We can't know for sure for how long Jesus knew the particulars of His death. For all we know, Jesus may very well have known about His eventual crucifixion while He was teaching in the temple at 12 years old. Assuming that He did know at a fairly young age, it is remarkable that He took up the trade of a carpenter, a profession that requires the constant pounding of nails into boards. We have to imagine that there were many times that Jesus slammed the hammer down on a nail and with each strike He would cast His mind forward to that day when someone else would hammer nails into Him. What kind of discipline and courage and humility and strength of character would it take to surround Himself for years on end with constant reminders of the single worst day of His life? Is it possible while on a carpentry job while waiting for some fresh lumber Jesus ever picked up a nail and pressed it as hard as He dared into the palm of His hand? Jesus Christ was able to endure the pains of the cross because He had surrounded Himself with nails and wood His entire life. He was able to drink from the bitter cup because He had already drunk from similar cups almost as full and almost as bitter a thousand times over. When the children of Israel were bitten by snakes, those who wanted to get better had to look at the snake that bit them and maybe also they had to look at their own choices and actions that had led them to be bitten in the first place. Jesus Christ did not try to hide from the nails. He looked at them day in and day out. He knew that however bad today got, it was just helping Him get ready for the next day, which was going to be harder. If we truly want to follow the Savior's example, we could do worse than immersing ourselves in the things which scare us the most. Being a carpenter is by no means an easy job, but it must be much, much harder knowing that one day you're going to be on the other end of the hammer and nails. I hope none of us pass up on the opportunities that come our way to prepare ourselves for the ultimate challenges that lie ahead.
