Cf: matthew 8, luke 8
MARK 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.
4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!"
8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well.
17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
MARK 5: 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
DEMONS KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE
DEMONS HAVE NO CHOICE (UNLIKE HUMANS)
7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!"
DEMONS ARE NOISY AND BRASH, BRAVADO
MARK LEFT OUT SOME OF THE STORY, OR THE DEMONS KNEW JESUS BY NAME AND POSITION. HAD THEY RECENTLY MET?
8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
JESUS SPEAKS, NOT SHOUTS
THE IMPLORING OF V7 IS NOT A DENIAL OR REBELLION, BUT A NEGOTIATION.
9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
NAME REVEALS CHARACTER, POWER
10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
WHY WAS ‘THE AREA’ SO VERY IMPORTANT?
LUKE USES THE TERM NOT ‘INTO THE ABYSS’-WHY NOT INTO THE ABYSS, AND BE DONE WITH THEM?
A temptation to shortcut the plan of God (temptation)
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
JESUS ANSWERED THE DEMONS’ PRAYER
WHY THEY ASKED, WHY PIGS, WHY DID JESUS COMPLY?
PIGS WERE SACRED ANIMALS TO SOME OF THE THEN CURRENT CULTS
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
THE TOWN WAS GADARA, THE FORTRESS
15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
CONTROL FROM CHRIST, BUT WHERE DID THE CLOTHES COME FROM?
16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well.
TOLD ABOUT THE PIGS AS WELL –SENSE OF PRIORITY
17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
MIRACLES ACTUALLY MADE HIM UNPOPULAR
THE PEOPLE WERE PERHAPS AFRAID OF WHAT HE WOULD FIND-THIS IS WHY MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALLY WANT A MOVE OF GOD.
MAYBE THEY WERE SORE ABOUT LOSING THEIR appx $83K
PERHAPS THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT JESUS MESSING WITH THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
IF JESUS COMES TO CLEAN UP, HE WILL CHANGE YOUR WAY OF LIFE- HE WILL MESS SOME THINGS UP
PERHAPS THE DEMONS WERE SO INTERESTED IN ‘THE COUNTRY’ BECAUSE THEY FOUND SUCH A WELCOME HOME THERE. TERRITORIAL SPIRITS ARE SO BY ALLOWANCE
PERHAPS JESUS ALLOWED IT BECAUSE HE KNEW THE HEARTS OF THE RESIDENTS Were MORE FOR THE DEMONIC THAN THE DIVINE.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
IF YOU ASK JESUS TO LEAVE, HE WILL
18 … the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
JESUS DID NOT SAVE YOU TO LOOK PRETTY BUT TO FURTHER HIS CAUSE
SOMETIMES GOD’S ANSWER IS ‘NO. THANKS’
THIS MAN WAS DELIVERED, TO HIS ADVANTAGE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PURPOSES OF CHRIST THE DIVINE ONE.
THE HARDEST PEOPLE TO WITNESS TO ARE…
THE ENTIRE STORY IS PROOF TO THE ROMAN MIND THAT
ü JESUS IS MORE GOD THAN THE ROMAN DEITIES
ü JESUS HAS NO STRAIN AGAINST A PACK OF DEMONS.
ü ONE WILLING PERSON IS WORTH MORE THAN 2K HOLY RELICS TO JESUS
ü ONE WILLING PERSON IS WORTH MORE TO JESUS THAN A HOST OF NONSUBMISSIVE PEOPLE
ü JESUS IS MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING HIS JOB DONE THAN IN HAVING COOL COMPANIONS
20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
NOTICE, THAT THE PEOPLE WERE “AMAZED” MEANING THEY SIMPLY WONDERED-THEY DID NOT RESPOND. NOT EVERYONE WILL BE IMPRESSED TO ACTION.
THE MAN’S TESTIMONY WAS TO GREEKS & ROMANS. SOME PEOPLE LATER TO BE SAVED AT THE WORDS OF OTHERS.
YOUR TESTIMONY IS VASTLY IMPORTANT
IN SOME CIRCLES, THE TESTIMONY OF THE REDEEMED HAS MORE IMPACT THAN THE MESSAGE OF THE REDEEMER-THE TESTIMONY IS AN INDISPUTABLE FACT.
