And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Ver. 12. And his disciples came and took] A pious and courteous office, such as Joseph of Arimathea boldly performed to Christ, and these devout men to Stephen, making great lamentation over him, Acts 8:2. Good blood will not belie itself: fire will not long be hidden. Sir Anthony Kingston came to Bishop Hooper a little before he was burnt, and said, I thank God that ever I knew you, &c. And another knight came to George Tankerfield when he was at the stake, and taking him by the hand, said, Good brother, be strong in Christ, &c. Oh, sir, said he, I thank you, I am so, I thank God. It is a high praise to Onesiphorus that he sought out Paul, the prisoner, and was not ashamed of his chain, 2 Timothy 1:16,17; and to David's brethren, that they came down to him to the cave of Adullam, though to their great danger, 1 Samuel 22:1; to the good women in the Gospel, that they came to the sepulchre to embalm Christ's body, though it were guarded by a band of soldiers; and to those Christians in Chrysostom's time that could not be kept from visiting the confessors in prison, though it were straitly forbidden them, upon pain of many mulets and dangers. a
And went and told Jesus] Whom should we tell of the sufferings of his servants and ourselves, but Jesus? Say to him of his labouring Church, as they did once of his friend Lazarus, Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick, or otherwise hardly dealt with. "Then will he soon be jealous for his land, and pity his people,"Joel 2:18 : he will play Phineas's part, and thrust a spear through the loins of his enemies, that offer to force the queen also in the house. But it's worth the noting that John's disciples, who before had emulated Christ and joined with the Pharisees against him, now repair unto him, and inform him of their master's death; being henceforth willing to become his disciples. Misery makes unity, and drives them to Christ, who, till then, had no such mind to him.
a Tametsi multis terroribus, minis, et periculis interdictum esset. Chrysost. Orat. de duob. Martyr.