Thanks! Even I missed the subtlety of Matthew 17:11! It just goes to show us how careful and diligent we need to be when reading scripture!!
--
I would add that the elephant in the room is ELISHA.
Jesus is using Elijah as the forerunner of ELISHA., (Elijah, then Elisha, ) ( Elijah precedes Elisha)
IN JTB, Jesus uses Elisha as JTB, which places himself as ELISHA.
At the cross, Jesus is referenced as ELIJAH.
( The church then automatically becomes depicted as ELISHA)
IOW, AT JTB , and the cross, the mantle is passed.
Both times it is the Elisha/ Elijah dynamic of passing the mantle .
The confirmation is when Jesus breathed on the disciples and said " receive you the Holy Spirit "
( The fulfillment in power when Jesus prophecied " greater works than these you will do" ...IOW The parallel of Elisha having twice the anointing of Elijah)