The Apostle Andrew

The Apostle of small things

Originally followed John the Baptist

Mark 1:29 “And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”

Mark 13:3 “And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,”

Originally from Bethsaida

John 1:44 “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.”

Moved to Capernaum

Mark 1:29 “And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”

Apart from passages relating to the whole of the Disciples Andrew is only mentioned Nine times in the New Testament

Scripture never attaches any dishonor to Andrew’s actions

Andrew’s name means Manly

He was bold, decisive, & deliberate

Remember he was originally following John the Baptist

Matthew 3:4 “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

John 1:35–36 “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!””

John 1:37 “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.”

John 1:38–39 “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?” 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.”

After his encounter with Jesus the first thing he did was find his brother

John 1:41–42 “He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”

Months Later

Luke 5:1–11 “On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were…”

He saw the value of individual people

Peter

The Lad with lunch

John 6:9 ““There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?””

Some Greeks

John 12:20–22 “Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”

He was the first home missionary

He was the first foreign missionary

Evangelism can take many approaches but Andrew’s personal approach has much to learn from

Who is Edward Kimball?

The soft-spoken Sunday School teacher that led D.L. Moody to Christ

I decided to speak to Moody about Christ and about his soul. I started down town to Holton’s shoe store. When I was nearly there I began to wonder whether I ought to go just then during business hours. And I thought maybe my mission might embarrass the boy, that when I went away the other clerks might ask who I was, and when they learned might taunt Moody and ask if I was trying to make a good boy out of him. While I was pondering over it all I passed the store without noticing it. Then, when I found I had gone by the door I determined to make a dash for it and have it over at once.

He saw the value of insignificant gifts

John 6:6 “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.”

When others saw an impossible task, he saw the one

200 denarii = $35,616

1 denari = 1 days wages

$7.12 per person

What can you buy with that today?

Luke 21:1–4 “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.””

He saw the value of inconspicuous service

He is never named as a participant in the big debates

Ephesians 6:6 “not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,”

Mark 9:35 “And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.””

Andrew is never mentioned to have preached a major sermon but continued to be in the background

The Bible never records what happens to Andrew after Pentecost

Tradition says he took the gospel north

Eusebius the historian says that he went as far as Scythia

He is the patron-saint of Russia and Scotland

He was crucified in Achaia on a saltire or x-shaped cross

He was lashed to the cross to prolong his suffering

He had led a Roman governor’s wife to Christ and because she refused to recant her devotion he sentenced Andrew to be crucified

History says that this crucifixion last at least two days

Is he Insignificant

He was the first to hear that Jesus was the Lamb of God

He was the first to follow Christ

He was given intimate access to CHrist

He will be inscribed on the foundation of the New Jerusalem

A Summary of His Life

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Matthew 4:18 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.”

Matthew 10:2 “The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;”

Mark 1:16 “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.”

Mark 1:29 “And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”

Mark 3:18 “Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,”

Mark 13:3 “And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,”

Luke 6:14 “Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,”

John 1:40–44 “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. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.”

John 6:8 “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,”

John 12:22 “Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”

Acts 1:13 “And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.”