Bible Text
Key Characters: Philip, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel.
Introduction
The call of the disciples was spectacular and unique in some ways. Although not uniform for all, we could classify their call under two clausal headings, namely, “Follow Me…” and “Follow Me and I will…” The first category refers to the disciples, who were full of youthful zest and bright dreams for the future. In assurance for this fulfilment, Jesus says to Peter, for example, “Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men1.” This connotes, “Follow me, and I will make you into what you want and more.” Since man is greater than fish, coupled with the personality of Jesus, the call became all the more astounding.
On the contrary, Matthew did not need much fulfilment regarding achievement and use of youthful zest, therefore, Jesus beckoned unto him, saying, “Follow Me2.” As a tax collector, he was rich in people and substance. He had personal guards for his defence due to hostility from the immediate Jewish environment. He was tagged a sinner being a tax collector. To Him, therefore, following Jesus was a provision of the company to cushion the loneliness he faced as an outcast Jew. Thus “Follow Me,” without additional promises, sufficed.
Of particular importance to us is the examination of the call of Andrew, Philip, Peter and Nathaniel as rendered by our beloved older brother, John in his Gospel. Andrew and Philip were among Jesus' first disciples. Being very youthful and zealous, Andrew did not hesitate to call Peter his brother, and Philip called Nathaniel. We also seek to inquire into the reason behind Peter’s commendation by Jesus, being the one to refer to Him as the Christ, the Messiah. Even though if He were not the first to recognize Christ as such.
Philip and Nathaniel
If Santa Claus was in town, it will probably not make a good idea to inform an adult. But tell a child, one would secure the best of exciting responses. Off with intrigue, she dashes to inform dad and mum who will help her get an opportunity to see Santa.
Likewise, assuming “Looking for the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and the One who the Prophets also wrote - that is Jesus, of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,” wasn’t the earnest desire of Nathaniel. Philip would have saved himself a great deal of time by keeping his intrigue to himself. This portrays Philip as first an earnest God-seeker. And as having fellowship with those who sought God with all their hearts. Hence the immediate identification of the person who would be most responsive to Jesus in the person of Nathaniel.
Andrew and Peter
Peter is in the same category as Nathaniel. He had long sought the Messiah, and when Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, saw Jesus, he dashed off to Peter to meet Him. Peter went immediately and spent the night with Jesus. The bottom line is the contagious conviction that Andrew had. He could spot the desired and the desirous.
Jesus applauded Peter
By observation of John 1:41,45 and Mathew 16:16, Peter was not the first identified Jesus as the Messiah. Andrew and Philip had this conviction and could convincingly communicate it to others. How come when it was time to tell who the Son of Man was, their views suddenly failed them? How come they concurred with the people calling Him Jeremiah and Elijah3? What must have been the case? What is the reason for this sudden loss of conviction? In what follows, we will try to provide some probable answers.
Initial Conviction
Peter, Andrew and Philip must be among the disciple that first saw Jesus perform miracles. Since they were from the region of Galilee where Jesus headquartered His ministry4. Therefore they had and were all driven to follow Jesus by their initial convictions. It is the usual case with all Christians. We all see Jesus move mightily on our behalf. And we burn with an initial force of unstoppable love and passion like Philip, who preached to his friend, and as Andrew who went to fetch his brother.
Time tests Convictions
Recall that the followership of Jesus by Philip and Andrew were in the wake of the ministry of Jesus. Let us, therefore, examine their responses in a later event that served as a trial of their faith or conviction.
The Budget
Someday, there arose the need for Jesus to feed His audience of about 5000 men5. These men had been with Jesus for 3 days, walking in the wilderness. He decided to meet this lack of food and food vendors in the area with consultative reasoning. To build his faith, Jesus engaged Philip. Philip, lacking trust in Christ’s ability, presented a deficit budget of 200 denarii. This was the One whom Moses, that fed people with Manna6, wrote about. To Philip, that same Jesus cannot productively use available resources nor bless the belittled into a bounty.
The Boy
John 1:45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 1:45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about—Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph [according to public record].”
Philip perhaps inspired his fellow like-minded disbeliever. Andrew might have been impressed by the truthy logical reasoning of Philip’s 200 denarii (more than half a year’s wage7) budget, nevertheless an expression of weakness by men of their calibre in the experience of Christ. To second Philip, Andrew also presented a boy having five loaves of bread and two fish8. His expression seemed not too strong an unbeliever. His presentation was good but was negated by the statement, “but what are they among so many9?”
Unbelievably, this was the Jesus he was convinced was the Messiah whom he preached without being ordained. His preaching brought a convert - Peter - on whom the onus of feeding and restoration of the other disciples would rest. He began to fulfil the promise of Jesus, making them the fisher of men almost immediately. He looked like an immediate solution to any shallow man at the inception of ministry. Andrew passed for a miraculous answer to prayers slated to be fulfilled in their approximate 3 years of training with Jesus. Was Jesus carried away by this initial zeal, though productive? Only time would tell.
The Believer
Peter, reputed as being a spurious and reflexive man; who would stop at nothing to air his opinion, was suddenly mute on this occasion. We note that Peter was also from this region, and Jesus could have asked him first. Also, note that the boy’s loaves and fish would not cost Peter up to 3 minutes to munch. Thus he could have, as a matter of habit, shouted. But I guess the concern being addressed by Jesus was beyond surficial resourcefulness. It was more about sustaining a conviction we had about Jesus from the beginning till the end (Hebrews 3:14).
It is also noteworthy that Peter also had his conviction at the beginning of their walk with the Messiah. This was the event in which Jesus ended the all-night endless toil of some of His disciples by giving him a great fish catch10. “Depart from me,” Peter exclaimed in expression of shock and the realization of his need, “for I am a sinner11” And by realizing himself as a sinner, he found Jesus as a Savior worth leaving all to follow. Thus, at least Andrew, his brother, must have seen, and Philip heard of the event, if eventually absent from the scene.
Peter acted as a believer. His muteness imitated the Spirit of Ezekiel in the valley of dried bones. Ezekiel’s response to a question regarding the daunting task of raising dry bone back to life was, “O Lord God, You know12.” How gracious will it be if, when our faith is insufficient for God’s demands, we keep mute? Rather than weaken His help-ready right hand that would have moved on our behalf.
Above all, at a later time, Jesus decided to ask who the Son of Man was to them. Alas, the man whose conviction bears through all bewildering thoughts and heart-searching rebukes won the day! A “talkative” in a partial sense, but a progressive believer in the real sense.
The Bend
By bend, we mean where things went wrong on this straight path Jesus was preparing for His feet13, wherein they could find Jesus' footsteps and walk by planting theirs. Philip and Andrew, in contrast to Peter, were fervent believer ab initio. They were like any lay believer sternly convinced Jesus is Lord and is bold to say it anywhere withstanding any opposition. Steps farther into our walk with the Lord, when like Philip and Andrew, we begin to listen to the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7). Confronted with the conditions of following Jesus: deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me14. Our beliefs suddenly begin to wane. If especially, we begin to notice the way up is the way down (way of service). And not the much-celebrated deceptive “get rich gospel” that earns one a niche with God. We grow cold feet. And the arrows of disbelieving questions shot at us by the enemy successfully dent our shield of faith, if not seriously injure our arms.
Should they not believe because they have seen and heard Jesus uncut?
They should have! But they are men of like passions - sharing our strength and weaknesses. And the notion that “If Christ were here, I would have done things differently. Perhaps, trust more, be more loyal to Christ etc…” is all an empty imagination. If the same Spirit in Christ is in you, your force of faith should grow in pace with and dimension of Christ. If this is not the case, we could not have done better than Philip and Andrew, were Jesus here with us.
They lead the company of we who hear the word of God, in whose heart these words immediately spring up and withers after some persecution or demanding realizations. Because we have not been able to gather out the stones nor place them where they belong - underneath the soil. Many of us are their accompanies, and their failure should rebuke us to a detour.
The Bridge
Philip and Andrew did not remain in this state all their lifetime. This stage of life was only to reveal their needs to them. The successes they made with their lives in their later years is an indication that, unlike Judas, they took corrections seriously. What could be the bridge between lives' state of crumbling faith to another phase of a soaring one?
The greatest fear ever nursed and exhibited by the disciples was immediately after the crucifixion of Jesus. As such, all disbelieve of theirs can be mothered by this. The way out of it should also constitute a pointer to the way out of all lesser fears.
That notwithstanding, all that made a difference between a set of “cowards” hiding behind bolted doors and confronting the very Pharisees of whom they were afraid was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Oh, how Peter called those who he feared would murder him, murderers! The difference is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God bestowed on them the righteousness of Christ Jesus and made them as bold as lions to confess Jesus as Lord before all and sundry! Peter was the one who shivered within and without before a servant girl as he betrayed his Lord. Within a space of 50 days, his confidence grew so much that he could accuse those who killed his Master, calling out their guilt to show them the grace in and of Christ Jesus for forgiveness. This is what the Holy Spirit can do!
Are you a believer, are you filled with the Holy Spirit? If so, do you engage him for the ultimate? That is, to help you do the will of God? Speaking in tongues is not necessarily a piece of evidence, but a proof of inner conviction, right progressive enough to sustain Christ-like characters and values may avail to conscious internal assurance. This is the bridge. Or if there is no Holy Spirit that motivates our faith, how shall our faith be strengthened? Who shall be the one to engage the word of God as with a hammer to help grind into pieces or correctly position the stones in our hearts? Who shall help us place our priorities right?
