From Ruin To Redemption

From Ruin To Redemption

Text: Mark 5: 1-6, 15

Intro: Today’s text vividly portrays the depths to which a person under Satan’s control can sink. But that’s not all that is in view here. We also see in sharp contrast to this former destructive condition the power of God to deliver one who will trust Christ by faith.

Prior to this incident recorded by Mark, Jesus had been teaching in parables on the seashore of Capernaum. The crowds so pressed in upon Him that Jesus had to enter into a nearby ship to teach the people. After Jesus had finished His teaching and dismissed the multitudes, He set sail with His disciples for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. During this one-hour trip, Jesus decided to get some rest. So He lay down at the back of the ship and went to sleep.

At some point during the voyage, a great storm came upon the tiny ship and its occupants. The disciples feared for their lives, since the ship was now filled with water. Frantically they awakened Jesus, who simply stood on the deck of that little ship, raised His voice in rebuke to the wind and the sea, and all became calm at His command. The disciples had witnessed the magnificent power of Christ over the elements.

But as though the raging storm wasn’t enough excitement for one day, the disciples were about to witness yet another shocking demonstration of their Master’s power. No sooner had their vessel landed on the shore of Gadara, a wild-eyed, demon-possessed man came running toward them. To the amazement of the disciples, when the demoniac came close to Jesus, he fell at His feet. Jesus was totally in control of the situation. Christ’s disciples learned that not only did Christ have power over the elements; He also had power over evil.

This account recorded by Mark, is a wonderful demonstration of the power of God to cleanse and forgive men and women, who have sunken to the murkiest and filthiest depths of sin. My, what a great Savior we serve! Let’s take a closer look at this account, and learn how a raging demon-controlled man came “From Ruin To Redemption,” by the power of Christ.

Theme: Christ’s power over evil is seen in:

I. THE DEPTHS OF SATAN’S CONTROL

A. This Can Be Seen In The Demoniac’s Dwelling.

Mark 5: 1 “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3a Who had his dwelling among the tombs…”

NOTE: [1] Simply put, this man lived in the graveyard. There are two possibilities with reference to this condition:

1a. He may have taken up residence here after having been driven out of town, due to his deranged state of mind.

1b. Tombs were usually cut out of the side of a mountain, creating a cave. He may have used the cave for shelter.

[2] Whatever the reason was for this man living among the tombs, and as unusual as that might seem to us, it isn’t too out of character, spiritually speaking. This man was lost—without Christ. His dwelling place was in character with his spiritual condition, for he was “…dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph.2: 1). Every person without Christ is spiritually in the same condition as this demoniac.

B. This Can Be Seen In The Demoniac’s Disposition.

1. He could not be restrained.

Mark 5: 3b “…and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.”

NOTE: [1] The word “chains” refers to “manacles,” or what we would call handcuffs.

[2] The word “fetters” refers to a “shackle for the feet” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies From The Greek New Testament, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mark In The Greek New Testament, pg. 101).

[3] We can see from this account that this demoniac exhibited supernatural strength, in that he broke the fetters and the chains numerous times. Again, let’s make a spiritual application here. Just as this demoniac, under the control of Satan, could not be controlled by any man, neither can any man control his sin nature. Only when Jesus is allowed to enter one’s heart as Lord and Master can the sin nature be brought into subjection. Only Jesus can tame the “Old Man” within us.

2. He was always restless.

Mark 5: 5a “And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying…”