JUNE 27, 2024
“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the 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 1:40-42)
The book of John opens by describing Jesus as “the Word” and clarifying that He is God’s Son. After this prologue, the chapter tells us who John the Baptist was and his role in paving the way for Christ, saying that he “came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (Vs.7-8) This role is made clear in verses 35-37 when John the Baptist is standing with two of his followers, John, son of Zebedee, and Andrew, and they see Jesus a ways off. Upon seeing this, John encourages his followers that this is “the Lamb of God” whom they should follow instead.
Andrew and John, the writer of this book, are the first to respond to John the Baptist’s call and begin their journey with Jesus. Scripture does not specify whether Andrew and John were the only ones who heard John, at all, or if they were simply the only two who grasped the significance and acted on it. Regardless, these two men, in their immediate and unwavering response, set the precedent for all future disciples of Jesus.
After this profound encounter with Jesus, Andrew doesn’t hesitate for a moment. He sprints to his brother Simon, unable to contain the joy and excitement of the news. In a powerful display of brotherly love, he shares the revelation of the true Messiah’s arrival with his brother. Imagine the radiant smile on Andrew’s face as he eagerly imparts the most significant news to one of the most important people in his life. “He’s here! I told you He’d come!” he probably exclaimed, his voice filled with anticipation and conviction, as he led Simon to Jesus. Bringing people to Jesus seems to be Andrew’s instinctive response to every situation or new development, and who could blame him.
Jesus will soon rename Andrew’s brother Simon, “Peter.” This is from an Aramaic word transliterated into Greek as Kēphas and translated into Greek as Petros, meaning “stone.” Peter proves to be an emotional, volatile man in the New Testament. It’s safe to assume he already had that reputation when he met Jesus for the first time. There’s divine humor in Jesus naming a volatile, emotional, unstable person “Rock.” I used to think that Jesus’ renaming of Peter was simply His understanding that He would have multiple Simons in His crew. However, knowing the Greek origin and the irony is essential when understanding the man. Long before he’d done anything worth noticing, Jesus could already see his potential and gave Peter a name worthy of his future.
Andrew tells Peter that Jesus is “the Messiah.” John often explains Jewish customs and words to his readers, and he translates this word as “Anointed One.” Hebrew writing uses the word Mashiyach. The term is translated in Greek as Christos, from which we get the English title “Christ.” He excitedly tells his brother about the Christ.
When you have good news to tell, of an essential nature, like Andrew did here, who is the first person you tell? For many, it might be a beloved sibling, a best friend, or a parent. I had this friend in college who, after receiving a good grade, would immediately call and inform her mom about it. Her mom would celebrate with her, and express how proud she was. This is to say that when a person obtains big news, a loved one is typically at the top of the list for people to inform. If Peter hadn’t been home, I do not doubt that Andrew would have waited at his house for his return or actively sought out his brother, wherever he was.
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