John 1:42
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
This verse belongs to the first meeting and conference beside the Jordan, soon after John the Baptist declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It stands at the time when Jesus entered upon the great work of His life and chose Simon together with John, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael. It belongs to the period when He received His first disciples in Judea, where His early ministry, miracles, and teaching proclaimed His divine Sonship.
Andrew was one of the two disciples who heard John's declaration and then followed Jesus. He and the other disciple were charmed by deeply impressive yet simple and practical lessons at Jesus' home, with hearts moved as never before. John was present listening silently, absorbed and rapt in contemplation of wondrous themes, and then followed Jesus as an eager, absorbed listener.
After hearing Jesus, Andrew became interested for his friends and relatives and anxious that they should see Christ and hear His lessons for themselves. With assurance that he had found Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, he hurried away to search for and call his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. As soon as Jesus looked upon Simon, He declared his name and parentage as Simon the son of Jona and gave him the new name Cephas, meaning stone.
In that meeting look, Jesus read Simon's character and entire life history, including his impulsiveness, love and sympathy, ambition and self-confidence, failure, repentance, work, and martyrdom. The eyewitnesses of these Jordan events later acknowledged their faith in Jesus, and their testimony kindled hope that God had raised up a deliverer for His people. The calling of Andrew and Simon was among the beginnings of the Christian church.
Peter, James, and John sought every opportunity for close contact with their Master, their desire was granted so that their relationship to Him became the closest of all the twelve, with John obtaining a still nearer intimacy. Andrew bringing his brother Simon to Jesus is an example of personal effort showing that Christ's followers should appeal directly to relatives, family, friends, acquaintances, and neighbors and seek to bring them to the Saviour.