Introduction
The year was 345 AD.
Regulus, bishop of Patras (in western Greece), dreamt of an angel instructing him to move the bones of St. Andrew to a distant location.
Regulus took the bones of St. Andrew and set sail.
After being shipwrecked on the shores of Fife, which is on the eastern shore of modern Scotland, he was told to rest and build a church to house the relics.
Later, in 750 AD, the Picts (the people in that part of Scotland) were preparing to fight the English.
King Hungus of the Picts reportedly received a vision from Andrew promising victory, which was symbolized by the appearance of the saltire cross in the sky.
This event established St. Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland and the saltire as a national symbol, despite Andrew likely never visiting Scotland.
St. Andrew’s Golf Course, the oldest golf course in the world, is named after Andrew, the Apostle of Jesus.
Did you know that Andrew was the first disciple that Jesus called to follow him?
Scripture
Let’s read about Andrew’s call in John 1:35-42a:
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.
Lesson
In our lesson today, we will briefly study the life of the Apostle Andrew.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. Andrew’s Heritage
2. Andrew’s Home
3. Andrew’s Hope
4. Andrew’s Heedfulness
5. Andrew’s Helpfulness
6. Andrew’s Humility
I. Andrew’s Heritage
First, let’s look at Andrew’s heritage.
The Greek name Andrew (Andreas) means “manly.”
Like any other man, Andrew certainly had weaknesses, but he was no weakling.
Andrew, along with his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman.
As a fisherman, Andrew knew the rigors of long and hard days.
He was a tireless worker and did what was required of him.
He was undoubtedly a strong and muscular man.
Some men think that Christianity is only for women and children.
But it isn’t.
Christianity is for all people.
Real manliness is following Jesus, as Andrew did.
Real manliness is found in submission and service to Jesus.
Real manliness is to be found in Jesus and living by his strength.
II. Andrew’s Home
Second, let’s take a look at Andrew’s home.
Andrew was born in Bethsaida (see John 1:44).
It was also Philip's hometown.
At some point, Andrew and Peter moved from Bethsaida to Capernaum, which was about 6 miles west of Bethsaida, also on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
It was there that they worked in partnership with the brothers James and John, whom Jesus later called to be his apostles.
It was also in Capernaum that Jesus based his ministry while in Galilee.
The Bible doesn’t tell us why Andrew and Peter moved from Bethsaida to Capernaum.
Scholars suggest that there may have been a practical and financial motive for their move to Capernaum.
Although Capernaum and Bethsaida were only six miles apart, they were actually in two different political territories.
Bethsaida was within the boundary of the Tetrarchy of Philip.
Capernaum was in Galilee and within the Tetrarchy of Herod Antipas.
From historical records, we can glean that Bethsaida levied a much higher tax on the fishermen.
Historical records show that the tax on fishing ranged from 25 to 40 percent of their catch in exchange for fishing rights.
The business partnership of Andrew, Peter, James, and John may have been a cooperative under the leadership of Zebedee, James and John’s father.
Fishermen could form cooperatives to bid for fishing contracts.
Freshwater lakes with abundant fish, like the Sea of Galilee, would have been heavily regulated and controlled by state industries.
A lease to fish may have been prohibitively expensive for one fisherman, which is why a cooperative involving many fishermen is needed.
That is likely how the four men bought into Zebedee’s cooperative.
By the way, a tax collector named Levi (also known as Matthew) had a lucrative tax office in Capernaum.
Levi may have been responsible for assigning the fishing contracts to the local fishermen for the lease of fishing rights.
Jesus was able to reach people who had made business decisions to improve their standard of living.
No one is beyond the reach of Jesus.
III. Andrew’s Hope
Third, let’s examine Andrew’s hope.
In John 1:35–36, we read, “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ ”
From the verses that follow, we gather that Andrew was one of the two disciples described in verse 35.
Andrew was a disciple of John at this point.
He was thrilled by John the Baptizer’s ministry of preparing the way for the coming Christ.
Andrew longed for Christ.
He longed for the appearance of Israel’s king, the anointed one.
Andrew was clearly a student of the Scriptures.
He needed no explanation of John’s description of his cousin Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”
Andrew immediately stopped following John and started following Jesus.
IV. Andrew’s Heedfulness
Fourth, let’s look at Andrew’s heedfulness.
John 1:37 states, “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.”
In John 1:40, we read, “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
The second disciple was not named, but it was John, the author of The Gospel of John. He rarely identified himself in his Gospel.
So, Andrew, along with John, was curious to learn more about Jesus.
They followed Jesus.
When Jesus saw them following him, he asked them what they were looking for.
So, Andrew and John asked where he was staying.
Jesus invited them to come and see where he was staying.
Andrew did not follow Jesus because others were doing it.
No one else had yet started following Jesus.
It takes courage to step out in faith, especially when you are the first to do it.
Andrew did not care what other people thought.
He did not wait to see which way the wind would blow regarding Jesus of Nazareth.
No.
He heeded his study of the Scriptures.
He heeded the invitation of Jesus.
Mindful of Isaiah 55:6—“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near”—Andrew followed Jesus.
It is interesting to note that this incident, in which John saw his cousin Jesus and said that he was “the Lamb of God,” took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan.
That is on the east bank of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing people for the remission of their sins.
In John 1:43, we learn that the next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee.
Bethany beyond the Jordan was about a day’s journey to Galilee.
It was there that Jesus called others to follow him.
Andrew, however, was the first to follow Jesus.
V. Andrew’s Helpfulness
Fifth, let’s examine Andrew’s helpfulness.
In John 1:40–42a, we read, “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.”
This clearly happened the next day (or perhaps even later).
The Gospel of John does not always follow a story chronologically.
Nevertheless, Andrew discovered the Messiah and wanted others to know about him, too.
So he told his brother, Simon Peter, about the Messiah and brought him to Jesus.
On another occasion, when thousands of people were following Jesus and listening to him preach and heal the sick, Jesus asked Philip where they could get food to feed the five thousand men.
Philip said they did not have nearly enough money to buy food for so many people.
Andrew then brought a boy to Jesus who had five barley loaves and two fish.
Jesus used the five loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand (John 6:1-11).
In John 12:20-33, we learn about Andrew bringing “some Greeks” to Jesus because they wanted to see Jesus.
Andrew was not so much a man of words.
Andrew was a man of deeds.
He did not say a lot, but he did a lot.
After he learned the Messiah's identity, he found he could not help but point others to the Messiah.
One writer said, “On every occasion Andrew’s name is mentioned, it is found in connection with introducing others to Christ” (Dean M. Weaver, Acquainting Ourselves with the Apostles: Alliterate Expository Character Studies of the Twelve Apostles [WORDsearch, 2016], 14).
Andrew was convinced about the Messiah’s identity.
He was convinced beyond question that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Because of that truth, he could not keep quiet.
He had to tell people about Jesus, the Messiah.
Let me ask: Do you believe enough that you tell others about Jesus?
VI. Andrew’s Humility
And sixth, let’s look at Andrew’s humility.
Andrew is mentioned only in the Gospels and once in The Book of Acts.
The Gospel of John tells us the most about Andrew.
Though Andrew was the first disciple to follow Jesus and his name is always among the top four Apostles, he was not in Jesus’ inner circle.
Andrew introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus, and after that, he was often introduced as Simon Peter’s brother.
Andrew was the first to know Jesus, and he continually helped others come to know Jesus, but Andrew himself was not well known.
However, this seeming lack of recognition did not bother Andrew.
Andrew did not seek the limelight.
All that mattered to Andrew was that people get to know Jesus.
Andrew is a great illustration of the truth that a person does not have to be greatly recognized to do the work of God.
Jesus did not choose the wisest to serve him.
Jesus did not choose the most gifted to serve him.
Jesus did choose the most intelligent to serve him.
Jesus chose ordinary people to serve him.
Jesus enabled ordinary people to do extraordinary things for him.
Jesus still does that today.
Conclusion
The Bible does not record what Andrew did after the Day of Pentecost.
Whatever role he played in the formation of the first-century church, he remained behind the scenes.
Tradition says that he took the gospel north.
Eusebius, the ancient church historian, says Andrew went as far as Scythia.
That is why Andrew is the patron saint of Russia.
Most likely, Andrew was ultimately crucified in Achaia, which is in southern Greece near Athens.
One account says that he led the wife of a provincial Roman governor to Jesus Christ, and that infuriated her husband.
He demanded that his wife recant her devotion to Jesus, and she refused.
So, the governor ordered that Andrew be crucified.
By the governor's orders, those who crucified him tied him to the cross instead of nailing him to it, so that his sufferings could be prolonged.
By most accounts, Andrew hung on the cross for two days while exhorting passers-by to turn to Jesus for salvation.
Tradition says that the cross was X-shaped.
After a lifetime of ministry in the shadow of his more famous brother, Simon Peter, in the service of his Lord,
Andrew met a similar fate, remaining faithful and still endeavoring to bring people to Jesus right until the end of his life.
May we be found to be as faithful as Andrew. Amen.
