Daily devotion – the Apostle called Andrew
Mark 3: 13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
So far, we have had a quick look at Simon, James, and John, of those called to follow Jesus – to day we meet Andrew.
Andrew was the final member of this first section of men within the twelve, he was the brother of Peter and Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist before Christ started His public ministry.
The few times Andrew is spoken of in Scripture, he is the one seen bringing people to Jesus. Something that each of us have been commissioned by Jesus to do as well. Whether it was his brother Peter – John 1:41-42, or a small boy with five loaves and two fish – John 6:8-10, or a group of Greeks from Berea who desired to see Jesus – John 12:20-22.
According to tradition, Andrew died shortly after introducing the wife of a provincial governor to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Under pressure from her husband, she refused to recant her faith and he had Andrew therefore crucified on an X shaped cross.
It was said that Andrew hung on that cross for two days, preaching the gospel to anyone who passed by until he drew his last breath.
As we read of these ordinary men, I find myself humbled by their courageous faith. When Jesus chose Andrew, He knew the great personal evangelist he would be. We here at CalvaryChapel Secret Harbour, have had on occasions a special ‘Andrew Sunday’ service where the congregation is encouraged to invite one or more people to join them in Church and have a new Bible purchased by the invitee ready in a package to be given to those accepting the invitation, as they enter the doors of the Church.
Let us pray this week for God to give us the courage that Andrew had so that we may invite those who do not know Jesus to come and meet Him with us.