The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus…. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:35-37; 40-42, NIV)
If you asked fellow golfers where they would most like to tee it up outside of the U.S., a large majority (if not all) of them would say “The Old Course.” It is a magnificent venue—challenging in all types of weather and playing conditions, steeped in history, and a picturesque setting. The Old Course in St. Andrews is the only course in the Top 100 courses in the world that is in a city named after one of the original apostles—Andrew.
Andrew was the first-named disciple to follow Jesus. Only four accounts of his actions are described in the gospels. Of those, three of them deal with his evangelistic efforts. During the entire time Andrew followed Jesus, he worked diligently in the background bringing people to Jesus.
Andrew did not shy away from that task. Immediately after meeting Jesus, Andrew returned home to tell his brother, Simon Peter, that he had found the Messiah and brought him to Jesus.
In John 12: 10-20, we learn that Greeks were in Jerusalem for the Feast. They asked Philip to see Jesus, but Philip was not sure how to respond. He turned to Andrew for advice. Andrew knew exactly what to do. He did not hesitate to bring the Greeks to Jesus.
Tradition and history tell us that Andrew died a martyr’s death. Andrew had led a government leader’s wife to Christ. When she refused her husband’s demand that she recant her commitment to Jesus, her husband ordered Andrew to be hanged. To prolong his agony, he was lashed (not nailed) to an X-shaped cross. While he languished on the cross for over two days, he continued to preach and call passersby to believe in Jesus. From beginning to end, Andrew was the ultimate evangelist.
Beyond his evangelistic capabilities, we see in Andrew someone who went about his business in the background and out of the limelight. While the spotlight was shining on his brother Peter, Andrew thoughtfully, carefully, gently, and quietly brought people to Christ.
Unlike his brother, who preached to large crowds, including the Pentecost account in Acts 4:14-41 when three thousand people were saved, Andrew was content to work one-on-one in his brother’s shadow bringing people to Jesus. He kept on evangelizing and let the light shine on Jesus.
Andrew can be an inspiration for all of us. He was the quintessential evangelist. All of us ought to strive to be more like him in our own individual evangelistic endeavors. We should always be on the lookout for opportunities to witness for Christ. When the opportunity presents itself, we need to be bold and unafraid to encourage others to explore a walk with Jesus.
We also need to be content to work in the Kingdom even if we are in the background and out of the limelight. Our enthusiasm ought not to wane because we are not in the direct spotlight. Andrew’s humble and gentle spirit can guide us in our own personal evangelistic efforts.