John’s disciples often visited him in prison (Matthew 11:2), so when he was killed there, they took the body to give him an honourable burial.
The next thing to do was to go and tell Jesus, which showed that they believed in him as Messiah, so the answer which Jesus had provided to John when he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah (Matthew 11:2–6) must have been satisfactory for them, strengthening the bond between the two groups of disciples. Perhaps John’s disciples also wanted to warn Jesus about the dangers of Herod Antipas. Regardless, while some of John’s disciples continued John’s work after his death (Acts 18:25), most of his disciples probably simply began to follow Jesus.
John the Baptist’s own disciples were also apparently close by when he was murdered on Herod’s birthday. They often visited him in prison (Matthew 11:2) and so when he was murdered there they took the body to give him an honourable burial.1
For these disciples the most obvious thing to do was to go and tell Jesus immediately after burying John—an action which testifies to the fact that they believed in him as Messiah. This also reveals that the answer which Jesus had provided to John when he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah (Matthew 11:2–6) must have been satisfactory for them and would have strengthened the bond between the two groups of disciples. It is also possible that John’s disciples wanted to warn Jesus about the dangers of Herod Antipas. Regardless, while some of the disciples of John the Baptist continued John’s work after his death (Acts 18:25), it is highly probable that most of his disciples simply proceeded to follow Jesus.2
12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.