A Changed Soul

Introduction

Last week we saw where Jesus calmed a great storm while they were out on the sea after they woke him up. Through that we saw how Jesus is both fully God and fully man. We also saw how Jesus can help those that know him through the storms of life that we face. Tonight we are where the boats land on the other side of the sea. The stop in this region does not last long but the time that they have there is quite eventful. There is a man that is oppressed by many demons and the people of the region end up asking Jesus to leave their area because of the great change that he is bringing.

That is something that often becomes a problem in our area, the dislike for change. Now I will say that some change is bad but not all of it. You do not under any circumstances change the gospel but other things are open to change and it can be good. In this story we see lots of change, most notably the soul of the man that they meet when they first arrive. All of this change is based on Jesus’s authority and his ability to overcome any opposition that comes his way.

In the book of Mark right now we are looking at a series of events that demonstrate the authority of Jesus. The first one in this series showed his authority over nature with the calming of the storm, the second which is tonight shows us his authority over evil.

Lets begin tonight by reading the passage and seeing the short but eventful stay in this region.

Mark 5:1–20 ESV

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.

What a interesting story. There is a crazy demon oppressed man, there is a giant herd of pigs, the demon oppressed man becomes a powerful witness and the pigs run into the sea and die. I have to say that I think this is one of the most interesting stories that we have come across in Mark so far.

This story continues to show us more about Jesus but it is also showing stuff about us is we look at how it can relate to us. Maybe through it you will be like the man that was freed from the grips of evil and began to live his life for God.

Lets pray then start by looking at the authority that Jesus displays

pray

Authority

Through last week we saw Jesus demonstrating his authority over the sea. Now in this passage we see his authority demonstrated over spiritual forces and evil. Jesus’s authority is a theme that Mark shows us quite a bit through the book. He has shown Jesus have authority over himself, over sickness, over nature, over evil and evil forces, and over anything else that he comes across. Jesus’s authority is complete.

So what is the significance of this? Well authority means power over, so Jesus has power over everything. This is including the authority to forgive sins which we saw a few chapters back. Jesus demonstrating this authority just reinforces his total authority and furthers the proof that he has the power to save us from eternal punishment.

This book climaxes with Jesus showing authority over death, complete power over death. It is through this that he offers us salvation. He just says to repent and believe in him. This belief is faith that he is the only way to salvation. Repenting is turning from your sin and this should become a lifestyle.

Maybe tonight you think that I don’t know what you have done. I don’t know how far you have gone. Maybe you think that you are surrounded by so much evil that there is no hope. Well I don’t know what you have done or how far you have gone but I do know this, no matter how firm of a grip evil has on you God can set you free from it. Consider his authority in this story, he cast out many demons from this man and rescued him from the evil. We do not know how many demons there were but he says that his name is legion, a legion was the largest unit of Roman soldiers that had over 6000 foot soldiers aside from all the others. Jesus can free you from whatever power of evil and sin you are under the grips of. Nothing is to powerful for him, he has authority over everything.

Opposition

When Jesus first lands the boat ashore he is met with opposition. This man that is demon oppressed comes out and ask what Jesus has to do with him. This man could not be bound, he had gashes all over his body, he had to be quite the sight. He came out using different things that he thought would gain him power over Jesus and it does not work. He does not listen the first time that Jesus tells him to leave the man but makes a plea to do something less severe which still has the same end.

That is not the only opposition that Jesus faces in this passage either. At the end we see that the people of the region want him gone. Through what he did they lost a large herd of pigs, which pigs were still considered unclean at this point. They saw Jesus as a threat and did not want him to stay around because of it. They did not want him to continue through the region.

Though opposition came it did not slow down Jesus. The demon oppressed man comes out to Jesus and Jesus demonstrates his great power over the spiritual realm. The people don't want him around so he leaves. Wait, he left so then he was stopped by the people? Not quite, look at Mark 5.19-20 “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.” It was not common for Jesus to tell someone that he had helped to go tell everyone what happened but he does here. I believe is was so that his message could continue through this region even without him being present. This shows the explosive power of the gospel.

Opposition comes but the gospel is always far greater than any opposition. Just as Jesus is far greater than any obstacle that he faces. Some of you may have some opposition to the service that you are called to, remember that the gospel is far more powerful than that opposition. Some of you may have opposition to coming to the gospel yourself, the truth is that there is no real opposition there except yourself. Jesus can clear all opposition, sometimes we just don’t want to let him. These people would have rather had their herd of unclean pigs than this man back, so often we would rather have the things of the world instead of the things of God.

Change

The biggest thing that catches me in this passage is the change. When Jesus comes he changes things. So often we are opposed to change. People switch seats, someone changes the order of things, somebody does something different than we like, our favorite menu item gets taken off, and we get upset.

The man in this story underwent a great change. He went from being under the complete grip of evil to a powerful witness for Jesus. He went from darkness to light. In the end of the story he wanted to come with Jesus but Jesus told him to stay and tell his friends what a mighty thing that Jesus had done and that is exactly what he did.

The people of the town he changed their income by casting the demons into the pigs. I always wondered what would have happened if the peoples response would have been thankful to have the man back and not caring about the pigs. This might have pushed these people to find a different form of income. These people might have been Jews that were selling pigs to Gentiles which was wrong for them to do at this time.

Jesus changes a lot of things and he can change you. He has the authority to change you and he can clear any opposition to that change. In my life he has changed it’s entire course, I could not imagine doing anything except ministry but not long ago that was not the case. I have told you about the time I turned down what was my dream job to be a youth pastor, that was a major change in the direction of my life. Since that I have had more offers but never even considered them. This is the changing power of Jesus and has nothing to do with me, I just had to let him do his thing.

Maybe tonight he is working in your life, maybe he is working to bring the biggest change that there is. The greatest change that can ever happen is your salvation. This is the change that changes the course of your life and the course of where you will spend eternity. This is the change from darkness to light, from the powers of sin and evil to the powers of a perfect God.

Not all change is bad, the change that Jesus brings is never bad. Do you need to be changed by him today?

Conclusion

Through life we are faced with many things, you are faced with opposition and with change. Without Jesus this can all be very tough. There has been moments where I was at a low and I would wonder how people could go through these things without Jesus. Life changes constantly, the only thing that stops change is death and that is coming for us all.

The biggest change that any of us can have is to put your faith in Jesus and have him become the boss of your life. This will change your entire life for the good. You do this by repenting and believing as Jesus teaches in all of these places that he goes. repenting is turning away from the things that you do that are against God and believing is trusting in him as the only way to salvation. It is that simple but yet is the biggest decision you could ever make. It is the biggest decision that you could ever make because it is a lifetime decision and an eternity decision. By coming to Jesus you are beginning a lifetime journey of living for him and then when you die you will get to spend all of eternity with him.

Through all of the changes that life throws at us we can know that Jesus has complete authority in the whole situation and can clear any opposition out of his way. Also that he changes things for the good and would like to change you today.