| What I Can Learn From . . . , Part 16: Andrew and Philip |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, December 26 2005 00:00 |
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When we think of the twelve apostles, Andrew and Philip are certainly not foremost. Rather, we think of the three who were in Jesus’ innermost circle: Peter, James, and John; or we think of that dynamic apostle “born out of due season,” Saul of Tarsus: Paul. Andrew and Philip were quiet; they tended to stand back. But in their quiet way, God used them for some very significant accomplishments. John 1:35ff gives the account. Andrew was one of the disciples of John the Baptist, who heard his teacher identify Jesus as the Lamb of God. These two then followed Jesus and spent a whole day with him. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and to tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” Guess who his brother was? Simon, whom Jesus named Peter, and who became the leader among the twelve! Then we read the account of how Jesus, after he decided to leave Judea for Galilee, found Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee and called him with a simple “Follow me.” There seems to have been some lag time before the departure actually occurred, and Philip availed himself of this time. It would appear that without delay he found Nathanael and informed him, I would think with considerable excitement and joy that “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (Interesting how people forget that Jesus found them and soon think they found Jesus!) Philip then invited the skeptical Nathanael to “Come and see” for himself. Nathanael met Jesus and was convinced that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel. Both of these men were eager to share what they had learned about Jesus with those close to them. The example for us is obvious. If all of us would but tell those close to us about the Lord Jesus Christ! God works His sovereign purpose through our lives, but in quiet and wonderful ways as we simply share the good news with others! But these two men were involved later in the incident of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread for the multitudes that stayed to hear Jesus teach, and although Philip had no suggestion, it was Andrew who pointed out the boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. And we know the rest of the story (John 6:1-11). Toward the end of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth some Greeks came to the feast at Jerusalem and asked to see Jesus. It was Philip they found, and Philip went immediately for Andrew, and the two of them then went together to Jesus on behalf of these Greeks. All these examples present quiet service and a willingness to try to do what they could do, without fanfare and public recognition, behind the scenes, so to speak, to carry on the daily, routine work of the gospel. What a wonderful lesson! |
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