“He found first his own brother Simon and…he brought him to Jesus.” John 1:41-42
Why is it that so many Christians will travel across the globe on a mission trip but remain silent with lost family members? There’s no doubt that witnessing to family can be challenging on many levels. But the burden for loved ones who do not know the Lord should help us overcome these obstacles. We can learn a lot by following Andrew’s example in John 1.
When Andrew heard John the Baptist proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36), he immediately followed Jesus. After spending the day with Him, Andrew knew that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for, and went immediately to his brother, Peter. Isn’t that the way it should be? When we come to Christ we’re immediately concerned for the lost souls in our inner circle?
Yes, it’s often easier to witness to strangers who don’t know our sinful past or our recent failings. We can’t pretend to be who we are not with family, especially with siblings. Andrew and Peter grew up together. They must have disagreed and squabbled, as brothers tend to do. Yet, Andrew’s love for his brother was greater than anything in their past. He wanted Peter to find what he had found in Christ. Also note that Andrew didn’t just tell Peter about Jesus—he personally introduced him to the Lord.
Andrew is only mentioned a few other times in Scripture, and each time he’s bringing someone to Jesus. Introducing people to the Lord became a habit. And each time the result was remarkable. When Andrew brought his brother to Jesus, he didn’t know that Peter would be the first to preach the gospel, and that three thousand people would come to Christ that day (Acts 2). But that was the result.
When Andrew brought the boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus, he didn’t know that a miracle would unfold; but it did. And when he introduced the Greeks to the Lord in John 12, Andrew didn’t know that he and that crowd would hear the voice of the Father from Heaven. Yet that’s exactly what happened.
We can’t possibly know what will happen when we tell someone about Christ, but we do know the consequences if we do not. What are you doing in order to bring the people you love to Jesus? Remarkable things begin to happen when soul winning becomes a habit.
Previous devotions in this series: What it Means to be Lost, The Value of a Soul, Is Sharing Our Faith Optional?
