Jesus, the Creator of the world, the King of kings and God the Son, was taken away bound with ropes, making sure He could not escape.  What foolishness!  It was only possible because Jesus gave Himself into their custody in order to fulfil God’s great salvation-plan.  Here the worlds of faithless religion and military power worked together in capturing Jesus.  A few hours later it happened again when the puppet King Herod gave Jesus into Pilate’s hands – until then the two power-holders were enemies, but their mutual ambition to destroy Jesus made them friends (Luke 23:13).
 
They took Jesus to somebody important, the High Priest’s father-in-law, to be interrogated.  Although the Roman authorities had deposed Annas from the role, allowing Caiaphas, his less experienced son-in-law, to take over, Annas was still regarded as the ‘proper’ High Priest by many.  Caiaphas, however, had already made his mark with the Romans.  Instead of standing up for the rights of the Jews, he had agreed with the occupying military to allow the death of Jews who caused trouble.  

Caiaphas was a young progressive leader.  He had argued that Jesus was the biggest troublemaker for the religious establishment.  His miracles and teaching were a magnet to people who were hungry for God to intervene in their lives.  If the nation followed Him there would be an uprising, the Romans would take control and remove the religious leaders.  So, the arrogant high priest coordinated the envy of the top religious council to have Jesus killed (John 11:47-48).  It was Caiaphas’ plan.  But he did not know that God’s plan was bigger than his.  Caiaphas had said that Jesus’ death would be the salvation of Israel.  But, unwittingly, he prophesied that Jesus’ death would be good for the whole world (John 11:48-53).

Trying to control God is foolish because we can never succeed.  Compared to Him we are very small and powerless. Whatever schemes we might invent, if they do not please God they will never bring long term blessing.  Yet human nature is desperate to be like God, to manipulate God or to replace God.  How foolish!  Yet many religious practices attempt to do just that: bargaining with God through ‘good works’, prayers, fasting or pilgrimages.  The only proper responses to God are to worship Him, obey Him, and show our love by serving Him – not as a way of winning His approval but as a grateful response to all that He has freely done for us.