John Calvin Commentary Mark 6:29

"And when his disciples heard [thereof], they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb." — Mark 6:29 (ASV)

His disciples came. One thing only remained to complete the woman’s cruelty. It was to leave the corpse of the holy man unburied; for there is reason to believe that when his disciples performed this duty, the tyrant’s attendants had thrown out the corpse.

Though the honor of burial is of no importance to the dead, yet it is the Lord’s will that we observe this ceremony as a token of the last resurrection; and therefore God was pleased with the carefulness the disciples manifested when they came to commit their master’s body to the tomb.

Moreover, this act was an attestation of their piety; for in this way they declared that their master’s doctrine continued to have a firm hold of their hearts after his death. This confession was therefore worthy of praise, especially as it was not without danger; for they could not honor a man who had been put to death by the executioner without provoking the tyrant’s rage against them.