The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus. (Matthew 14: 9-12)

The gospel of Luke alludes very briefly - and the gospel of John not at all - to the death of the Baptizer.

Mark and Matthew tell an essentially identical story, with the exception noted above where Matthew has the disciples of John burying their master and then going to Jesus.

The Lord's Prayer is part of Matthew's exposition of the sermon on the mount. But in Luke's gospel, following John's execution, "... his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples to pray.'" (Luke 11:1)

What we can just barely discern is an ongoing relationship between those who followed John and those who followed Jesus.

Following the death of John if there was someone other than Jesus to whom the dead prophet's followers might turn, the scriptures do not tell us.

The contemporary scholar John Dominic Crossan suggests, "John had a monopoly, but Jesus had a franchise." What I understand this to mean is that for his followers John the Baptist was the prophet, the teacher, the baptizer, the one messenger of God.

Jesus offers a process and program by which each of us may participate with others in prophecy, teaching, baptism, and many other gifts.

John prepared the way for the kingdom of God. Jesus shows us how to live in that kingdom.