The apostle John is familiar to us because he wrote so much of the New Testament. He wrote the book of John as well as three epistles that also bear his name, and the book of Revelation. Besides Luke and Paul, John wrote more of the New Testament than any other author.

Most of what we learn of John is from his own writing. We see his character and personality through it. We see his love for Christ and dealings with the early church. And finally, in Revelation, we see his vision of the future.

Both Scripture and history record his influence on the early church. John was a man hidden in the background, much like Andrew. However, he had his turn at leadership, reaching as far as Asia Minor, as he outlived all the other apostles. John, the younger brother of James, was known for his zeal. Like his brother, he was willing to call down fire on the Samaritans. ​ 

Of the three apostles closest to Jesus, Peter, James and John, James is the one we know the least about. His name never appears alone in the gospels. He is always mentioned with his younger brother John. Much like Peter and Andrew. The only time we see James mentioned by himself is in the book of Acts where it records his death. James was the first apostle to be martyred. 

James, and his brother John are often referred to as the sons of Zebedee. This indicates that their father was of some importance. His prestige may have been a result of his financial standing, family lineage, or both. It appears, from Mark 1:20, that the family business was large enough to employ several servants. 

Of the four apostles closest to Jesus, Andrew is the least known. Yet he was often the means by which others were introduced to the Savior. He is known as the apostle of the small things. From the very beginning he had an eagerness to follow Christ and a zeal for introducing others to Him.

Those five words, "he brought him to Jesus" define Andrew's purpose in life after he himself met the Savior. 

Who was Simon Peter? Who was this citizen of Heaven and sojourner on earth? He's was a great leader, but he didn't start out that way. Let's look today at the life of Peter and discover how Jesus molded him into the great leader he became. If you see similarities in your own life, it may be that Jesus is also working to mold you into a great leader.

God didn't create us to just be stagnant Christians or to live stagnant Christian lives. He created us to grow and to be growing Christians—always growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
​

​When we study Peter's life, we see this kind of growth—growth that developed a great leader.