Andrew: The "Background" Apostle (Part 4)

The Effect of Bringing One to Christ

We read of Andrew and John being the first two of the apostles to meet with the Christ (John 1:35ff). After hearing John the Baptizer refer to Jesus as the “lamb of God,” the two begin to follow after Jesus (v. 35-37). Following a verbal exchange with Christ, we find that one of these men was in fact, Andrew. “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother” (John 1:40). While not explicitly named, it is thought the other individual was John, the brother of James. Andrew realized something was different about this Jesus. “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ” (John 1:41). What was the first thing that Andrew did after he met with the Christ? He found his brother, Peter, and said, “We’ve have found the Christ!” Andrew could have waited to tell his brother the good news. The two were brothers and coworkers. These two would have met up eventually and Andrew could have told Peter at that time. Instead, he brought his brother the good news as soon as he could! Andrew was the person who brought Peter to Christ. “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone” (John 1:42). The effects of this act can easily been seen by reading one’s New Testament.

Do we really realize the effect that our influence may have on others? You may be thinking, “How can I have that much of an effect on someone?” Whether we like it or not we will have an influence on those who are around us. Christ and the apostle Paul spoke of the need to be a positive influence on the world (Matt. 5:16; Phil 4:5). Truth be told, there was someone who helped lead this author to the Christ. If one is reading this article and is a Christian, it is because someone helped lead that person to the cross. While there have been many studies concerning the apostle Peter and his life we must remember the one who brought him to the Christ. Were it not for Andrew, his brother, those studies may not exist in this day and age.

A friend once asked, “Have you ever thought to consider that one day you might be holding a Bible study with the next great preacher?” What he meant is that one day we might study with an individual who, through our influence, makes the decision to preacher the gospel. That one person through diligent study and personal work of his own may affect more individuals in a positive manner than any of us in our lifetimes. We see this to be true with Andrew and his brother.