Encounters in the Gospel in John: Jesus and Andrew

Pastor Dan has encouraged the Haiti team to read the Gospel of John several times. He wanted us to pay attention to the interactions he had with people. Around the same time, Amazon offered a free e-book, Jesus the Evangelist: Learning to Share the Gospel from the Book of John by Richard D. Phillips. I downloaded it and started reading it. The book pointed out one interaction that I probably would have missed: Jesus and Andrew.

Here are the three main interactions between Jesus and Andrew in the gospel.

John 1:40-42
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).

John 6:1-9
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

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.

In looking at the above passages, Andrew's ministry consisted of bringing people to Jesus. He did not write a gospel or epistle. In Acts, he never preached. In his book, Phillips quoted John MacArthur's summation of Andrew's ministry.

Richard D. Phillips
John MacArthur writes: "[Andrew] did not seek to be the center of attention. He did not seem to resent those who labored in the limelight. He was evidently pleased to do what he could with the gifts and calling God had bestowed on him, and he allowed the others to do likewise." Jesus the Evangelist: Learning to Share the Gospel from the Book of John

MacArthur is using the life of Andrew to make a very important point. God has spiritually gifted all believers for the ministry. The apostle Paul explains this doctrine to the church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Paul taught that each spiritual gifting is unique to the individual believer. The problems the Corinthians were having was using their spiritual gifts to bring glory to themselves, Their selfishness and pride were causing divisions within the church. Spiritual gifts were meant to bring unity and mutual dependency to the body of Christ and thereby, glorify God.

1 Corinthians 12:21-27
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

The key for God using both our natural and spiritual gifts to bring unity to the Church and glory to Himself is humility. Andrew is a good example of humility and we can learn from his example; however, Christ is our standard and he exhibited perfect humility.

Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We may not be able to preach like Paul or Peter, but we can all serve Christ like Andrew. According to the Gospel of John, Andrew simply brought people to Christ. We can invite people to Church or to house church. We can invite people to coffee so we can talk about Jesus. We can help people meet Jesus.