John 1:40 – One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 

The second disciple is not named. The manner in which “Andrew” is addressed, as the brother of “Simon Peter”, tells us that Peter’s name was now recognized to a greater degree than any of the other Apostles). Usually, when a specific name is mentioned in the Bible that person is of recognition.

Andrew was a fisherman who followed John the Baptist and then became one of the first disciples of Jesus. In the lists of the apostles, he appears to be among the first four. According to John, it was he who led his brother Simon Peter to Jesus.

Andrew’s call came as he and Simon were fishing at the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum with their business partner Zebedee and his sons James and John. It was Andrew who informed Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes prior to the feeding of the five thousand. On another occasion, he relayed to Jesus  the inquiries of the Greeks concerning the Messiah. Andrew has come to be regarded as the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia.

John 1:41 – He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 

As soon as he came to faith, Andrew must have sought out his brother Simon Peter. The excitement of discovering the Son of God, the Messiah, was contagious among the early believers. Even today, when someone discovers and accept the invitation of salvation, as they received, they want to tell others about their new life. There’s something about when you feel within yourself, you have been saved, and no one has to tell you that you’re saved, you want others to experience what you have experienced. When we have truly accepted salvation, as we witness to others, someone will be effective through our witness whether it’s by our words or the change of our lifestyle.

John 1:42 – 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. 

Jesus saw not only who Simon was, but who he would become. That is why He gave him a new name, Cephas. Peter was not presented as a rock-solid rock throughout the Gospels, but he became a solid rock in the days of the early church. Spiritual growth is a process, we don’t mature overnight, and if we have been saved for years, without spiritual growth, then as it is in the natural, when a child doesn’t grow after a certain age, it’s called abnormal, so it is in the spirit. Andrew appears two more times in the Gospel of John; both times he is bringing someone to Jesus.

John 1:43 – The day following Jesus would (wanted to) go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 

From this verse, it might appear that Philip followed Jesus without being evangelized by another disciple, but there are several indications that Philip was approached by Andrew and Peter before he actually met the Lord. When Philip told Nathanael what had happened, he said “we” have found the Messiah.

John 1:44 – Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

Since Philip was from the same city where Andrew and Peter lived, most likely Philip had been approached or evangelized by Andrew and Peter. The day Jesus told him to follow Him maybe because Jesus was choosing His disciples who would also become His apostles.

John 1:45 – Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 

Nathanael is first introduced to Jesus by Philip. When Jesus remarks that he had already seen the man under the fig tree before the apostle called him. Nathanael acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Philip brought Nathanael to Him, both were Galileans. Nathanael was from Cana, and Philip from Bethsaida.

Scholars have speculated that Nathanael may be found by different names in the Gospels being identified as Matthew, John the son of Zebedee, Simon the Canaanean and James the son of Alphaeus or most often Bartholomew. Andrew and Philip found others to tell them about their discovery of the Son of God, we too when given the opportunity to tell others about the Son of God, give them an invitation to receive salvation. With witnessing, we should be lead by the Lord who to witness too, many people have rejected God and His Son, and don’t want to hear about them.

God prepares the heart of those who will accept His Son prior to our witnessing, this is why we must be lead by the Spirit of God to witness. If He doesn’t direct us, and we go by our own spirit, we can be verbally attacked or physically attacked. The Bible teaches us, he that win souls is wise, meaning, they have the wisdom of God to know who and who not to witness too because they are being led by the Spirit of the Lord.