Series Overview: Stories from the Bible that deal with the Supernatural. The stories featured in this series are marked by people who moved from death to life...some in the spiritual sense, while others did so literally. Can the dead really live again??? The Bible seems to tell some stories that say that it is not only possible…but they seem beyond any earthly explanation. The only explanation would have to be supernatural!
Here are the stories we will examine over the next four weeks:
Week 1 – Demoniac – he was physically alive, but he was spiritually dead
Week 2 – Eutychus – dies and comes back to life
Week 3 – Dry Bones Live – can dead, dry bones come back to live again?
Week 4 – The Resurrection – Jesus not only lives again, but there are other lesser-known supernatural events surrounding the crucifixion & resurrection
I think the reason that people are drawn to the idea of the supernatural is that despite all of our wisdom, despite all we have learned from science, and the fact that we are capable of so many things…
There are still mysteries in this world. Things that are unexplainable.
People like to tell these stories, and often times, create stories of terror based on the fear that surround stories about the unknown and the unexplainable.
In the stories that we will examine in this series, we will discover that not only is there life after death, but that there really is no comparison to the kind of life that we find in Jesus.
CONTEXT: The story we will look at today comes on the heels of Jesus teaching a crowd by the shore, and then telling the disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
- Jesus steers them directly into a storm
- Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat
- They wake Him
- He says, “Peace be still” and the wind and waves calm
- Jesus says, “What’s your deal??? Why are you afraid?? Don’t you know that I’m here with you…in the boat??”
- Disciples: “Dude…even the wind and the waves obey this guy!”
- AFTER THIS…they arrive safely on the other side of the lake, to meet another challenge…
Mark 5:1-2
1So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him.
- Probably NOT a friendly greeting…
- NOT “Oh, hey Jesus…welcome to Grave-ville! Come on in…”
- Jesus response was not alarm (we will see His response in a minute)
Mark 5:3-5
3This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
- Lived in caves…BURIAL caves!
- This dude LIVED among the graves!!!
- They had TRIED to restrain him!
- He was too powerful…(probably not from working out)
- Couldn’t be restrained…even with chains & shackles!
- DAY & NIGHT…he wandered the caves and hills “HOWLING” and cutting himself!
- IMAGINE with me…you go to visit the gravesite of a relative…
- Flowers in your hand…sad memories rolling through your mind…
- THEN…You run into THIS dude!
I. The REACH of Jesus
What I love about this story…
- Jesus went to him
- Jesus crossed boundaries: geographical, ethnic, and religious
o Geographical (crossed a lake…THROUGH a storm)
• Remember the “WHY?” question??
• WHY through the storm, Jesus??? Didn’t you see this coming??
• Jesus DID see this coming…Jesus SPOKE to the storm!
• Jesus journeyed THROUGH the storm…WITH his closest friends…to a troubled man!
o Gentile region
o Ethnic & religious differences (unclean people)
• Unclean, everything - the spirits, the tombs, the pigs, the territory
- Worst of the worst
WHY would Jesus go there????
- The same reason that God calls you and I….
- To reach THE ONE!!!
- The demoniac’s life lacked meaning:
o Identity stolen
o Replaced by something he can’t understand or control or overcome.
o Suffering.
o Ostracized and segregated.
Application:
Oh…Jesus…why am I going through this storm???
- MAYBE…God has someone on the OTHER SIDE of that storm He wants YOU to reach!
- YES…God cares about you
- BUT…maybe what He is building INTO you RIGHT NOW is something that He is planning on using THROUGH you in the near future!
The story continues…
Mark 5:6-8
6When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
- Apparently Jesus’ reputation among demons was pretty bad…
- Jesus response…
- Disciples response..
- ILLUS: Dealing with demonic possessed people on mission field
Mark 5:9-13
9Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
11There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12“Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
II. The RULE of Jesus
- Demonstrated power over nature, then demonic forces, physical ailments, and even death itself
- Man deceived and living in tombs
o The enemy would like you to return to tomb living
o Jesus came to bring freedom and an abundant life
Jesus asks, “What is your name?”
- Demon speaks & says, “Legion, for we are many”
o A legion was 6,000 soldiers
o There were 2000 pigs
o Safe to say between 2,000 and 6,000 demons
What happens?
- Demons Submit - recognize Jesus for who He is
- Demons Fear - don’t want change
- Demons Flee - leave at His command
ILLUS: Dealing with demons in my friends’ house
What can WE expect when we confront evil spirits?
- MOVIES…call the priest!
- FOR REAL…YOU can confront the enemy IF you have Jesus truly living on the inside!
1 John 4:4
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Romans 8:11
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Application:
- THE SAME SPIRIT that raised Jesus LIVES IN YOU!
- We have AUTHORITY over evil spirits
- Jesus states in John 14:12 that we would do “GREATER THINGS THAN THESE!”
The story continues…
Mark 5:14-17
14The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
III. The RESPONSE to Jesus
- Response of the townspeople (gentiles…pig farmers & demon-guy’s neighbors)
o SPREADING THE NEWS!
o People came back to see what happened
- Response of the Demoniac to Jesus’ power & authority
o Put some clothes on
o Chilling with Jesus
o PERFECTLY sane
- Response of the people???
o FEAR!!! They begged Jesus to leave!
o The crowd began to plead with Jesus to leave them alone!
o POSSIBLY…because they didn’t want Him to destroy their economy (2,000 pigs)
o POSSIBLY…because they are confronted with the realization of their own inner demons
Mark 5:18-20
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
- NO LONGER the “demoniac”…now he’s the “DELIVERED MAN”
o Wants to follow Jesus
• Maybe escape his old life and start fresh
• Jesus says return home and tell story to those who remember your former life, who mocked you, who feared you, who pitied you
• He becomes missionary to the Decapolis (10 towns)
Application:
WHAT an AMAZING, INCREDIBLE story!!!
- COMPLETE healing & wholeness!
- Jesus can heal and bring wholeness when we submit our lives to him, and how that health can transform our communities.
CONCLUSION
DREAM with me for a moment…
IMAGINE…
The REACH of Jesus…in our town
• If we would all allow Jesus to set us free
• If we would all be willing to do whatever it takes to reach “the one” God has called us to.
The RULE of Jesus…in our lives and those around us
• What would happen if we allowed Jesus to dispel the “demons” in our lives?
• What would happen if God used us to help set other people free from sin?
• Remember: We have authority over the enemy! (The same Power that raised Christ lives in us!)
What is your RESPONSE to Jesus???
• What is God saying to you today?
• What are you going to do about it?
