Jesus, Giver of Life and Sender of People

Sacred text: John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.””

Introduction:

Not everyone has been able to sit down with me and hear my story. I don't want to sit up here and give a 30-minute testimony of what Christ has done in my life, but I do want to point out a few things that give some emphasis on what we will see in the text today. Now, I didn't grow up in church, I didn't know the Bible, and I certainly didn't hang out with a lot of Christians. I tried running from my problems by moving to Fort Worth for a season and even decided to join the Army once things got really bad. These choices came with their own challenges and even created new problems because you will never outrun your problems and in trying to outrun them you almost always run into new ones.

When I got out of the Army, I moved back to Amarillo and was coming back to Borger on the weekends to hang out with friends and family. To make this long story short, just a few months after me and Krista were married, Christ saved me. My life was forever changed. When I say that my life did a complete 180, I mean it did a complete 180, and my wife will testify to that. From the moment God saved me, I knew that God had more in store for my life than simply coming to church on Sunday mornings and sitting in a pew. I had no clue how any of this was going to shape out in my life, and just prior to my conversion, standing in a pulpit preaching was the absolute last thing I thought I would ever be doing. But I came to realize that changed people are sent people. Now hear that again, changed people are sent people. This is precisely what we are going to see in the text today; those that come to know the goodness of Christ in salvation are sent people. If you're a Christian, you were saved to do more than just show up on Sunday mornings and sit in a chair for an hour. And as we begin to move through our text, there are three things I want to point out (if your a note taker you might write these down) 1. Jesus accepts us in all of our nastiness and defilement. 2. Jesus frees us and clothes us in righteousness. and 3. Jesus sends us. REPEAT

Read the whole text. Mark 5:1-20 “They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

Jesus Arrives in Gerasenes (1-5)

Jesus encounters the demon possessed man.

Some context and the demoniac’s description.

Just prior to this episode, remember we just seen Jesus show his authority over the elements and the disciples were left asking themselves “who is this man?” Now they are hitting the bank of Gerasenes. This is a region mostly populated by gentiles and this is the first time that we really see Jesus interact with the Gentiles. What we have been seeing in Mark over and over again, is that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Even the demons recognize this. And the question continues to be put before us, “Who do you say that Jesus truly is?” You see, Mark keeps pointing us to these miracles that Jesus is doing, they show the authority of Christ, and they are intended to help us recognize the sovereignty of Christ. This story is no different.

Here in these first few verses we get a start to this story. The first 5 verses gives us this detailed description of the demon possessed man. The text says, as they are getting off the boat “immediately,” here is that word that Mark likes to use, this man immediately ran up to Jesus. We know this man has an “unclean spirit,” within him and that he was “living” among the tombs. Now think back to the OT for a second and what it meant to be defiled or unclean. In the OT when one was deemed unclean they had to leave the city and let everyone around them know that they was unclean, because if anyone got too close to them they would also be considered unclean and forced to leave. Even to be amongst the tombs was enough to make one unclean. We see this in Numbers 19:16 “Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.”

This brings us to that first point that I wanted us to see in the text. Jesus did not shrink back from this man because of his defilement. Remember that being close to someone who was deemed unclean made you unclean and perhaps this is why the demon ran up to Jesus, in an attempt to defile him. And I’m willing to bet if we could see the disciples, they were backing away. But Jesus remained as pure as ever and he didn't back away from this man. In all of his nakedness, defilement, and filth Jesus didn't run from him. Jesus doesn't run from us! You cannot defile the second person of the Trinity with your nastiness and sin and Jesus will never run from you; no matter how bad you think you are! Jesus does not demand that we make sacrifices and make ourselves clean before we come to Him. Jesus simply says, “Come to me!” Listen, you cannot be so bad that Jesus wants nothing to do with you.

The text also reveals that this demon possessed man had become so strong that no one was able to subdue him, not even with shackles and chains. The positive here is that at least at some point prior to this, the other people had tried to help this man, but he became too strong for them and was able to break the chains and shackles. We also see from the text that this demon was inflicting a lot of pain on this man. He was cutting himself with sharp rocks and screaming day and night. This demon had taken complete control of this man and everyone seemed to have given up on him. But Jesus shows up on the scene and we get this beautiful yet very authoritative display of Jesus interacting with this demon possessed man.

Jesus’ Interaction with the Demon (6-13)

The demon bows down before Jesus and speaks.

Even the demons know who Christ is and submit to his authority.

In verses 6-13 we see this demon possessed man runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees in submission before Christ. Verses 6-8 are this play on words that Mark does and we can see this in the Greek. But the gist of this is that verse 8 come before verses 6-7 in order and then verse 9 picks back up in real time. The text says that this demon saw Jesus “from afar.” That means the demon seen Jesus get out of the boat from a long distance and immediately knew who he was. And in verse 7 the demon asks this rhetorical question, this Hebrew idiom, it is sort of a play on words. In the Greek this question is phrased as “What to me and to you?” The ESV puts it this way and it probably makes more sense to us, “What do you have to do with me?” In other words, “What do you want from me? And why are you interfering with my business?” Some commentators link this to an eschatological view, that just means it deals with the end times. You see, the demons know the whole story and they know their time on this earth is limited. When Jesus showed up on the bank, this demon assumed Jesus was there ahead of his time. So now the demon, questions Jesus as to what he wants. And just as in the other encounters we have seen so far in Mark, this demon recognizes Jesus as the true Son of God. The demon knows and recognizes the authority of Christ. The demon is probably terrified at this point because it knows its evil empire is under assault by the inauguration of the kingdom of God. Remember that Jesus in his first coming, did not set out to be a political force against the Roman empire, he came preaching repentance for the kingdom is at hand. The demons know this, they know their time is coming to an end, because Jesus is coming back and he will put an end to it all. Something else to keep in mind, is that in these days it was common to show your superiority over someone by addressing them by name. Do you remember ever getting in trouble by your mom or dad and they call you by your name? You knew you was in trouble. If they used your full name, you knew it was really bad. And so this demon, likewise, is running up to Jesus and saying “Jesus! What are you doing here interfering with my business? This is my time! I am telling you, by Gods own name, to leave me alone!” It seems a little odd that a demon would be invoking Gods name to try and ward off Jesus, but that is exactly what is taking place here. The demon understands that in this time between the first and second coming their time is short and at the second coming, their time is up. The demon says, “I implore you before God to stop tormenting me.” Can you see why commentators would see an end times reference here?

And then verses 9 through 20 pick up in real time. Verse 9 the demon replies “My name is legion. For, we are many.” The demons thought they had Jesus and then he asks for the demons name showing his authority over them. A legion was a Roman military unit of about 6,000 troops. Now the text doesn't say that 6,000 demons had possessed this man, but there was many, meaning multiple demons had possessed him. We see this type of thing happening in Luke8 when he refers to Mary Magdeline having 7 spirits that were cast out of her. So we see that it is possible for multiple demons to possess a single person at any given time. And then verses 11-13 take this turn, where the demons think they have Jesus outsmarted.

Remember we are in a Gentile region and the Gentiles do not adhere to the same laws as the Jews do and so pigs are not off limits to them. These people made a living off of the pigs and most likely used them to feed and take care of their families. The demons ask to be sent into a herd of pigs that were feeding nearby; about 2,000 of them. Jesus accepts this offer and the demons flee into the pigs. Ironically the pigs begin to take off and run straight off a cliff and drown in the waters below. Keeping that eschatological view in mind, most commentators believe that these demons were banished back into the abyss where they belong. The text does not specifically tell us that but we can assume it is true keeping inline with the eschatological view. We also need to understand that Jesus was not being cruel or mean to the Gentiles in doing this.

He was exercising proper compassion. He was willing to sacrifice two thousand pigs, as valuable as they were, to rescue the demon-possessed man.

R. C. Sproul

We need to remember that these Gentiles were herding these pigs, they weren't pets. This is how they survived and made a living. To have 2,000 pigs was a lot of money and it was not taken lightly to have them ruined or lost. But, Jesus was willing to take things in order to free this man. Likewise, Jesus is willing to take things out of our lives to free us from captivity. This is a hard lesson to learn, but Jesus will take things that you love deeply out of your life in order to fulfill His will for you. We would do well to learn to live with open hands toward God, realizing that everything we have is from Him and he can take it away as fast as he gave it. And we are fixing to see just how the community reacts with Jesus.

The Community Reacts to Jesus (14-17)

The herdsman go back to town and report what has happened.

A crowd gathers to see for themselves what has happened.

Moving to verses 14-17 we see the herdsmen, these are those hired men that were taking care of the pigs, they run back to the city and begin to explain what had happened. These men would have been accused of losing these 2,000 pigs and been in a lot of trouble, so they run to the city and begin to justify themselves. The people begin to gather around Jesus and much to their surprise they also see the demon possessed man sitting, fully clothed, and in his right mind.

Here is that second point that I want us to see. That when Jesus saves us, we are no longer naked and ashamed; we are fully clothed and fully understanding of our position in Christ. Lets look back at Genesis 3:6-10 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” This is what sin does to us; it exposes us for who we really are. And instead of running from us, Jesus welcomes us, forgives us, and clothes us in His righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 prophesies about this “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Christian, you have been wrapped in righteousness and no longer a slave to sin, guilt, shame; you are no longer naked before God, but clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (this one may or may not show up on the screen it was a late addition) says “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” But, you see these Gentiles did not see this; all they seen was this man no longer possessed and naked and they grew afraid. And now these people that have gathered are being told by the herdsmen what had happened and they are realizing their losses, so they begin to demand that Jesus and his disciples leave the region. Listen, do not hold so tightly to things that you are comfortable telling Jesus to leave. It will not end well.

Jesus Sends Out the First Messenger (18-20)

The healed man wants to go with Jesus (those made alive want to live with those who have been made alive)

We see that as Jesus is getting in the boat to leave and that the man comes running up again and asks to go with them. But Jesus has a different plan. The text says that this man was begging Jesus to go with them, but Jesus told him to go back into the cities and tell about all the great things the Lord has done for you. The man obeys and the people are in awe of what he has to say.

Here is that third and final point that I wanted us to see from the text today. That Jesus sends people out. Changed people are sent people. This goes back to what I was saying in the beginning; that Jesus doesn't just save people so that they sit in a pew or a chair on Sunday mornings. When Jesus comes into our lives we become a different people. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” You see, we are changed people, with new hearts, desires, passions; one of which is to tell others the good news of Christ and what he has done and is continuing to do. Our greatest desire should be to follow Christ wherever he may lead us, not mater how scary it is, not matter how hard it may be, we want to follow Christ. But are we? Do you have this desire to follow Christ? Because, changed people are sent people.

Christ was sent not to mend wounded people or wake sleepy people or advise confused people or inspire bored people or spur on lazy people or educate ignorant people, but to raise dead people.

Dane C. Ortlund

2. This is what Jesus did for this man and it is exactly what Jesus does for us! When our hearts have been changed by the grace of God in Christ we cannot help but to live differently than we did before and to make Him known to others. But are we doing this? Or have we been taken captive by fear? Have we become too busy? Have we become so distracted by the culture, that we deny others the opportunity to hear the good news? Romans 10:12-17 says “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? The great commission in Matthew 28 tells us that we are all sent to preach the good news. Because changed people are sent people.

Conclusion:

Three main things we seen in todays text: 1. That Jesus accepts us in our nastiness and defilement. Listen, Jesus is not going to run from you! Jesus says, “Come to me and I’ll give you rest.” Come to me and stop running. 2. That Jesus frees us and clothes us in righteousness. Paul says in Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, Therefore we never again have to submit to a yoke of slavery.” In other words, we have been set free from the yoke of sin and free to walk in obedience and righteousness. In Philippians Paul talks about not having a righteousness all our own, because we kept the law, rather our righteousness is from Christ alone through faith alone. and 3. The Jesus sends us. The great commission in Matthew 28 forbids laziness when it comes to evangelizing and making disciples. I can make excuses for myself all day, but the truth is, I have all the time in the world. Its about making it a priority in our lives. A priority of making Christ known to all people. This is a priority that every Christian in every church should have. The main question being asked in this text is this: Have you experienced the the grace of Christ in salvation and how are you being sent? Where does God have you in life and how are you using that to make Christ known and to glorify God? Who are you personally discipling and who is discipling you? You are hearing us beat this drum to death. But it is crucial that we are being discipled by those in the church and in turn discipling someone else. It is crucial that we are telling others of the good news about the Lord and all he has done.

I’ll invite the band and I will end with an invitation like we do every week here at Redeemer. The gospel is for everyone and we want to be known for making that gospel known to others. My prayer is that everyone here would make evangelization and discipleship a priority in their lives. If your a Christian, you have been changed by the grace of God, then you are sent. Just like the man in todays text, Jesus has changed you, clothed you, and sent you. Make a decision today that making Jesus known to others and discipleship will become a priority. Reach out to someone for help in these areas and do it to the glory of God. If your not a Christian or are unsure if you are or not. Than understand that Jesus, the second person of the trinity, fully God and fully man, came and lived a perfect life. He was delivered up on a roman cross for your sins and took the wrath we deserve upon Himself. He was buried and raised 3 days later and has now ascended where he sits at the right hand of God the Father. We want to help you understand this and what this means for you. I’ll be in the back if anyone needs prayer or has questions or just needs to deal with something going on.

Let’s pray: changed hearts, changed minds, becoming a church known for Christ known, discipleship.