The Apostle Andrew Series

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.