Cheerful He to Suff'ring Goes?

The fifth stanza from the hymn My Song is Love Unknown states "Yet cheerful He [Jesus] to suff'ring goes." While this seems innocent enough, I do not think it serves the Christian well to underestimate the severity of what happened to our Lord during His passion. It is entirely possible that our Lord could do His work without sin while still understanding the severity of that work. Let me illustrate this with a modern example.

This picture shows a man who had experienced hell. He had seen things and done things that we do not like to even think about. He knew that his work could be deadly, and that it would not be finished until his enemy was destroyed. In this picture is a man who knew what had to be done and would do it willingly, but he also understood the gravity of the situation.

Read the account of Jesus in the time immediately before His betrayal.

"He knelt down and prayed, saying 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Our Lord knew that His work would be deadly. He knew that scourging, fatigue to the point of collapse, starvation, thirst, torture, and death were before Him. He also knew that He would be mocked, spit upon, tried in a kangaroo court, and convicted regardless of His innocence. He knew that He was not only man but also God. He knew that He could have legions of angels tend to Him at the utterance of a word. This account shows us a man who knew what had to be done and would do it willingly, but He also understood the gravity of the situation.

"Cheerful He to suff'ring goes?" Hardly.