What Do We Know About Andrew the Disciple?

Andrew was Jesus Christ’s first disciple, and the first to recognize Him as the Messiah.

With this discovery, Andrew went ahead and invited his brother, Peter, to come meet Jesus for himself.

Though little is known about the apostle Andrew, the details we can find in the New Testament show that he played a valuable role in Jesus’ ministry.

Let’s look at some of Andrew’s most memorable moments in Scripture.

We’ll cover:

• Andrew’s beginnings
• What Andrew is known for
• What he did after the ascension
• What we can learn from his life

We’ll start with some background information.

Andrew’s beginnings

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Though little is known about the apostle Andrew, the Bible does give us an overview of who he was and where he came from.

Andrew was given a Greek name that comes from the word “Andreas,” which simply means “man.”¹

He was the son of a Jewish man named Jonah or John (different versions translate the name differently) and a brother to the well-known apostle Peter (John 1:42; Matthew 10:2).

Like his brother, Peter, and his fellow disciple, Philip, Andrew was originally from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44), though he later moved to Capernaum (Mark 1:21, 29).

Andrew and Peter, like many of the disciples, worked as fishermen (Mark 1:16). But Andrew was the only one said to become a follower of John the Baptist (John 1:35-40). And it was his decision to follow John the Baptist that first led Andrew to Christ.

The Gospel of John tells us that John the Baptist told Andrew that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:35-40).

Upon hearing this, Andrew and another one of John’s disciples started following after Jesus, and ended up spending the day with Him (John 1:38-39).

Evidently impressed by his encounter with Jesus, Andrew went to tell Peter that he had met the Messiah (John 1:41). He even brought Peter to Jesus so Peter could meet Him for himself.

And this wouldn’t be the last time they saw Jesus.

They would later be called by Him to spend the rest of their lives following Him.

The calling of Andrew

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Though Peter and Andrew met with Jesus, the official “call” to discipleship was recorded when Jesus found them fishing (Mark 1:16).

The Gospel of Luke tells us that crowds of people had gathered near the Lake of Gennesaret to hear Jesus speak (Luke 5:1). But instead of speaking to them from the land, Jesus had decided to speak to them from one of the fishermen’s boats passing by.

He had seen Andrew and Peter’s boat, and they agreed to let Him climb aboard.

It was there that Jesus began teaching the crowd (Luke 5:2-3). Afterward, He turned to Peter and told him to release their nets to catch more fish (Luke 5:4).

Peter responded by telling Jesus that they hadn’t been able to catch any fish, even though they’d been fishing all night long (Luke 5:5). And yet he agreed to cast their net one more time (Luke 5:5).

The Bible tells us:

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink”  (Luke 5:6-7, NKJV).

It was then, in the face of a miracle, that Jesus called Andrew and his brother Peter to become His disciples.

“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19, NKJV).

And without any hesitation, Andrew and Peter accepted His offer and decided to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:21-22).

The story of Andrew’s calling can tell us a little bit about the kind of person he was.

Upon discovering the Messiah, he immediately went and told his brother.

And then, when Jesus finally called him to become a disciple, he readily accepted, leaving behind his job, family, and hometown to follow Jesus wherever He called him.

In the end, Andrew’s incredible faithfulness and dedication would lead him to become a loyal disciple of Jesus.

What is Andrew known for?

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The most well-known detail about Andrew is probably that he became Jesus’ first disciple.

However, there are a couple things that set him apart from the other disciples:

• He was a confirmed disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35-40): While it’s possible that a few more of the twelve disciples also followed John the Baptist, the only one mentioned by name is Andrew.

• He was the first of the disciples to bring others to Jesus (John 1:40-42): Upon discovering that Jesus was the Messiah, Andrew immediately went to tell Peter about Him.

• He was one of few disciples to hear about the signs of the end (Mark 13:3): Though Jesus loved all of His disciples, He became especially close to Peter, James, and John. Andrew was listed among them as being one of the few disciples to hear what Jesus had to say about the end times.

• He was the brother of Peter (Matthew 10:2): Though James and John were also disciples who were siblings, Peter and Andrew were the other set of brothers. And when it comes to Andrew and Peter, Bible writers talked a lot more about Peter. In fact, Andrew’s name is scarcely mentioned without Him being referred to as “the brother of Simon Peter.”²

But being well-known is not the primary measure for being a good disciple and one we can learn from. From the little information Scripture gives us, we can tell that Andrew was likely a competent disciple who was quick to do the work he was called to do. That simple quality is invaluable, especially for a follower of Christ.

We see this quality in how he worked with his fellow disciples and other people he ministered to.

For example, there was one occasion when a group of Greeks came to Philip asking to see Jesus (John 12:20-21).

Philip turned to Andrew with the request, and together they brought the request before Jesus (John 12:22).

(Whenever in doubt about how to respond to a situation, it’s always a good idea to turn to Jesus.)

This situation also demonstrates how willing Andrew was to introduce others to Jesus Christ. He didn’t seem to care that they weren’t Jews, but rather left it up to Jesus to decide how to proceed.

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Andrew demonstrated that same willingness and quick thinking when he ministered to the crowds following Jesus.

One time, a group of 5,000 people were following after Jesus, and everyone ran out of food (John 6:2).

In an effort to test the disciples, Jesus asked them where they could go to find food for the people (John 6:5-6).

Though the disciples couldn’t see how they could provide for 5,000 people, Andrew took the initiative to find food like Jesus had asked (John 6:7-9).

He brought Jesus a boy who had packed a lunch of five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:9).

And while he didn’t understand how that would be enough to feed the crowd, he offered it up to Jesus anyway. He did what he knew to do, given the circumstances.

Though the Bible doesn’t often address Andrew’s role in Jesus’ ministry, the occasions it does mention him point to his continuous dedication to Christ.

What did Andrew do after Jesus’ ascension?

While we know little about Andrew’s role in Christ’s ministry, we know even less about his life after Jesus’ ascension back to heaven.

Like the rest of the disciples, it’s very likely he took up Jesus’ call to spread the gospel around the world (Acts 1:6-8).

Some scholars suggest he went on to spread the message in Greece, Asia Minor, and Scythia, although the Bible doesn’t mention anyplace specific.³

Tradition also suggests that Andrew died in Achaia, Greece, where he was crucified as a martyr.⁴ Unofficial records claim that Andrew asked to be crucified on an X-shaped cross out of respect for Jesus’ own crucifixion.⁵ This idea has become so popular that X-shaped crosses are now referred to as St. Andrew’s crosses.⁶

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However, it’s worth noting that the Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Andrew’s travels or how he might have died.

Instead, the book of Acts tells us how Andrew’s role as a follower had shifted to one of a leader, as all twelve apostles were called to make administrative decisions and teach early Christian believers in Christ’s absence.

The Bible tells us Andrew was involved in:

• Choosing someone to replace Judas Iscariot as the twelfth disciple (Acts 1:13)
• Selecting ministry leaders (Acts 6:2-6)
• Spreading the gospel message, and calling others to turn to Jesus (Acts 2:14, 40-41)

While these may not be roles or jobs that get much attention, they are similar to the kinds of tasks that are consistently important in ministry today, whether in a small church, large congregation, discipleship group, etc.

What can we learn from the life of Andrew?

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Andrew’s life and ministry teach us that we can contribute to Jesus’ mission just by being diligent and faithful.

There wasn’t anything remarkable about Andrew from an earthly perspective.

He was a poor fisherman, and unlike his brother Peter, he didn’t end up becoming one of the most well-known apostles.

But Andrew was no doubt an invaluable member of the 12 disciples.

It was Andrew who brought Peter to meet Jesus.

It was Andrew who led Gentiles to Jesus when others might have turned them away.

It was Andrew who hadn’t given up on the feeding of the 5,000. He knew to keep talking with Jesus.

And it was Andrew who first sought after Christ.

He had an incredible faith and was passionate about bringing others to Jesus.

As Christians, we are likewise called to trust in and follow Jesus with the faith of Andrew.

His example also shows us that we don’t have to be courageous speakers or miracle workers to serve Christ. Sometimes all Christ asks of us is that we be willing to show others what He is all about.

And in the end, that’s our goal as Christians, to bring others to Christ like Andrew did.

Want to continue learning about the disciples? Learn what the Bible has to say about the life and ministry of Peter, Andrew’s brother.

Andrew’s Most Significant Moments in the Bible:

• Being the first disciple to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40)
• Telling his brother, Peter, about Jesus (John 1:41)
• Accepting the call to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:21-22)
• Locating the boy with the bread and fish for the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:7-9)
• Telling Jesus that Gentiles wanted to meet with Him (John 12:22)
• Being among Peter, James, and John as Jesus revealed the signs of the end (Mark 13:3)
• Joining the apostles in selecting a replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:13)
• Joining the apostles in selecting ministry leaders (Acts 6:2-6)
• Experiencing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 14)
• Spreading the gospel message and guiding early Christian believers (Acts 2:14, 40-41)

1. “What was it Like Being Jesus’ Disciple and Apostle?” General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists,https://www.heroesbibletrivia.org/en/being-jesus-disciple-and-apostle/. [↵]
2. Matthew 4:18; Matthew 10:2; Mark 1:16; John 1:40. [↵] 
3. “Who were the 12 Disciples?” BibleInfo.com, https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/who-were-twelve-disciples#andrew. [↵]
4. Ibid. [↵]
5. Ibid. [↵]
6. Ibid. [↵]

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