Jesus as man had to suffer the pain and agony so that Jesus as God could embrace our suffering for our sins.  Jesus knew that we were sinful people and that when we sin we suffered the consequences of that sin.  He had to bear that physical and emotional pain so He could accept our sins and intercede for our salvation.

Can you possibly imagine crucifixion without pain and suffering?  What would the crucifixion have been like or meant if Jesus had stoically hung on the cross, perhaps with casual banter to those around Him?  Could we then relate to the fact that he bore all of our sins on the cross?  No.  The burden of all of these sins was (and is) truly painful to Jesus; emotionally as well as physically.  Even today, our sins are painful to Him, but he continues to bear them.

Jesus' death was already prophesied and irreversible.  His actions in the Temple during Holy Week surely did not help His case, but it did not seal the deal.

Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers and the selling inferior sacrificial animals because he had not come to violate the Law, but to enforce it.  The legalistic Pharisees had abused God's laws and twisted them into regulations that fit what they interpreted.  The money changers were exchanging Jerusalemite currency for Greek drachmas becuase the Parisees had declared the Greek money impure and unsuitable for sacrifice.  That was not God's law.  Those selling sacrificial animals wer selling the weak and sick animals for great profit.  People coming to Jerusalem for Passover usually did not bring their own animals for sacrifice, but purchased those sold at the Temple.  These vendors were effectively cheating the people and providing sacrifiices that were unfit.

Jesus knew long before Holy Week that His time was coming to an end.  Prophesy had to be fulfilled and we are the beneficiaries of His amazing sacrifice.

Jesus accomplished all of the points mentioned here, among other things.

Jesus demonstrated God's love through His sacrifice on the cross.  Jesus said that "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".  The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is further demonstration of God's unimaginable lovingkindness. 

Jesus certainly brought the Good News to the poor in spirit.  No longer would we be shackled by the yoke of the Law and salvation does not lie in our deeds or how accurately we followed the Law, but was available to us through belief in Him.

Jesus sacrificed himself for others and we were sacrificed with Him.  Through our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior our old selves are put to death and we are born again as children of the Most High God.

Abundance of life is an undeserved gift from God to those who are in Him.  The very fact that you took a breath this morning when you woke up us evidence of his abundant grace.  If we accept Christ and live in Him our lives will be abundant.  Maybe not in material wealth and things, but certianly our lives are blessed and we are enabled to share the Good News.

Jesus tried to get everyone to understand the Kingdom of God for three years.  He was partially successful in person, but left his disciples to complete the task. This will always be an in-process commandment until Christ comes again.  we, as disciples must carry out the Great Commission and spread the Gospel.

Jesus changed the world forever with only three years of ministry.  The words of Christ and the Word of God remain today just as they did thousands of years ago.  He showed the world that the only way to salvation is through Him and to obtain it, all we have to do is believe and accept Him.

I think that initmacy and obedience is one of the same.  When you have an intimate relationship with Christ(love & know Him)it makes it easy to obey Him, Jesus commands this.   Having a personal relationship with Him makes it easy to be led by Him.

Intimacy with Jesus enables and encourages our obedience.  If we cannot drop all of the facades and bare our souls to Jesus, He knows that we are not living in Him.  When we open our hearts to Christ and accept Him as our Savior, we understand what obedience to Him means; what things we should or shouldn't do.  You cannot accept Christ and be willfully disobedient to Him.  If you are willfully disobedient then you are not truly saved.

There is nothing more intimate with Christ than acceptance of Him as your Savior and allowing Him to love you.  You cannot help but love Him as well and turn to a more Christ-like existence.

Wow!  That's a tough choice.  There are so many things we wish we knew.  Most of them we will have to wait and ask the Saints when we meet in God's Eternal Kingdom.  After studying the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, I know I have several questions to ask Luke.  But what would I ask Jesus?

I wouldn't petition Him for His favor; I already have that.  I wouldn't ask Him to intervene for a specific cause; He already does that.  I wouldn't ask Him Bible trivia; that can wait for the Saints.  I wouldn't ask Him if I am doing well enough to live in Him; He wouldn't be with me if that were not true.  Most everything I can think of seems very trivial or already answered.

I think, if I had to choose one question, I would have to ask what more He would have me do to Honor Him and the Father.  I have my ideas of the things I should do, I guess I'd just like confimation that I am fulfilling his will, and if not, I hope that He would tell me the path I should walk to stay in His light.

But honestly, I probably would be speechless, prostrate on the ground, basking in His glory.