John 1:40-42 - Lesson #11

Two of John's disciples had heard him refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Their hearts had been prepared through the teaching of John the Baptist and now Jesus invited them to follow. These two disciples left John and spent the rest of the day with Jesus.

John 1:40-42
"One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone)."

The designation, "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother," gives the impression that Andrew had grown up in the shadow of his brother - so much so that people needed to associate him with Simon to even remember who he was. But Andrew had spent time with Jesus and his first desire was to go tell his brother.

Many come to faith in Jesus and immediately desire to go tell their family. However, many also report great discouragement as their family reject and even ridicule their new-found faith - our family remembers and has a hard time seeing through our past. Even Jesus encountered this problem; "Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house'" (Matthew 13:57).

We can learn from Andrew by noting he first spent an extended time with Jesus. He had already been living a life of repentance and had now spent the entire evening with the Son of God. His was a faith which went deep into his heart. He then had to search out his brother, find him in his environment, and humbly report; "We have found the Messiah." The simple use of the word "we" is so non-threatening, so inviting, so void of arrogance. Andrew then took his brother to Jesus, implying walking by his side.

When Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, he was given a new name; "You shall be called Cephas." Cephas is a Hebrew name with a Greek translation of Petros (Peter), meaning stone or rock. Wow, what an honor! Jesus was going to do a mighty work through Andrew's brother. Here was an opportunity for a little jealousy, envy, even resentment. After all, Andrew was first! He was the one who found and brought his brother. But I believe scripture shows Andrew had nothing but joy and a Godly pride in his brother - his heart was pure and desired nothing more than seeing his brother close to Christ.

If our heart is pure, it will always desire to see others brought close to God through faith in Jesus. But if we are to be used in this process, especially with members of our family, we must commit to spending consistent time in His presence, set aside all forms of pride, seek them out, and humbly walk by their side. Let's commit to loving our Savior and bringing others into His presence through a consistent life of faith.