TITLE: The Twelve: Andrew and Nathanael
PREACHER: Mark Meeske
DATE: 16 MARCH 2014 – Sunday AM at Bedfordview

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TITLE: The Twelve: Andrew and Nathanael
PREACHER: Waldo Kruger
DATE: 16 MARCH 2014 – Sunday AM at Rosebank

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BIO: ANDREW

 Name: Andrew, meaning manly.

Hometown of origin: Came from the little fishing town on the North coast of Galilee called Bethsaida.

Relatives: Simon Peter’s brother

Profession: Fisherman, in partnership with his brother, Peter and their friends, James and John.

Married: Unknown.

Age: Unknown. Probably younger than Peter.

Best remembered for: Introducing people to Jesus; Peter his brother, the boy with the fish and loaves of bread and some Greeks.

Social status: Unknown. Perhaps slightly higher than others if his low opinion of Nazareth is considered.

Personality: Skeptical.

Position amongst the 12: Seems to have been friends with Philip.

General facts: Andrew is not a startling character: there is no dash and activity like Peter, no strong determination and unpredictable character like James and John, and no dramatic conversion like Matthew. He appears to be quiet, thoughtful, persistent and unassuming – but his work was vital. He brought his brother to Christ and little realised what far-reaching results that would have. In fact, he seems to have learnt from John the Baptist that the most important task in life is not to make a name for oneself, but to bring people to Jesus: his brother, a little boy with some bread and fish, and a party of Greeks. There are no impressive exploits, no crowds following him, no miracles recorded and no great preaching. But through Peter, thousands heard of Christ and millions have read his letters, through the young boy thousands were fed from one of Christ’s most outstanding miracles, and through the Greeks our Lord finally revealed his purpose to reveal himself to the whole world as its only light.

Ministry after the ascension: According to Hippolytus (an early church father from Rome):, Andrew preached to the Scythians (modern day Georgia) and Thracians (modern day Bulgaria, both Georgia and Bulgaria are adjacent to the Black Sea near Turkey).

Death: He was crucified, suspended on an olive tree, at Patrae, a town of Achaia (Greece); and there too he was buried.

BIO: NATHANAEL

 Name: Nathanael or Bartholomew. Nathanael means “gift of God”.

Father’s name: Unknown

Hometown of origin: Cana in Galilee

Profession: Unknown. Perhaps a fisherman. He was fishing with Peter, James and John and three others on the Sea of Tiberius when Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection, resulting in the second miraculous catch of fish.

Married: Unknown.

Age: Unknown. Probably young. Most sources say Peter or James were probably the oldest of the 12, being between 20 and 25 years old. It is quite possible that he was still in his upper teens or low twenties.

Best remembered for: Being introduced by Philip to Jesus. Being seen under a fig tree.

Social status: Unknown. Perhaps slightly higher than others if his low opinion of Nazareth is considered.

Personality: Skeptical.

Position amongst the 12: No significance.

General facts: Often mentioned with Philip. Was skeptical about Jesus being the Messiah because he came from Nazareth. He obviously had a low opinion about Nazareth.

Ministry after the ascension: Initially in Jerusalem and then we have no sure Biblical account. Tradition puts him in various places, including having traveled to India, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Parthia, Ethiopia and Lycaonia. He is said to have converted Polymius, the king of Armenia to Christianity.

Death: Traditional accounts claim that he was martyred in Albanopolis in Armenia. Some say he was beheaded others that he was flayed alive and then crucified upside down.

INTRODUCTION

When we look at Andrew and Nathanael, what we want to highlight is that it’s about learning to become Christ followers. In this series there are two things God is putting his finger on: character and mission. And as we look at these two disciples we see how God developed their character.

Character is not an old fashioned idea that we no longer need. It’s still extremely important to God. In fact, God looks at character more than He looks at gifts and callings. Whenever you read about the qualifications for leaders in the Bible, most of the time it focuses on character more than anything else. Read more

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