Three events occur at this general time when Jesus first returned from Judea. He most likely returned to Nazareth, though we are no told that. John records that shortly, he went to Cana, from which he healed a boy in Capernaum. Luke records his rejection at Nazareth and Matthew mentions that he moved his ministry to Capernaum.

We don’t know the order of those events, but most likely, he returned from Judea to Nazareth, was rejected, and then visited Cana. Sometime upon return to Nazareth, the synagogue officials most likely honored him by allowing to read the scripture passage. When he read the messianic text and claimed to fulfill it, enraged, the crowd tried to kill him. That would have then forced his moving away, which Matthew records.

We aren’t told why Jesus went to Cana, but for whatever reason, he was interrupted by an official from Capernaum. He would have been a gentile. If Jewish, John would have given us his position. Here, we have a gentile that was more trusting of Jesus than those who knew him.

John calls this the “second miraculous sign.” Most assume that John is referring back to Jesus having turned the water into wine, but that doesn’t fit. First of all, John says it is the second, “having come from Judea,” that is, the second “sign” upon their return.

What then was the first? More likely, it was the miraculous exit through the crowd who would have killed him, recorded by Luke. Jesus might have even been considering Cana as a place for relocation, before he moved to Capernaum.