They Were Afraid

Luke 8:26-36

Theme: The Power of Jesus

Key verse: Luke 8:21

And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

56 verses; 1,431 words

Grade level: 5.2

Outline:

I. The Ministry of Jesus. Vs.1-3

II. The Message of Jesus. Vs.4-21

III. The Miracles of Jesus. Vs.22-56

What were they afraid of? It was revealed in these THINGS:

I. The Destination. vs.26-27

26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

“ware no clothes”

Noah.

Genesis 9:21–24 (KJV)

21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

The children of Israel.

Exodus 32:25

And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

“in the tombs” - he had a preoccupation with death.

II. The Declaration. vs.28-31

His actions when the Lord arrived. v.28

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

His actions before the Lord arrived. v.29

29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

“unclean spirit” - definition in context: a “devil”.

Where do these come from?

We know they are afraid of Jesus and their final destination!

His words when questioned. v.30

30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

The fear of the devils. v.31

31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

“deep” is changed to “abyss” in the modern versions.

“abyss” is a common septuagint word.

III. The Demonstration. vs.32-33

Jesus commanded them. v.32

32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

“they” is changed to “the demons” in the NAS

The devils were out to steal, kill, and destroy. v.33

33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

IV. The Direction. vs.34-36

The mess. v.34

34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

The man. v.35

35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

The means. v.36

36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

Conclusion:

Psalm 72:12-14

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”