Jesus in Cana & Nazareth (of Galilee)

• In (parentheses) is the location per today's geography;
• For the entire itinerary, see Ministry Itin'ry;

[1] Jordan River (from the Dead Sea north to the Sea of Galilee, between the West Bank & Jordan)-- he was baptized in the southern Jordan R.;

[2] to Galilee (northern Israel; NW - SW of the Sea of Galilee):

1. in Cana (W of the Sea)-- attended a wedding, performed 1st miraculous sign;
2. in Capernaum (NW shore of the Sea)-- with family for a few days;

[3] 1st time in Jerusalem-- mid-spring, Passover Feast #1;

[4] to Judea (central Israel - central West Bank);

[5] to Samaria (north-central Israel - northern West Bank);

[6] to Galilee (northern Israel; NW - SW of the Sea of Galilee)-- after the 2 days in Samaria:

1. in Cana (W of the Sea)-- performed 2nd miraculous sign;
2. in Nazareth (S of Cana)-- referred to this proverb;
3. on/near the western beaches/shores of the Sea; obtained 4 more disciples-- now had 6; beaches are sandy/gravelly-- accessible to crowds; shores have rocks/bluffs-- could be "solitary" places;
4. in Capernaum (NW shore of the Sea)-- where He lived; then in/near Capernaum;
5. on/near the Sea/mountainside-- e.g., gave the "Sermon on the Mount": the "beatitudes" & teachings;
6. in Capernaum again-- having gone to lonely places;

[7] 2nd time in Jerusalem-- late-spring, Feast of Pentecost;

[8] to Galilee (northern Israel; NW - SW of the Sea of Galilee):

1. on/near the western beaches/shores of the Sea-- obtained disciple #7, Matthew;
2. in a synagogue-- of Capernaum?;
3. on/near the western beaches/shores of the Sea;
4. on a mountainside-- designated 12 apostles;
5. in Capernaum (NW shore of the Sea);
6. in Nain (SW of the Sea; SE of Nazareth)-- only recorded in Luke 7:11;
7. In various towns & villages;
8. BEFORE  CROSSING #1 <yet west>-- on/near the western beaches/shores of the Sea, gave the boat parables;

[9] WHILE CROSSING #1 <eastward>-- on the Sea of Galilee, calmed the winds & waves;

[10] AFTER CROSSING #1 <now east>-- in the region of the Gerasenes/Gadarenes/Gergesenes (southern Golan Heights; SE of the Sea of Galilee);

[11] back in Galilee (northern Israel; NW - SW of the Sea of Galilee):

1. AFTER RETURNING #1 <now west>-- by the Sea;
2. in Nazareth (SW of the Sea; S of Cana);
3. BEFORE CROSSING #2a <yet west>-- from village-to-village;

[19] 3rd time in Jerusalem-- mid-fall, Feast of Tabernacles:

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After the 1st trip to Jerusalem

  1. 1st visit to Nazareth [6] above-- Went there after 2nd visit to Cana (see A.2. above):

• Luke 4:14-30 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit, & news about Him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, & everyone praised Him. He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, & on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place (Isa 61:1-2a) where it was written [declared what the Year of Jubilee was about-- see Lev 25:8]: The Spirit of the LORD is on Me, because HE has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. HE has sent Me to proclaim liberty for the prisoners & recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD'S Favor. Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant & sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were [remained] fastened on Him, & He began by saying to them, Today this scripture is fulfilled [no longer a 50-yr. pattern, but rather ends now-- very upsetting to those were convinced the written code was eternal (certainly not ever to be nailed to the tree)] in your hearing. Then, as an introduction to the truth he was about to tell them, he referred to a proverb (about Capernaum) that had begun in Cana when he performed His 2nd miraculous sign (the 1st since returning from Jerusalem), where he just spoke to the leper's father & the son was healed-- faith on the part of the father was exhibited (he was the intercessor), but which was interpreted to mean the father wasted time interceding for the son, that the son himself could have had faith & thus been healed). Jesus said to them, Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.' I tell you the truth, He continued, no prophet is accepted in His hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for 3.5 yrs. & there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. Elijah was from Gilead, east of the Jordan R. (which runs south from the Sea of Galilee), but God had him go to Zarephath, northwest of the Sea of Galilee to be ministered to (1stKi 17:1,7ff). BTW, part of the anger toward Jesus that we shall see demonstrated in Nazareth might be because it reminded them of Oba 1:20a, which says about Israel's future restoration that, This company of Israelite exiles [Babylon returnees] who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath (some 50 mi. north of Nazareth-- close to, if not in, Syria today). And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not 1 of them was cleansed-- only Naaman the Syrian. All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, & took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd & went on His way.

After the 2nd trip to Jerusalem

  2. 2nd visit to Nazareth [11] above

• Matt 13:53-58 But note that the rationale we saw above in A.2. for Jesus had for not going to Nazareth initially (repeated in B.1. above, that a prophet is without honor & is not accepted in His own country/hometown-- in His own house & among His relatives, we shall see) is referred to again here-- after he had 12 disciples/apostles: When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, & they were amazed. 'Where did this man get this wisdom & these miraculous powers?' they asked. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother named Mary, & aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon & Judas? Aren't all of His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?' And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, Only in His hometown & in His house is a prophet without honor. And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
• Mark 6:1-6a Jesus left there & went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, & many who heard Him were amazed. 'Where did this man get these things?' they asked. 'What's this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son & the brother of James, Joseph, Judas & Simon? Aren't His sisters here with us?' And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, Only in His hometown, among His relatives & in His own house is a prophet without honor. He could do no miracles there, except lay His hands directly on a few sick people & heal them-- forget about the power of intercession like we saw in A.2. above. And He in turn was amazed at their lack of faith.