The Lord Over Demons Series

MARK 5:1-20

THE LORD OVER DEMONS

I. THE ACCURSED: * Mark 5:1-6

A. His Abode 5:2

B. His Actions 5:3-5

C. His Adoration 5:6

II. THE ANARCHY: ** Mark 5:7-13

A. The Anomaly 5:7-11

B. The Appeal 5:12

C. The Acquiescence 5:13

III. THE AFTERMATH: Mark 5:14-20

A. The Alarm 5:14-16

B. The Assembly 5:17

C. The Announcer 5:18-20

Chapter five naturally follows the previous chapter where Jesus and His followers were involved in a storm on the lake. According to Hobbs, Jesus and the rest arrived at the other shore in the dark. Once they disembarked, they were greeted by a most unusual welcoming committee: a maniac. One can only imagine the sense of dread that must have griped the new arrivals as the sun was setting and this demon filled man came out of the tombs to talk with Jesus. However, what no one knew-except Christ-was that this poor soul was about to undergo a life changing event and He would never be the same after he met Jesus.

I see three things about this passage of Mark. The first thing I note is THE ACCURSED. Next, I note THE ANARCHY that developed in the presence of the Master. Then, I note THE AFTERMATH of the whole affair.

* THE ACCURSED: I note the greeting party of “one” that came to meet Jesus that night time, when He landed on the “other shore.” The man was a maniac and lived among the tombs. It must have been an eerie sight and sound when he came out of the background to welcome Jesus and His party to the shores of the Gadarenes.

The first thing I note is where the man lived, His Abode, and how he lived. He lived in the cemetery and he lived “alone” with himself and his demons. He was not welcome to the city and was excommunicated to live out by himself. The people were afraid of him and they banished him from their midst. One can only imagine what he must have felt with suffering the curse of both worlds: the neither world where demons run amuck and the present world in which he lived. It can be safely assumed that he did not want to have the demons living in him and he wanted to live with his family, friends and neighbors-he could not have any of his wants met until he met Jesus.

I then note His Actions of this poor man. The Bible says that he was able to break chains/manacles that would normally hold any man. According to the Greek, he was able to break both arm chains and the manacles which held his feet together. No metal was too strong for him or for the demons which inhabited his body. He also cut himself with rocks and items, hence, self-inflicting pain on his body. He must have looked every bit the wild man that Mark portrayed him to be. It was no wonder that the people were afraid of him. He was to be pitied yet, no one would take up his cause.

There must have been times when in a more lucid state of being, when the demons would grant him a small reprieve, he would think of the people in the village, his family, his mother, his yester years and cry, but then the demons would raise and fill him full of rage and the screams that emanated from him were those of a distraught man that was simply giving vent and voice to a lost and cursed world of hell itself. Yet, this was all to change as the Stranger and His disciples steeped out of the boat that one evening so long ago.

I note what he did when he saw Jesus, he came, fell at His feet, and gave Him His Adoration. There was something about this visiting Man that convinced the lunatic that He would not hurt him and this crazy man recognized Jesus as his Saviour-that is more than many do who have their full faculties with them. He immediately, came to meet the Master and worshiped Him. He might have been judged insane by his contemporaries, but he knew Help when he saw it.

** THE ANARCHY: I now note that something is amiss. The man comes to Jesus for help yet at the same time, something is wrong. He wants to worship Jesus but there is a fight going on inside of him. An Anarchy is now unfolding before the eyes of the visitors who stare hopelessly at the man and at Jesus.

First is The Anomaly of this Anarchy. While the man kneels in the presence of Jesus, the demons strive to get far away from the Master. The convoluted scene is now the focus of all who are watching. On the outside the maniac kneels seeking help and giving adoration to Jesus; on the other hand, the demons are struggling to abuse the man and tremble in the presence of Jesus.