Foxe alleges that Andrew, supposedly bound with a cord and fastened between two pieces of wood, said these words as he painfully and slowly died: "O cross, most welcome and oft-looked for; with a willing mind, joyfully and desirously, I come to thee, being the scholar of Him who did hang of thee; because I have been always thy lover, and have longed to embrace thee!"

Andrew believed the promises of Christ, basic and vital building blocks of all the apostles' faith. They believed, not just because of His death but because of His resurrection. He reminds them of the promises He made to them in John sixteen at the time of His ascension. The promises, made to them, give us equal hope.

First, Jesus promised a coming. He uses the word erchomai ("come, coming") six times in the first thirteen verses. He promises a coming hour (2). In that hour, the disciples would suffer simply for being disciples. Then, Christ promises a coming Helper (7). The Helper was the Holy Spirit. He empowered them to teach and prove Christ as God's Son. Through scripture, He strengthens us by that same teaching and proof. Jesus also promised a coming hearer (13-14). This also refers to the Holy Spirit, the one who would speak what He had heard and make known what Christ had told Him. This allowed no conflicting teaching. Paul, Peter, and the others would all speak the same thing.

Second, Jesus promised a convicting. They needed doctrine to teach. To teach an ignorant and comfortable world, they needed a convicting message. A watered down "I'm all right, you're all right" could not have turned the world upside down. Christ promised a convicitng of sin (9), which began with the apostles' preaching on Pentecost. Christ promised a convicting of righteousness (10), and so the world would have to be taught to live righteous, sober and godly lives (Titus 2:12). Christ promised a convicting of judgment (11), and hearts must be convicted that, if they commit habitual sin, they are of the devil (1 John 3:8) and share his destiny.

Finally, Jesus promised a cooperation. The apostles trusted Jesus because they believed Him to be the Son of God. Christ promised a cooperation between Himself and the Father (15), between Himself and the Holy Spirit (13-15), and between Himself and the disciples (4). No one would doubt the first two, but most people do not practically believe the third. They say God endorses different followers teaching different things. Yet, all true disciples teach only the message Christ sent and that is found in the Bible. A substitute standard yields deadly results.

What validates the promises of Christ? His unbending character (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 John 2:25). Like the apostles, we can stand on Christ's promises. Every promise He makes, He delivers. Thank God for the promises of Christ.

Love,
Neal