What made Jesus different from other Rabbis?

So far we have seen how Jesus fits the normal description of a First Century Jewish Rabbi in Israel. But there are also three distinctions that make the Rabbi-ship of Jesus markedly different than that of his contemporaries.

1. His Message: His message was focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. Whereas this was a subject of great discussion among the other Sages, Jesus came proclaiming the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. The rest of his teachings dealt with the ramifications of that advent.

2. His Authority: Where as all other Sages and Rabbis taught in the name of their teachers and predecessors to establish authority for their message, Jesus taught only in his own name. He invoked only his Father in Heaven to validate his teaching. All other Rabbis quoted the sages and teachers of previous generations. Jesus merely said, "You've heard it said . . . but I tell you." His failure to invoke other teacher's names betrayed either incredible arrogance or ultimate authority. Thus we read, "The crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Torah." (Matthew 7:28, 29)

3. His Miracles: The teaching ministry of Rabbi Jesus was complimented and validated by the miraculous manifestations of the Kingdom of Heaven that accompanied him. The sick were healed, the demon oppressed were freed, the hungry were fed, the blind were made to see, the lame were made to walk, the deaf were made to hear, the dead were raised to life. Miracles of this magnitude were rare among other Rabbis. But in the teaching ministry of Rabbi Jesus, miracles were the norm, not the exception.