Have you ever seen a speech delivered by Adolph Hitler? Being of German descent, I have to admit I have no idea what he's saying. However, due to history, I know that it isn't good. That isn't really the point though. The point is Hitler moved people. What he said and how he said it had a way of connecting and moving the people into following him by the masses. Ghandi, Churchill, Lincoln, Stalin as well as a few other political and religious leaders could move people as well in this magnitude. Let's face the music though, we all can't deliver a speech to such a mass amount of people such as these people. We can, however, have a huge impact. I want to look at the life of who I consider to be an often overlooked disciple. I give you none other than Andrew.
He was formerly a follower of John the Baptist. He met Jesus before actually being called by Christ. In Luke we read that he brought his brother Cephas (Peter) to meet the Messiah. This played a crucial part in Peter's later announcement to Christ that he was the Messiah. He returned to being a fisherman and it is believed that almost a year passed before Christ came to the shore side and told Peter and Andrew to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. I believe that Jesus to these two because he knew what Peter would do in the future of establishing the church and reaching countless people. He also saw that Andrew was the one who would bring people to Him. We don't see a lot of Andrew throughout the Gospels, but his small appearances make a huge impact.
The next time we see this quiet apostle is at the Sea of Tiberias among a multitude of hungry people who were following Jesus. Phillip, when asked by Christ how to feed such a large amount of people, was frightened and even said it was simply impossible. Then Andrew spoke up and begin asking what sort of provisions there were. He then led the boy with five loaves and two fishes stating that it wasn't much, but it was all the boy had to provide for all these people. If you're unaware of the remainder of this story, Jesus performed a miracle by using those five loaves and two fishes to feed the large crowd of people.
Next, when Andrew shows up, the disciples and Jesus are on the side of the Jordan. There were some pagan converts who were in Jerusalem to worship God during the Passover. They approached Phillip asking to see Jesus and Phillip delegated the task to Andrew. Andrew took the request to Christ, and though it was not said if Christ met with these converts, I believe that Christ would not have turned them away. However, they received a tremendous surprise. Jesus responded in John 12:23-29, and it reads: 23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 “I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.[g] 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27 “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name!”[h] Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him. (HCSB)
While sitting on the Mount of Olives, Jesus, Peter, James, John and Andrew took part in an event with Christ that upset every Jew tremendously when Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem. In Mark 13, we read that Jesus was asked to reveal when this will take place and what will be the sign. Jesus' reply proceeded the question, and you can read that for yourself.
The next time you hear of Andrew occurs after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The disciples met in the upper room, full of anxiety about what was coming next, to pray.
It's neat to look at the other disciples and their personalities contrasted to the personality of Andrew. He wasn't outspoken like Peter, he didn't ask for special status such as James and John. But more curious and unusual is the fact that our Lord Himself let Andrew stand by in silence. Jesus had not called him to a place of superiority among His disciples; it was his brother Simon, who owed his acquaintance with Jesus to Andrew, whom our Lord had called to be the leader of the apostles. But would not Peter's brother also have been capable of holding the keys of the kingdom of heaven, even more fit than the impetuous Peter? And it was not Andrew whom our Lord permitted to rest on His bosom, but John. Did Andrew therefore love his Master less than John? No. He too experienced with John the joy of the "tenth hour."
Andrew simply did not belong to the circle of the entrusted three whom our Lord especially had chosed to witness the most important hours of his life; at least not directly as did Peter, James, and John. When Christ was raising the daughter of Jairus to life, certainly this apostle was waiting with the other eight outside the small room. With them he remained behind also when our Lord took Peter, James, and his brother John and ascended Mount Tabor for the Transfiguration. Even in the Garden of Olives, Andrew had to remained with the other apostles; he was not permitted to go off a distance with our Lord and the privileged three-although he might have been the only one to keep a watch and pray and not fall asleep.
The fact that Andrew was sometimes with the three "elite" apostles and sometimes with the other eight is clearly shown to us throughout the Gospels. Jesus didn't consider Andrew less important than the first three apostles. Think about it though, what seems to be an oversight on the part of Christ is a great act of trust and confidence I believe. Andrew was the first one to be called. Between Jesus and him there was an understanding. He is loved even when there are no special favors. This, it can be rightly judged, was the relationship between Jesus and Andrew, a silent understanding and love, a real happiness.
One of the lessons we are taught through Andrew is that the one who holds a place of honor must not always be the one to speak; and if he is the first, he should also be as the last. It is easier to fall from a high place than from a low place. Andrew showed that it is possible, though difficult, for a great person to practice true humility.
Another lesson I believe, is that we may not be our brother (Peter) and reach thousands upon thousands of people, many at the same time. However, if you look at Andrew, he was constantly bringing one, two, three people to Christ. My point is, we may not be the next Dr. Graham, we may not be the next Peter or Paul. We may, however, be the next Andrew and a constant, steady flow of people to Christ. The church of today should have this picture and hang on to it. While it's great to bring in thousands and thousands of people to Christ at one time (I might add that there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's completely Biblical), however I can't help to think that most of us don't have that spiritual gift. Most of us will be bringing the one person, the two people and so on. If you are part of a church that has say 100 people, your fellow Christians as well as yourself should have no problem reaching thousands of people.
The moral of the story: instead of being a mega star, be humble, brave and silent while leading people one at a time to the Rock Star. (That's JESUS)
