The Gerasene Demoniac Becomes A Soul Winner. Series

The Gerasene Demoniac becomes a Soul Winner.

(Mark 5:1-20)

Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons. Their activity since the creation of the world is also known to them Even in our times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. Ouija boards are found in many homes and horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers.

There are two equal and opposite errors we can have about satanic forces.

(a) One is to disbelieve in their existence.

(b) The other is to believe, and to take an excessive and unhealthy interest in them

The confrontation between the powers of heaven and hell are nowhere seen in better perspective than in Mark’s account of the encounter of the Gerasene demoniac with our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the major evidences within the book of Mark is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and His power over the unseen forces of this world - the host of demons. This is evident from chapter one of the gospel.

Mark 1:22-28 - Jesus casts out a demon in the synagogue.

Mark 1:32-34 - Jesus cast out many demons.

Mark 1:39 - Jesus was casting out the demons.

Mark 3:11 - The unclean spirits would cry out, "You are the Son of God."

Mark 3:14-15 - The twelve given authority to cast out demons.

Mark 3:22 - Accused of casting out demons by power of Satan.

Why this emphasis upon the casting out of demons? If Jesus is the One who will remove the curse of sin and overthrow the forces of Satan, then He must be able to break the power of the supernatural world. He came to deliver men from their slavery to sin. He came to destroy the works of Satan:

1 John 3:8 (NASB) “ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. “

And in the casting out of demons, He was giving samples of this principle. In our text we see Jesus' authority over the spirit world:

Mark 5:1-20 (NASB) And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 And constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones. 6 And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said”, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" 8 For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9 And He was asking him, "What is your name?"

And he said” to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 10 And he began to entreat Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a big herd of swine feeding there on the mountain. 12 And the demons entreated Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." 13 And He gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 And their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.

15 And they came” to Jesus and observed” the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. 16 And those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region. 18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was entreating Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said” to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone marveled.