The Intentionality of Jesus Love
I’m defining intentionality as, done freely, on purpose, and by design. There’s something powerful about intentionality, when something is done on purpose. When something is done intentionally it adds weight to what was done. We experience something very powerful and dynamic when someone freely and intentionally chooses us to be the object of their love. Jesus intentionally, freely, on purpose, and by design, died on the cross and rose from the grave; so that He could love you forever. Would it matter to you if you were to see from the Word of God that Jesus freely and intentionally chose to be crucified and rise from the grave so that He could love you forever?
The intentionality of His love.
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”” John 10:17-18
Sounds like Jesus is being intentional. Jesus is saying, “I am freely doing this, this is my choice. I’m not being forced to go to the cross and die.” Maybe you’re thinking, “Not so fast. Jesus was killed. What about the mob in the garden? And Judas betraying Him? And Annas the high priest? And the false witnesses that came against Him? And the crowds who cried, “Crucify Him”? And Herod who sent Him back to Pilate? And Pilate who handed Him over? And the soldiers who hammered the nails?” What does Jesus mean, “No one takes my life from me?” He means that at every point where it looks like He was being forced to do what He did not want to do, He was not being forced. He was intentionally choosing it because He loves you. At this point you could be thinking, “Well that’s fine for Jesus to say that, but did He actually do it, did He demonstrate it?” Lets take a look at the Word of God and see.
Going to Jerusalem
“And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:32-34 ESV
Do you see the intentionality? We are going, period. And I will be killed and rise, period. He knew why He was going to Jerusalem, to be mocked, spit on, flogged, and to be killed. “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) Set His face means, Jesus chose and was determined to go to Jerusalem, and no one or nothing was going to stop Him. He knew when the time was near and set His face to go to Jerusalem so that He could be crucified and after three days rise from the grave, so that He could love you forever.
In the Garden
““So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”” John 18:3-8 ESV
Jesus knew all that would happen. If I knew a mob of angry people with weapons was coming for me, to take me and kill me I would run and hide. Jesus didn’t run away, Jesus moved towards them and asks, “Who are you looking for?” They tell Him, we’re looking for Jesus. And Jesus says, “I am He.” What happens next is one of my favorite scenes in the Bible. When Jesus declared His divine identity (in the words I am), Judas and the soldiers all fell back. There was such a display of divine presence, majesty, and power in those two words that the enemies of Jesus were powerless to stand against Him. In Adam Clark’s commentary he says, “Our Lord chose to give them this proof of his infinite power, that they might know that their power could not prevail against him if he chose to exert his might, seeing that the very breath of his mouth confounded, drove back, and struck them down to the earth.” The way we would describe this today is, “Jesus just flexed.” This shows that Jesus was completely in control of the situation. Jesus did not have to go with this army led by Judas. With God’s power expressed through His words alone, Jesus could have overpowered them and easily escaped.
“Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” Matthew 26:50-54 ESV
What’s He saying? He is saying, “No one takes my life from me. I lay it down freely. I choose this. I embrace it. I could ask the Father and this would all be over.” Jesus is teaching His disciples that He is freely choosing to go to the cross and die. He is freely allowing it to happen.
“But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:51-53 ESV
I’ve been around you guys all the time, seems like you could have easily killed Me, but you didn’t. Do you know why? Do you think it was because you were deciding what hour I would die? Wrong. Jesus is saying, “The reason you are here now is because, this is your hour, not before and not after. I decide the hour, not you.” Jesus is in absolute control of what is happening, so that He can love you forever.
The Crucifixion
We see the intentionality, the design, of Jesus to suffer for us by looking at the prophesies from the Old Testament that give many details about the crucifixion. This was all done on purpose and by design.
In Psalm 22:18, written about 1000 years before Jesus’ crucifixion, we read this, “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Then we read in John 19:23-24, “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,” Notice that everything that happened in the death and resurrection of Jesus was done on purpose and by design, right down to seemingly insignificant things like what happens with Jesus’ clothes.
In Exodus 12:46 we read instructions to the Israelites for the Passover lamb. This Passover lamb represents Jesus who would be the ultimate and final Passover Lamb. “It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.” Now move forward to Psalm 34:20 and read, “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” Two times we read something about bones not being broken. What’s that all about? We find out in John 19:31-37, “Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”” This should amaze us how utterly in control God is. How completely intentional and by design the crucifixion was, so that Jesus could love you forever.
The Resurrection
“No one takes my life from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” John 10:18 ESV
“I have authority to lay it down.” We can kind of get that, you and I could say that and, in a sense, pull it off. Perhaps we could choose when we die. But the outrageous claim that Jesus made was, “And I have authority to take it up again.” I have authority as a dead man, to take life back again, when I please. Now what’s the point here? Well, which is harder, to control when you die, or to give yourself life again once you are dead? If He controlled when He came out of the grave, He certainly controlled when He went into the grave. Jesus’ resurrection is absolute proof that He did it all on purpose. Hear Jesus say to you, “I had your name on my heart the entire time, I intentionally went to the cross and died for you, so that I can love you forever.”
Living Hope Ministries 