John 1:40 tells us that Andrew, one of the two men who had first followed Jesus, is the one the Gospel names here, and that he is Simon Peter’s brother. The verse is a simple identification, but it opens a small window onto how the first disciples came to Jesus: through a word from John the Baptist, a quiet invitation, and a brother’s eagerness to share what he had found. It is narrated by the Gospel writer, not spoken by a character, and it is addressed to readers who needed to know who was involved in the story.
One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
John 1:40 (WEB)
What John 1:40 Means
The phrase “One of the two who heard John” tells you the story has already begun before this verse. The two men had been listening to John the Baptist, who had pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Their hearing was not idle. It led them to act on what they had heard, which is the point of the phrase “and followed him.” The verse does not say they followed Jesus at this moment, but it sets up the scene in verses 37 to 39 where that following takes place.
The words “was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother” do two jobs. They name the first disciple, and they tie him to Simon, who will become Peter, one of the most prominent figures in the Gospels. The verse does not promise Andrew anything, and it does not describe his feelings or inner life. It simply records a fact that the early readers would have understood, because Peter’s name carried weight in the Christian community.
The Context of John 1:40
John’s Gospel was most likely written late in the first century, and tradition holds that the apostle John, one of the twelve, is its author. Its first readers were probably Christians who needed a clear account of who Jesus was and what it meant to believe in him. Naming the people who first came to Jesus helped those readers see that faith began with real people who had heard a message, responded to it, and then passed it on.
Read in its surrounding verses, John 1:40 sits inside a short chain of encounters. The two disciples follow Jesus, he asks what they are looking for, and he invites them to come and see. Immediately after this verse, Andrew finds Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah.” That change in how you read the verse matters: Andrew is not a footnote but the first link in a chain that leads to Peter, and through him to many others.
Key Phrases in John 1:40
John 1:41
He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).
(WEB)
This verse picks up the story immediately after John 1:40 and shows Andrew’s first act as a follower: he finds Simon and tells him they have found the Messiah. Reading the two verses together shows how a personal discovery turns into a witness to someone else.
John 1:37
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
(WEB)
This earlier verse describes the two disciples of John who heard him speak and began to follow Jesus. It is the beginning of the scene in which John 1:40 sits, and it helps you see how the first following began before Andrew is named.
A Short Prayer From John 1:40
Lord Jesus, thank you for the people who first heard the good news and followed you, people like Andrew, who did not need to be famous to bring someone else to you. Help me to listen carefully when you speak, and to follow where you lead, even when I do not yet see the whole path. Give me the courage to share what I have found in you with the people closest to me, and let my words be simple and honest. Use my life to bring others to come and see you for themselves. Amen.
