything. Poof! Jesus left. His physical body is gone. The messengers said, “Why are you standing around? Get to work!”

Jesus prayed that his disciples would be unified as one body, so that the world would see the love that the God has for it. Our unity in love is the witness of Jesus to the world. This is our work to do in the world. This ascension Sunday, may we remember that we are called to love God and love our neighbor in the way that Jesus showed us how to do it.

Narrative Lectionary Resources

Philippians 2:1-13

Food for Thought

This is the second week in a 3-week mini series in Philippians. The selected text for this week is traditionally called the Christ hymn. Most scholars believe that Paul is quoting a hymn that was already established as part of the early church. If that is true, then this is one of the most ancient communal proclamations of who Jesus is and how the first generation of his disciples made sense out of his death and resurrection.

This passage is also part of Paul’s prayer for his friends in Philippi. He urges them to “let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” He emptied himself for the sake of the world. This reflects Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one.

This is a good message for ascension Sunday. Jesus physically left the world. God exalted him, as our text says, and left us to carry out the mission. We are called to empty ourselves of selfish ambition and pride, and live our lives in the service of the mutal flourishing, justice, righteousness and shalom of the world.

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