The Apostle Andrew
Greetings on this beautiful Spring day! I pray as we enter into the Spring of the year you have a since of all the Lord has in store for His people. It is a time to begin again. A time to look and see what God will do in the lives of those He loves.
It is generally traditional to plant new flowers and plants as Springtime approaches. We examine our flowerbed and the pots we have sitting around the house, and try to determine what we can do to make our home beautiful. As the flowers bloom, we are reminded of the new life God gives. Along with the flowers, we hear the singing of the birds as they are nesting and hatching their young. The squirrels are out and about, and all manner of life is being revealed.
The same is true for our lives as the children of God in this world. We each try to identify some aspect of our life which we feel needs improvement. We look to the future with the goal of making different choices. While we trust in God and His Spirit to aid and guide us, we can also look to the past to see what God has done in the lives of others and from them be encouraged.
Throughout this short twelve-week series we are examining the life and character of the twelve Apostles. Much of what we will see is taken from God's Word. However, history and tradition give insights into the lives of these men beyond what is revealed about them in Scripture. From the Apostles of our Lord, we can see courage and strength given by God to ordinary people so that they might accomplish His will in and through their lives.
This week we turn our attention to the Apostle Andrew. Of the twelve, Andrew is the first we hear about in the Gospels. The Gospel according to John speaks the most concerning this first Apostle. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. He no doubt heard the words of John that another would come who was greater than he. Andrew was present when John spoke; “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It was then that Andrew and Philip followed Jesus.
What is unique is that after speaking with Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother Simon (Peter) and called him to follow Jesus as well. This could properly be called the first Christian witness. “We have found the Messiah” and he brought him to Jesus. Andrew shared Jesus with his brother who in turn became one of the greatest of the Apostles.
Andrew was also the Apostle who showed great faith when Jesus fed the 5000. Philip questioned where enough food could be purchased, and Andrew brought a young boy with five loaves and two fish. He saw in Jesus an answer to the need, and he had faith which moved him to action. It was also Andrew who brought the Greeks to Jesus when they desired to meet with him. Andrew understood that all people needed to hear and come to Jesus. Andrew was a faithful witness of Jesus.
Not much else is said of Andrew in the pages of Scripture but tradition tells us much of his life. It is said that God did many mighty deeds at the hands of Andrew. As one of the Apostles of God, he did many miracles and ministered for many years.
Tradition tells us of an amazing event in Andrew’s life and ministry. It is said that 39 bodies washed ashore from a shipwreck and that Andrew prayed that life would return to the men, and they came to life again.
Andrew was a missionary to the area of the Black Sea where he endured much hardship. Upon witnessing to the wife of the governor, she believed in Jesus as Savior. The governor was extremely angry and sought to tear his wife away from her new-found faith. Being unable to succeed he ordered Andrew to be crucified on a cross which was “decussate” in form, which means in the shape of the letter X. This would mean his arms and legs were outstretched. This would have been extremely painful because it caused even more difficulty in breathing, even more than a normal crucifixion. It is said that Andrew hung alive on that cross for two days. During this time, he exhorted all the onlookers to remain faithful to the truth of the Gospel. The St. Andrew's Cross is thus named after the Apostle Andrew.
Of the lessons we can learn from the Apostle Andrew, the following should encourage and exhort us to action. Andrew was a man who shared Christ with others. First, to his family and then to the world. Andrew was a believer who could see beyond the current circumstances to the possibilities in Christ. May we also see past our current situations to the possibilities of God at work in our midst, and may God continue to use and bless our world through us today. May the unbelieving world be blessed by your presence!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
It is generally traditional to plant new flowers and plants as Springtime approaches. We examine our flowerbed and the pots we have sitting around the house, and try to determine what we can do to make our home beautiful. As the flowers bloom, we are reminded of the new life God gives. Along with the flowers, we hear the singing of the birds as they are nesting and hatching their young. The squirrels are out and about, and all manner of life is being revealed.
The same is true for our lives as the children of God in this world. We each try to identify some aspect of our life which we feel needs improvement. We look to the future with the goal of making different choices. While we trust in God and His Spirit to aid and guide us, we can also look to the past to see what God has done in the lives of others and from them be encouraged.
Throughout this short twelve-week series we are examining the life and character of the twelve Apostles. Much of what we will see is taken from God's Word. However, history and tradition give insights into the lives of these men beyond what is revealed about them in Scripture. From the Apostles of our Lord, we can see courage and strength given by God to ordinary people so that they might accomplish His will in and through their lives.
This week we turn our attention to the Apostle Andrew. Of the twelve, Andrew is the first we hear about in the Gospels. The Gospel according to John speaks the most concerning this first Apostle. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. He no doubt heard the words of John that another would come who was greater than he. Andrew was present when John spoke; “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It was then that Andrew and Philip followed Jesus.
What is unique is that after speaking with Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother Simon (Peter) and called him to follow Jesus as well. This could properly be called the first Christian witness. “We have found the Messiah” and he brought him to Jesus. Andrew shared Jesus with his brother who in turn became one of the greatest of the Apostles.
Andrew was also the Apostle who showed great faith when Jesus fed the 5000. Philip questioned where enough food could be purchased, and Andrew brought a young boy with five loaves and two fish. He saw in Jesus an answer to the need, and he had faith which moved him to action. It was also Andrew who brought the Greeks to Jesus when they desired to meet with him. Andrew understood that all people needed to hear and come to Jesus. Andrew was a faithful witness of Jesus.
Not much else is said of Andrew in the pages of Scripture but tradition tells us much of his life. It is said that God did many mighty deeds at the hands of Andrew. As one of the Apostles of God, he did many miracles and ministered for many years.
Tradition tells us of an amazing event in Andrew’s life and ministry. It is said that 39 bodies washed ashore from a shipwreck and that Andrew prayed that life would return to the men, and they came to life again.
Andrew was a missionary to the area of the Black Sea where he endured much hardship. Upon witnessing to the wife of the governor, she believed in Jesus as Savior. The governor was extremely angry and sought to tear his wife away from her new-found faith. Being unable to succeed he ordered Andrew to be crucified on a cross which was “decussate” in form, which means in the shape of the letter X. This would mean his arms and legs were outstretched. This would have been extremely painful because it caused even more difficulty in breathing, even more than a normal crucifixion. It is said that Andrew hung alive on that cross for two days. During this time, he exhorted all the onlookers to remain faithful to the truth of the Gospel. The St. Andrew's Cross is thus named after the Apostle Andrew.
Of the lessons we can learn from the Apostle Andrew, the following should encourage and exhort us to action. Andrew was a man who shared Christ with others. First, to his family and then to the world. Andrew was a believer who could see beyond the current circumstances to the possibilities in Christ. May we also see past our current situations to the possibilities of God at work in our midst, and may God continue to use and bless our world through us today. May the unbelieving world be blessed by your presence!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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