Anyone who looks at the small print in their calendar or diary will notice a note
besides the 30 th November, or the Monday following – Bank Holiday Scotland.
A national holiday marking the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew. No doubt
many enjoy celebrating Scotland’s history and culture, but it’s worth looking at
the true story we have of Andrew in the New Testament.
He was one of the 12 apostles, the brother of Simon Peter; in fact often when
he’s mentioned he’s described as Andrew, Peter’s brother. But what else do we
know about him? Not all that much it has to be said – he occurs a few times in
the Gospels, and then we don’t read any more about him in the New Testament
after the list of the 12 in Acts 1 v. 13.
He may not be mentioned often but those times where we do see Andrew in the
Gospels we find him bringing people to Jesus.
In fact, though Peter his brother was very prominent among the apostles, and
most often was the one who would speak for all the others, it was Andrew who
first brought Peter to the Lord (John 1 v. 42) and eagerly told him: ‘We have
found the Messiah’. He was convinced Peter needed to come and meet the
Saviour, so eager to share this with his brother.
Later on we read of Andrew before the feeding of the five thousand in John 6
and he tells the Lord: ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two
small fish, but what are they among so many?
Now we don’t know how old the boy was but Andrew didn’t dismiss him; he
saw he had something to bring to Jesus. It was really so little and you might
have thought what’s the point of bringing five loaves and two fish to feed so
many. Nevertheless Andrew brought the boy to the Lord, sensing that there was
something Jesus could do with this small gift.
There were other times when the disciples sent children away, but Andrew here
was approachable and brought this child to Jesus. It’s easy to dismiss people,
particularly those who others might see as insignificant, but there was this
willingness in Andrew to bring people to the Lord.
The final occasion where we read of Andrew is in John 12 vs. 20–22:
‘And there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the
feast. Then they came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked
him saying “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”’

‘Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus’
These Greeks, known as Gentile God-fearers, had come to Jerusalem to worship
and they were asking to see Jesus. Philip didn’t seem too sure what to do;
should he trouble the Lord with this request? But he knew Andrew would know
what to do. Andrew was sure that Jesus would want to see these Greeks and so
they both go and tell the Lord. They wanted others to know about Him.
Andrew was very much in the shadow of his brother Peter, but each time we see
Andrew in the Gospels he was seeking to bring people to Jesus.
What an example that is, what an important work to bring people to the Saviour.
If we believe in the Saviour how we should want to share Him with others.
How do people come to faith in Christ? Through hearing a sermon, reading a
book, looking at a website – yes, sometimes. But very often, there’s been a
friend, a relation, someone who has been involved along the way, encouraging
them, inviting them, telling them.

Marcus Hobson