The story of John the Baptist in the New Testament and the Prophet Elijah, in the Old Testament is the story of the same soul reincarnating again. Jesus himself declared that John the Baptist was Elijah come again. The relationship of Jesus and John the Baptist is a story of great devotion, love and respect—beautiful to behold and seldom equaled. It is the story of guru-chela, master-disciple relationship.

Being the great and humble teacher that he was, John said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease”; for he bore in his heart the great God-desire that Jesus should exceed him in attainment and in service. After his lifetime as John the Baptist, he returned as John the Baptist, he returned to the ascended state.Adapted from The Masters and Their Retreats