Andrew and James the Greater

• Andrew and James are best known for being the brothers of Peter and John.

• They’ve been eclipsed by their more famous brothers

• We probably know more about these apostles than any others except Peter and John

ANDREW

• Names in English general don’t have a story

• In Jesus’ time, names told a story.

• Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

• Andrew means “manly”

• It’s a Greek word so it probably wasn’t his given name at birth

• He probably had some masculine traits

• Maybe rugged features.  Maybe physically large.  Maybe an air of authority.

• Imagine introducing someone today as, “The Man!”

• Andrew and Peter were originally from Bethsaida (John 1:43)

• Since they were in Capernaum, they probably moved there together and Andrew would have lived in the same house with Peter and his wife.

• John 1:35-42 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

• Andrew was not only a disciple of John the Baptist, he was apparently very close to him. John had only 2 of his disciples with him when he said this.

• He was probably more religious than Simon.

• He spent some hours with Jesus and became convinced He was the Messiah.

• He immediately went and got Simon and brought him to meet Jesus

• Even if Andrew had never done anything else, he would still be the person who brought Peter to Jesus!

• Philippians 4:15-17, Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

• We might not ever be the next Billy Graham, but maybe we could tell someone about the Lord and he might be the next Billy Graham!

• We often credit Peter with being the first to call Jesus the Messiah.  We see here that it was Andrew.

• So Jesus had a relationship with Andrew before He called him to be a disciple.

• Matthew 4:18-20, And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

• So the calling of Peter and Andrew wasn’t out of the blue.  We see details from John’s gospel that helps us understand Matthew’s account.

• There were probably similar backstories in the calling of the other apostles, like Matthew, that just aren’t recorded.

• Andrew became a part of the “inner circle” of the apostles

• Mark 13:1-4, And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

• John 12:20-22, And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

• Andrew played a part in the very famous miracle - the feeding of the 5,000

• John 6:8-9, One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

• After the Resurrection, tradition holds that Andrew preached throughout Europe in Georgia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania, Scotland, and Spain.

• He is the Patron Saint of Ukraine, Russia, Romania, and Scotland

• He was martyred in the city of Achaea on November 30, 60AD where he was crucified on a cross shaped like a X

• It’s said he was beaten and tied to the cross rather than being nailed to it.

• He hung on the cross for 2 days before he died but he preached to his tormentors, prayed forgiveness to them, and won many of them to Christ.

JAMES

• James is the anglicized version of Jacob which means “supplant”

• It’s a reference to the OT twins, Jacob and Esau.  

• Esau was the first born but Jacob stole his blessing and his birthright.

• James is the brother of John.  He may have been younger than John but acted older, hence his name.

• There were 2 apostles named James.  This James is referred to as James the Greater, probably because he was older than the other James.

• Jesus called James and John, the Sons of Thunder

• Mark 3:17, And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

• Luke 9:51-56, And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

• Matthew 20:20-23, Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

• James was also among the closest apostles to Jesus

• He, John, and Peter were the only 3 to be with Jesus when He raised Jairus’ daughter, at the Transfiguration, and they had gone further with Him at the Garden of Gethsemane.

• After the Resurrection, we know that James preached in Jerusalem but tradition also holds that he traveled to Spain

• He is the only apostles whose death is recorded in the Bible

• Acts 12:1-2, Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

• Tradition holds that he was beheaded on January 2, 40 AD