Bread on the Hillside
Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus. Matthew 14:12 · Berean Standard Bible
John's faithful disciples came, buried his body, and went to tell Jesus. Even in grief, they knew where to turn.
When you experience loss, bringing your grief to Jesus is exactly the right response. He cares about your sorrow.
Matthew narrates the tender actions of John's loyal followers.
In the midst of tragedy, John's disciples do two things: honor the dead and seek the living Savior. Their instinct points the way for all of us.
John's disciples fulfill the Jewish obligation of proper burial (ēran to ptōma kai ethapsan). Their report to Jesus links the Baptist narrative back to the main Matthean storyline.
Proper burial was a sacred duty in Judaism. The disciples' act of informing Jesus creates a literary bridge, as John's death foreshadows Jesus' own passion.
The narrator describes the actions of John's disciples.
John's followers give him a dignified burial and then seek out Jesus. The passing of the forerunner now fully transfers the focus to Jesus.
10and sent to have John beheaded in the prison.
11John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
12Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.
13When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.
14When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Read all of Matthew 14 — A king's guilty banquet ends with a prophet's head on a platter. Hours later, Jesus feeds thousands and walks on water through the night.
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