But how then will the Scripture be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
These words are the highest expression of Jesus’ obedience. He reminds them that His every step happens not by chance, but according to the foreordained purpose of Holy Scripture. The phrase “If it must be so” shows the unwavering course of the divine plan: nothing should hinder the fulfillment of what is written. Jesus does not resist violence, because His aim is the work of salvation, not self-defense. These words show faithfulness not to the situation, but to the Father, as the true Son of God. He knows that suffering and the cross are not defeat, but the promised path to salvation. Here Jesus, by His obedience, carries out what the prophets had foretold: “He will be led like a lamb to be slaughtered” (Isaiah 53:7). Thus, Jesus’ obedience becomes the living fulfillment of the words of Holy Scripture.