Follow Jesus

Follow Jesus (John 1:35-50) John the Baptist Looked at Jesus with an intense and earnest gaze (Gk. emblepo {em-blep'-o}) Identified Jesus to his disciples Disciple = learner, follower Those who know who Jesus is have an obligation to direct others to Him As John demonstrated, our ministry is about His glory, not ours Andrew Jesus asked “What do you seek?” Gk. zeteo {dzay-teh'-o}: to seek or desire St. Augustine commented his Confessions, “For you, Oh Lord, have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Jesus said “Come and See” (see Psalm 34:8-10) Jesus invitation to Andrew, and to all. He Heard, Followed (Gk. akoloutheo {ak-ol-oo-theh'-o}, literally, walked the same road with) and Believed He brought others (especially those whom he most cared about) to Jesus Appears acting as an individual 3 times in the Gospel of John The first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (John 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (John 6:8f) When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speaking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (John 12:20-22).

On each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet Jesus. In the Episcopal Church, the Fellowship of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one's friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. The apostles Andrew, Peter, James and John were all partners in a fishing business prior to being called by Jesus to follow Him. Just as Andrew was the first of the Apostles, so his feast is taken in the West to be the beginning of the Church Year. (Eastern Christians begin their Church Year on 1 September.) The First Sunday of Advent is defined to be the Sunday on or nearest his feast (although it could equivalently be defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day). Several centuries after the death of Andrew, some of his relics were brought by a missionary named Rule to Scotland, to a place then known as Fife, but now known as St. Andrew's, and best known as the site of a world-famous golf course and club. For this reason, Andrew is the patron of Scotland. History records that Andrew carried the Gospel to Scythia, Greece, Asia Minor, and Thrace, and died by crucifixion. It was in Patros that Andrew was martyred. In the church of St. Andrew in Patros, Greece, there is a book written in Greek which sheds light on his martyrdom. The following is written: "Aigeatis who was the governor of Patros became enraged at Andrew for his preaching and ordered him to stand before the tribunal in his attempt to do away with the Christian Faith. When Andrew resisted the tribunal the governor ordered him crucified. Andrew remained tied to the cross with thick tight ropes for three days and his last words were: "Accept me, O Christ Jesus, whom I saw, whom I love, and in whom I am; accept my spirit in peace in your eternal realm." An ancient writer also speaks of the apostle's martyrdom as such: "Andrew hung upon the cross three whole days, suffering dreadful pain but continuing constantly to tell

the people around him of the love of Jesus Christ. The people as they listened to him began to believe his words and asked the governor to let him be taken down from the cross. Not liking to refuse them, he at last ordered the ropes to be cut but when the last rope was severed, the body of the apostle fell to the ground quite dead." It is believed that Andrew died on the last day of November, 69 AD It is said that Andrew was crucified on a Cross Saltire -- an 'X'-shaped cross. His symbol is a Cross Saltire, white on a blue background. This is accordingly the national flag of Scotland. Byzantium claimed that its founder and first bishop had been Andrew the brother of Peter. They pointed out that Andrew had been the first of all the apostles to follow Jesus (John 1:40-41), and that he had brought his brother to Jesus. Andrew was thus, in the words of John Chrysostom, "the Peter before Peter." As Russia was Christianized by missionaries from Byzantium, Andrew became the patron not only of Byzantium but also of Russia. In the Catholic Church, Andrew is considered the patron saint of fisherman and his feast is celebrated on November 30th. What are you doing to bring others to Jesus? What’s the difference between telling others about Jesus and bringing them to Him? One finds another, who finds another … Who brought you to Jesus? Simon/Peter Jesus saw/knew of Simon’s potential/future, demonstrating both insight and prophecy Nathaniel (also called Bartholomew) Means “gift of God” Called the true Israelite = a person trying to abide by the covenant made between God and the Jews

Was led to Christ in the region of Galilee, possibly by the apostle Philip and his latter ministry belongs more to the eastern churches than it does to the western churches. In the company of the apostle Philip, the apostle Bartholomew went to Asia Minor and labored in Hierapolis, near Laodicea and Colosse, in what is modern day Turkey. While in Hierapolis, it is said that the wife of the Roman proconsul was healed by the apostles Philip and Bartholomew, that she became a Christian and that her husband ordered Philip and Bartholomew to be put to death by crucifixion. Sadly, Philip was crucified, but Bartholomew escaped martyrdom, when for some special reason, the magistrates caused him to be taken down from the cross and dismissed. From there, Bartholomew went eastward to India and then to greater Armenia. A popular tradition among the Armenians is that the apostle Jude (Thaddaeus) was the first to evangelize their region throughout the years of 43 to 66 AD and that the apostle Bartholomew joined him in 60 AD (eight years before Bartholomew was martyred). It is also said that Bartholomew carried with him a copy of the apostle Matthew's Gospel. This copy was reported to be found at a later time and a converted stoic philosopher by the name of Pantaenus is said to have brought it to Alexandria. Bartholomew is reported to have labored in the area around the south end of the Caspian Sea, in the section that was then called Armenia. The modern name of the district where he died is Azerbaijan and the place of his death, called in New Testament times Albanopolis, is now Derbend which is on the west coast of the Caspian Sea. The apostle Bartholomew is said to have been martyred in the year 68 AD.