It is wonderful to get to know our Savior. This devotional reading looks at what our response should be as we get to know Him more.
Nuggets
- Andrew wasted no time in bringing his brother to the Messiah.
- Andrew was so sure that Yeshua was the Messiah, he wanted his brother to know that, too.
- Simon was an interesting man.
- His birth name was Simon, but Yeshua changed his name to Peter.
In the last devotion, we talked about John pointing Yeshua out to two of his disciples. One was identified as Andrew. Most tradition identifies the other as John.
Andrew had an almost immediate response to his meeting with Yeshua. Let’s dig in.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in The Battle for the Heart theme
Devotions in the The Early Ministry of the Messiah series
Andrew Witnessed
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means ‘Christ’)” (Jn. 1: 40-41 NLT)
Brought
Andrew wasted no time in bringing his brother to the Messiah.
John had been very precise in the chronology of the previous events. He specifically noted when events took place the following day.
In this passage, John didn’t identify when the next day occurred until the following verse. If we are taking him at his word regarding when events occurred in the individual days, we must believe that Andrew’s bringing his brother Simon to Yeshua occurred on the same day that Andrew and the unidentified disciple spent time with Yeshua.
This is important. Remember what verse 39 said. “… It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day” (Jn. 1: 39 NLT).
The Greek text says it was approximately the tenth hour. This also reflects the Jewish practice of counting daylight hours from sunrise. Therefore, when modern versions translate this as 4:00 p.m., they are correct.
How long would the rest of the day have conceivably been? The Greek is emeinan (ἔμειναν), from menō (μένω), meaning to remain, stay, abide, continue, dwell.
It is conceivable to think they spent the daylight hours with Yeshua.
So, when did Andrew go get Simon? After they asked, “Where are you staying,” did Andrew go pick up Simon and meet them there? Did Yeshua, the other disciple, and Andrew talk a while, and then Andrew go get Simon?
We can reasonably conclude that Andrew spent up to a couple of hours with Yeshua, and then he went to get his brother.
We don’t really know for sure when it happened; but since John doesn’t switch days until after Simon gets there, we know it was on the same day that Andrew met Yeshua.
We Have Found the Messiah
Andrew was so sure that Yeshua was the Messiah, he wanted his brother to know that, too.
Think about it. Many people were actively and eagerly watching for the Messiah to show up. Regardless of which Messianic expectations they believed in after He did come, they were looking for it to be soon.
Andrew seems to be one of those who were actively watching. He was a disciple of the one who prepared the way for the Messiah.
Once he verified that this was the Messiah, Andrew couldn’t keep the news to himself. He had to share it with Simon.
It is part of our marching orders that we are to share our faith with others. Our love for Jehovah and Yeshua should bubble out of us and spill onto others.
- “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone’” (Mk. 16: 15 NLT).
- “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28: 19-20 NLT).
Simon Peter
“Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, ‘Your name is Simon, son of John — but you will be called Cephas’ (which means ‘Peter’)” (Jn. 1: 42 NLT)
“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Mt. 16: 18 NLT)
“Simon (whom he named Peter) … (Lk. 6: 14 NLT)
“… Simon (whom he named Peter)” (Mk. 3: 16 NLT)
Simon Peter [Shim’on/Kefa]
Simon was an interesting man.
We know many things about Peter. Part of that is because he seems to be the spokesperson of the group.
At times, it seems like Peter had a larger-than-life personality. We get right away that Peter was loyal and sincere in his faith. He was the one who called Yeshua the Messiah when asked who they thought He was (Mt. 16: 16).
Peter could also be impulsive and narrow minded. At times, he was inconsistent and thoughtless.
We might have called Peter a wild card.
Peter wasn’t afraid to ask questions when he needed clarification or wanted to gain knowledge. But that is a good thing, because he asked many of the questions that we would have.
Peter’s faith was so strong that Jesus called him a rock (Mt. 16:18). Yet, we see in Peter a pendulum of faith. He not only was the only one to walk on the water with Yeshua (Mt. 14: 22-33), but he also denied Him three times the night of His trial (Mt. 26: 69- 75; Mk. 14: 66-72; Lk. 22: 54-62; Jn. 18: 15-18, 25-27).
John told us that Peter and Andrew’s hometown was Bethsaida (Jn. 1: 44). However, Mark 1: 29-31 states that the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law took place in Peter and Andrew’s home in Capernaum.
Either town was a fishing community.
Circumstantial evidence from an archeological dig indicates that a house excavated in Capernaum belonged to Peter. BAS Staff indicated that the function of the house changed from a residential place to a communal gathering place.
Resource
Peter and Andrew may have grown up in Bethsaida. They may have moved to Capernaum when they were older.
You Will Be Called
His birth name was Simon, but Yeshua changed his name to Peter.
All four Gospels say that Yeshua changed Simon’s name to Peter. Only John tells us when and how. It was the first time Simon met Yeshua.
Matthew and Luke acknowledge that Simon was already Peter when Yeshua called him by the seashore.
- “When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, ‘Oh, Lord, please leave me — I’m such a sinful man’” (Lk. 5: 8 NLT).
- “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers — Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew — throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living” (Mt. 4: 18 NLT).
The interesting thing is the Gospel of Mark didn’t. “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living” (Mk. 1: 16 NLT).
Why is that interesting? To me it is because Mark was said to have compiled Peter’s sermons – either before or after he had died. That means – in my mind – that Peter called himself Simon there.
Does that mean Yeshua hadn’t renamed Simon yet? Not necessarily. All the other Gospel writers pulled a Moses and used the name early church members would have been most familiar.
Making the Connections #1
Okay, I have to process something. It was fairly easy to keep track of the changing of the day. I am having a little trouble as to figuring out where they were.
Where in the world are these guys?
If we look at the passage with Andrew and Simon, it doesn’t tell us where they were at. But we get a clue in the next verse – John 1: 43. “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee …” (Jn. 1: 43 NLT).
Now, let’s go backwards to the last time we had a location stamp. “This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing” (Jn. 1: 28 NLT).
The encounter being discussed was the discussion with the priests and temple assistant that John had at Bethany beyond the Jordan.
Bethany beyond the Jordan is believed by many to be the location where John baptized Yeshua. But we have to be very careful here in John 1.
John 1: 32-34 is a discussion of an event that happened earlier: Yeshua’s baptism. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give us actual narrative accounts. Here, John the Immerser is only recounting what transpired when he baptized the Messiah.
This is relevant when we add the temptation into the picture. Look at the chain of events.
- “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy’” (Mt. 3: 17 NLT).
- “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil” (Mt. 4: 1 NLT).
Tradition tells us that the wilderness Yeshua went into to be tempted was the Judean Wilderness. We don’t know for sure.
Then after the forty days of testing, Yeshua went back to where John was.
This is the only timeline that makes sense to me. The next day after the encounter with the priests and assistants, John makes his famous “… Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1: 29 NLT).
The next day after His baptism, Yeshua would be in the wilderness, not walking by John. He especially wouldn’t be spending time with John’s two disciples the day after that.
Another piece of evidence that this is the correct timeline is that John didn’t know who the Messiah was until He baptized Him.
Remember John’s testimony. “‘I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.’” Then John testified, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God” (Jn. 1: 31-34 NLT).
John couldn’t say, “Look!” before the baptism – which is discussed in the verses after his famous identification of the Messiah.
Making the Connections #2
Andrew brought Simon to Yeshua. He didn’t have to explain everything about the Messiah to his brother. He simply brought him to the One he had found.
We know much more about Peter’s life than we know about Andrew’s. Peter’s words and actions fill the Gospel accounts.
But we shouldn’t overlook the brother who brought him to Yeshua in the first place. Where would we be if he hadn’t?
Andrew’s witness made a difference in Simon’s life. We may never know the full impact of our own witness, either. We aren’t responsible for making someone believe. We are responsible for pointing people toward Yeshua.
We, too, are called to bring others to Yeshua. We should start with our family members. They mean the most to us, and we should want to share Him with them.
Then, just as Andrew was, we may be called to bring total strangers to Yeshua. We have to be ready to do whatever He calls us to do.
Heart Check
Think about the battle Yeshua is engaged in for your heart. Ask yourself the following questions.
- Am I bringing others to Yeshua or keeping Him to myself?
- Am I willing to share what I know about Him, even when I don’t have all the answers?
- Do I look for opportunities to share my faith, or do I wait for someone else to do it?
- Am I more concerned about what I cannot explain or about introducing others to the One I know?
How Do We Apply This?
- Share what Yeshua has done in your life with those who currently don’t know Him as their Savior.
- Look for opportunities to introduce others to Him.
Invite others to come and see for themselves. - Trust Jehovah with the results of your witness.
- Remember that your responsibility is to point people to Yeshua, not to make them believe.
Father God. You call us to You. You call us to lead others to You. Help us boldly speak Your name to family, friends, coworkers — even strangers. Amen.
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