Did Christ choose to go to the cross or was He forced to?
Christ chose to go to the cross; He was not forced. He could have rejected it and said no, but He did not. Out of His motivating love for mankind, He willingly went to the cross to settle the sin problem and purchase salvation.
Les explains that Christ is the primary example of one who did not please Himself. In the surrounding passage, believers are told to bear the infirmities of the weak and please their neighbor for edification. Les then points to Christ: even Christ pleased not Himself, and the reproaches of those who reproached God fell on Him. Why did Christ die? Because He loved mankind. He had to die to settle the sin problem, but He could have rejected it. He could have said no, but He did not. He chose for mankind's sake, out of that motivating love, to go to the cross and purchase our salvation.