These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

Father, the hour is come, glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Scripture Central, and today's podcast addresses the question.

How does Jesus' intercessary prayer point us to the

temple? The Gospel of John contains the longest account of the final, intimate moments Jesus

shared with his apostles immediately before his atoning sacrifice, death, and resurrection.

After delivering a final discourse in the upper room and on the way to Gethsemini,

Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and offered a great intercessory prayer for his disciples.

Many have noted that this prayer is rightly known as Jesus' high-priestly

prayer, as it immediately preceded his atoning sacrifice. William J. Hamblin has also observed

that this prayer should be contextualized within the larger Passover narrative of the last days of

the life of Jesus. Especially given the nature of Jesus' last discourse, this prayer serves as a symbolic temple

for the Gospel of John. It is the meeting place of heaven and earth where man encounters God.

Many aspects of Jesus' prayer thus reflect the ancient temple and its related symbols, ultimately with the hope that Christ's God. Many aspects of Jesus' prayer thus reflect the ancient temple and its related symbols,

ultimately with the hope that Christ's followers can return to God's presence and become like him.

Specifically, Hamlin cites six of these features in the prayer. First, Jesus' prayer can be

best understood within the context that Jesus himself

offered at the beginning of his final sermon to the apostles. Jesus told them,

In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to

prepare a place for you. Notably, the phrase, my father's house, only appears

one other time in John's gospel, namely when Jesus is cleansing the temple. However, it is clear

that in John 14 verse 2, Jesus was referring not to the earthly temple in Jerusalem, but rather to the heavenly temple where

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