After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized— John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.” He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.’ (John 3: 22-30)

The Jesus movement and John's movement continued in parallel for some period of time. There were, besides, many others about offering prophecy and promising reform.

What I perceive in the relationship between John and Jesus is similar to the story of a ground-breaking scholar and his or her best students. Because the scholar is ground-breaking, the students are needed to continue the work. It is likely some of the students will surpass the teacher.

The teacher and students will differ. Plato differed with Socrates. Aristotle differed with Plato. How the ground-breaking teacher deals with these differences can be crucial to how the field of study emerges.

Few are as generous with their students as the fourth gospel writes of John toward Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." I wonder if this does not involve some post-hoc romanticizing.

But while resentment is more typical, the joy of John captures our admiration. Generosity of spirit confirms - rather than subverts - the brilliance of the precursor and is the model for every teacher, leader, or parent involved in shaping succession.