…I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
“Behold the Lamb of God!” John’s voice thundered out to the crowd as he recognized Jesus. Andrew looked up from tying his sandals. “Who was John referring to?” he wondered. He surveyed the crowd—the poor, the wealthy, and the stern Roman soldiers standing stiffly in the morning breeze. But all he saw was a rather ordinary-looking man, a carpenter.
The Carpenter crept through the staring crowd as if nothing unusual had been said. But for Andrew, John’s announcement was what his heart had longed to hear for as long as he could remember. He didn’t hesitate. If John said the Messiah had come, he would follow Him!
He wanted to be as close as possible to this Promised One. Jesus showed him where he lived. Andrew spent the day with Jesus, walking, talking, and breaking bread with Him. That day was the first of more than a thousand days of walking beside Jesus, living as He lived.
In those first hours, Andrew knew that Jesus would change his life forever. He had discovered the long-hoped-for Messiah! He could not keep this good news to himself. For generations, every one of his countrymen had hoped to see the Messiah whom God sent to earth as a man. He had to tell his brother!
Andrew walked faster and faster, jogged, and then ran to find his brother Peter. “How could he convince his brother to follow Jesus?” Should he quote the ancient prophecies? Should he present his most powerful arguments? His sandals pounded on the path to Peter’s home, his boat, and his favorite spots. Finally, he found Peter.
Andrew did the most important thing for his brother: He brought Peter to Jesus! Andrew could have sent him to Jesus, but he chose to come with Peter. Andrew personally invested himself in becoming a bridge to connect Peter with the Savior!
Andrew saw how Jesus had changed his own life. He watched the next few years as Jesus radically changed his brother’s life. Andrew saw how Jesus continually encouraged Peter, challenged him, and sent him out to teach others. Jesus patiently walked with Peter day in and day out until Peter began to mirror His character. Over time, Andrew saw Peter change from being self-centered and impatient to becoming a man of unselfish love and kindness.
Andrew loved bringing people to Jesus! One day, when the crowd listening to Jesus was hungry, Andrew found a little boy with a lunch and brought him to Jesus. When some Greeks came to the temple looking for Jesus, Andrew immediately connected these outsiders to the Savior.
No one could say that Andrew was exceptional. He lived in the shadow of the brother he brought to Jesus. He lived outside the circle of those closest to Him. He simply followed Jesus wherever He led him and repeatedly brought the people he met to the One who had changed his life.
Andrew was ordinary and unremarkable, but so faithful to the mission Jesus had given him that he became a shining example to all who would ever follow Him.
Andrew exemplified the Gospel Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19) What about you? Andrew’s mission is yours, too!
Mentoring Moments
Think of people in your life who introduced you to someone they thought would add value to your life. Who did this for you? Why did they do it?
Making disciples for Jesus Christ is about bringing people to Him. The focus is on coming close to the person and building a trust relationship. Then you can help that person begin trusting, following, and sharing Jesus. What activities did Jesus do with His disciples to help them grow in their faith journey? Look up the following texts and list your discoveries:
- Matthew 4:18-20
- Matthew 14:13-20 (esp. v. 16)
- Matthew 14:22-33
- Luke 11:1-13
- John 13:5-15 (esp. v. 15)
How can you take the next step to connect the person you identified in Disciple (1 of 3) The Hopeful Edition: Disciple (Part 1) to Jesus? Pray about what would be appropriate.
- Share who Jesus is in your life and what He is doing for you.
- Offer to explore the Bible together each week to discover the good news about Jesus.
- Pray for this person every day. Model a truth that God has taught you. Teach this truth from the Scriptures.
- Invite the person to practice what you taught them and apply it to their lives for the next week.
- Pray earnestly for this person daily. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to encourage this person to live as a disciple of Jesus.
This resource was written by Don Maclafferty as a supporting resource for The Hopeful. The Hopeful was produced by Hope Studios, the cinematic brand of Hope Channel International.
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