The Conversion of Andrew (John 1:35-42)

This sermon was preached on 27/9/2009

The Conversion of Andrew
(John 1:35-42)

Many who are old enough can recall what they were doing when President Kennedy was assassinated. A more recent event which individuals can remember what they were doing when they heard about it is the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2002. For what it is worth, I remember what I was doing when Margaret Thatcher announced her resignation – I was driving along a street in Edinburgh. These were events of public significance. But it is also the case that we can remember when certain things happened to us individually, and that was true of Andrew and his friend mentioned in our text, for they remembered the time of day when they met Jesus Christ. It was about 4 pm (the tenth hour).

Four conversions are recorded in this chapter: Andrew was helped by a preacher (John the Baptist), Peter and Nathaniel were witnessed to by other disciples of Jesus, and Philip was found by Jesus without the involvement of another person. We can also note the different ways in which Jesus dealt with these individuals: he asked Andrew a question; he gave Peter a change of name; he gave Philip a brief command; he informed Nathaniel that his private actions had been seen. This should teach us to expect variety in the ways the Lord deals with sinners.

It seems that Andrew was the first to acknowledge Jesus as Master – there is no record of another coming to Jesus before him (John the Baptist identified Jesus, but he did not become a literal follower), although Andrew was probably joined by the writer John (the likeliest candidate for Andrew’s unknown friend here). This in itself makes Andrew a person of interest. But if he was the first, then we can imagine something of the joy that there would have been in the heart of Jesus as he met his first disciple. Every kingdom has a small beginning, and we can say that for a short time the visible community of followers of Jesus was comprised of two men, Andrew and John.

Perhaps we may wonder why all these details are given. The best thing to do when such a question arises is to try and discover if the author revealed why such information was included in the various incidents recorded in his or her book. We know why John, the author of this Gospel, included these details because he tells us why in John 20:30-31: ‘Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’ It was John’s aim that all who read these details would come to believe in Jesus and receive from him eternal life.

1. The testimony that he heard
Andrew was initially a follower of John the Baptist, the person God had sent as the forerunner of the promised Messiah. It was obvious to those who accepted John’s teachings that the arrival of the Saviour was close at hand. No doubt Andrew was waiting expectantly for his coming. On this particular day Andrew heard his teacher say of another man, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ This was not the first time that John the Baptist had given this title to Jesus (cf. 1:29), so it was probably one that he used often when speaking about the coming Messiah.

John urges his followers to look at Jesus. It was not a mere glance at Jesus that John suggested; rather ‘it was the searching look of a man whose soul was in his eyes, if we may be permitted the expression. It was the look of a man who was waiting for his Lord, the look of a herald who was waiting for his King, the look of the Forerunner who was waiting for the One who was to complete the work John had begun. And as he looked, he saw again what the Spirit of God had previously shown him, he saw in Jesus the fulfilment of all his own preaching; and once more he declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God”’ (T. W. Gilbert). This was John directing his disciples to follow Jesus. The moment for which he had prepared them had arrived. It is likely that the enthusiasm with which John pointed to Jesus would have encouraged Andrew and his friend to follow after Jesus.

Andrew was steeped in the contents of the Old Testament and this unusual description (to us) of Jesus would have made sense to him. He would have realised that John was referring to the Jewish religious ritual that involved the sacrifice of a lamb. What ideas would have come into Andrew’s mind? Let me suggest two likely thoughts that he would have had.

First, the lamb that was offered in a Jewish sacrifice was one without blemish, without defect, which would have suggested to Andrew that John was saying that Jesus was sinless. His description is a reminder that in order for Jesus to be the Saviour he had to be perfect. As Saviour, he had to deal with our imperfection. Why is this? No doubt we have often been told that we owe God a twofold debt: as his creatures we owe him a life of obedience; as sinners we owe him the penalty for our wrongdoing. We can do neither, but the Saviour has done both.

What was Jesus doing in these thirty-plus years that he lived in Palestine? The answer is that he was obeying God from the heart. Throughout his life he obeyed the law, loving both God and man perfectly and fully, whatever the circumstances he was in. It was a life of beauty and balance, one that brought immense pleasure to his Father in heaven, who had recently revealed his delight at the time of Jesus’ baptism when the verdict of heaven was given concerning the thirty silent years of Jesus’ life in Nazareth. ‘And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”’ (Matt. 3:16-17).

But the effects of the obedient life of Jesus is not limited to the pleasure it gave to his Father. It was also lived on our behalf, for all that Jesus did was done as the representative of sinners. His life of obedience is the gift that God gives to sinners when they believe in Jesus. We are liable to forget our need of Christ’s obedience. Perhaps it will help to think about it in this way. On the day of judgement God will ask of his people the same demands that he makes of sinners today: he will ask for a perfect life from each and he will ask each for the payment of their sins. In response, each Christian will be able to point to Christ’s life and say it belongs to him or her. Christ’s obedience is imputed, that is, reckoned to their account. This is an important aspect of the bounty of God’s grace. Each believer can say, ‘The wonderful life of Jesus, in all its perfection, is freely given to me.’ This is a liberating gift because it means that acceptance with God is not dependant on our obedience.

But the illustration of the lamb would have also reminded Andrew of the need of a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin. Jesus also fulfilled this depiction when he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, when he became the recipient of the wrath of the divine Judge against our sins. On the cross he paid the penalty that was required of him as the representative of sinners. And this means that our sins can be forgiven, that we can enjoy the reality of pardon, of being reconciled to God.

It is these two aspects of the life and death of Jesus that are covered in the description of John that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And we should note that Jesus is God’s provision for the needs of sinners. It was the sovereign God, the One against whom sinners had rebelled, that sent his Son to be the Saviour. Jesus is the sacrifice that God provided, the Lamb of God.

2. The test Andrew facedJohn’s words had a profound effect on Andrew and his friend because they immediately began to follow Jesus. The narrative gives the impression that their manner of following Jesus may have been a little hesitant initially. So the Saviour turned and gave them encouragement. In this incident we have an illustration of how Jesus deals with those who seek him.

Jesus asked them a question designed to reveal what was in their hearts – ‘What are you seeking?’ He wanted them to express to him what was the priority in their lives at that moment. His words remind us of the importance of the desires of one’s heart. What is required by Jesus is a longing for him, an expression of love for him, an indication of loyalty to him. Andrew and his friend revealed these features: their leaving John indicated their loyalty was now to Jesus; their following him, even hesitantly, indicated their longing to be with him; and the answer they gave to his question – ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?’ – indicated their love for him because all they wanted was to be where he was.

Jesus still tests would-be disciples regarding these aspects. His tests come in many ways. It must be remembered that he is not looking for perfection, but he is looking for priority in our lives. Salvation involves a relationship: it is like a marriage where longing, loyalty and love are expressed in total commitment; it is also similar to the relationship that used to exist between a king and his subjects, where their love, longing and loyalty were expressed in obedience. Jesus tests us to see whether or not we are genuine. Andrew and his friend were genuine because they gave priority to Christ.

3. The truth Andrew discoveredWe are not told what occurred between Jesus and his two new disciples, although we do see the effects of their meeting in Andrew when he returns. His words to his brother Peter indicate that he was satisfied with what he had experienced during his visit to the place where Jesus was staying. Spending time with Jesus is the best way to discover who he is and the great and gracious benefits he can give. Interacting with him leads to telling family and friends about him. This was the experience of others in the Gospel accounts who spent time with the Lord Jesus. The woman of Samaria went back to her village to tell her acquaintances about the Saviour she met at the well (John 4). The two on the way to Emmaus felt their hearts burning within them as they listened to the risen Christ explain the Scriptures, and then felt compelled to tell others of their experience (Luke 24). Joy and delight was overflowing out of Andrew’s heart as he spoke to Peter.

Andrew had discovered that Jesus was the promised Messiah (v. 41). This is a reference to the Deliverer promised throughout the Old Testament, to the King who would rescue his people from bondage and bring them true freedom. His discovery caused him to share it with his brother Peter. Andrew became an instrument in the conversion of his brother, who would later become an important leader of the church. Therefore Andrew was a link in the chain that brought salvation to countless others through the ministry of Peter as well as through his own.

Most of us will know that Andrew plays a significant role in three incidents recorded in the Gospels. In addition to the one involving his brother, there is the occasion when he brought the young boy and his packed lunch to Jesus (John 6:8) and the time when he took some interested Greeks to meet with Jesus (John 12:22). It is only John that records the specific contributions of Andrew, which suggests that John had a special interest in the things that Andrew did for Jesus. Andrew functioned as a person who loved to bring others face to face with Christ.

Of course, the question arises, Where did Andrew get this desire or how did he develop it? The answer to this question is straightforward, at least as far as what happened with his brother is concerned. He obtained this outlook by spending time with Jesus. His words to Peter were not the forced confession of a reluctant witness but the overflow of a heart satisfied with Jesus Christ. ‘He was himself overwhelmed with the grandeur of the discovery he had made’ (Hugh Martin).

This is the key to effective evangelism. Sometimes we can win arguments with others but in the process not win converts. All that we reveal to them is that we are clever. Yet when we witness out of a heart full of love to Jesus, the Holy Spirit often makes our words effective in the hearts of others. ‘It is when you have yourself had fellowship with Jesus that you have either the heart or the power to speak of Jesus to another’ (Hugh Martin).

Sometimes we say to ourselves, ‘What influence can I make for Jesus?’ One activity we can desire is to be the means of bringing to Jesus a person whom he will use greatly in his service. Many a person would have thanked God for using Andrew’s testimony to bring Peter to trust in Jesus. Perhaps many a person will thank God for using our testimony to bring another to Christ, of being a link in the chain that brought him or her to trust in Jesus.