John now relates by whom, and in what place, and with what magnificence, 
Christ was buried. He mentions two persons who buried Christ; namely, Joseph 
and Nicodemus, the former of whom requested Pilate to give him the dead 
body, which otherwise would have been exposed to the lawless violence of 
the soldiers.  As to Nicodemus, we have seen, in the Third Chapter of this 
Gospel, that he held an honorable rank among his own countrymen; and that 
he was also rich, may be easily inferred from the great expense which he 
laid out in procuring this mixture. The Evangelist expressly says, that 
Joseph has formerly been kept back by this fear from venturing to declare 
openly that he was a disciple of Christ; and as to Nicodemus, he repeats 
what we have already seen, that he came to Jesus secretly, and by night, 
(John 3:2 and John 7:50.) Whence, therefore, do they derive such heroic 
magnanimity that, when affairs are at the lowest ebb, they fearlessly come 
forth to public view? I say nothing of the great and evident danger which 
they must have incurred; but the most important point is, that they did not 
scruple to place themselves in a state of perpetual warfare with their own 
nation. It is therefore certain that this was effected by a heavenly impulse,
 so that they who, through, fear, did not render the honor due to him while 
he was alive, now run to his dead body, as if they had become new men. 
They bring their spices to embalm the body of Christ; but they would never 
have done so, if they had been perfumed with the sweet sayour of his death. 
This shows the truth of what Christ had said, 


Unless a grain of corn die, it remaineth alone; 
but when it is dead, it bringeth forth much fruit, 
(John 12:24.) 


For here we have a striking proof that his death was more quickening than 
his life; and so great was the efficacy of that sweet sayour which the death 
of Christ conveyed to the minds of those two men, that it quickly extinguished 
all the passions belonging to the flesh. So long as ambition and the love 
of money reigned in thenb the grace of Christ had no charms for them; but 
now they begin to disrelish the whole world. 


Besides, let us learn that their example points out to us what we owe to 
Christ. Those two men, as a testimony of their faith, not only took down 
Christ from the cross with great hazard, but boldly carried him to the grave.
 Our slothfulness will be base and shameful if, now that he reigns in the 
heavenly glory, we withhold from him the confession of our faith. So much 
the less excusable is the wickedness of those who, though they now deny 
Christ by base hypocrisy, plead in his behalf the example of Nicodemus. 
In one thing, I admit, they resemble him, that they endeavor, as far as 
lies in their power, to bury Christ; but the time for burying is past, since 
he hath ascended to the right hand of the Father, that he may reign gloriously 
over angels and men, and that every tongue may proclaim his dominion, (Philippians 
2:9, 10.)