The Gospel of Mark Part 20
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
Some geographical observations:
Gadarenes was an area that was part of the Decapolis.
“The region of the Decapolis corresponds roughly with the Old Testament region of Gilead, and includes what is today northwest Jordan and southern Syria. Although the term “Decapolis” implies 10 cities, the number fluctuates in lists from ancient authors. The cities were not a unified confederation, but they shared close geographical ties, Greek cultural orientation, and economic and trade interests. While frequently under the control of various empires or kingdoms, the cities attempted to maintain a degree of civic autonomy.
At the time of Christ, the Decapolis was under Herod’s jurisdiction.
We have just watched Jesus calm a storm with His voice.
His authority on full display, which made His disciples stand in total awe of Him - “What manner of man is this?”.
And now Mark continues with that theme of authority as we move into chapter 5.
Remember that Jesus’ authority is one of Mark’s main themes throughout His gospel.
And although we have already seen Jesus’ authority over demons in Mark, this next episode is another level of power and also helps us understand demons and demon possession in Scripture.
I. The Demoniac’s Condition
I. The Demoniac’s Condition
2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
<READ Mark 5:3-5>
We need to fully grasp the magnitude of this man’s situation:
Unclean Spirit
This is a synonym for demons
These demons are the satanic force in the world, under his leadership and for doing his bidding.
They are connected to the “strong-man”, (Satan) referred to in Mark 3:27, that Jesus was binding as He cast them out.
We will discover later that it was not just one unclean spirit, but many inside of this man’s body.
Unclean Spirit
Tombs
These were not cemeteries, like we picture in our minds today.
The ancient tombs were above ground, cave-like rooms carved out of the rocks in the hills, where the body of a dead person was laid to rest until it had decayed, at which point the bones would be removed and placed in a box, called an ossuary.
A large stone would have rolled over the entrance when a body was inside, as we see with both Lazarus and Jesus Himself.
These tombs were considered “unclean” by Jewish standards and even walking across one would make a person ceremonially unclean.
Unclean Spirit
Tombs
Shackles and Chains
Because of his dangerous and erratic behavior, the residents had attempted to bind him, incarcerate him, chain him up so that he could no longer harm others or himself.
The fact that he could break these chains and shackles is evidence of the supernatural strength of the demons.
Not only was this man a ward for demons, imprisoning him in a life of horror…like a nightmare that you never wake up from…but he was also bound by chains and shackles that were no doubt still hanging from his hands and dragging behind his feet when he walked…chafing his skin, rubbing it raw...what misery!!
Unclean Spirit
Tombs
Shackles and Chains
Crying Out and Cutting
Now we get another gruesome detail: screaming and self-harm
We can imagine his eerie screaming echoing among the tombs, fear, terror, and despair rising up with each wail.
And we can picture the blood running down his skin, bloodied, sharp rocks in his grasp, and lacerations in many places, some freshly bleeding, others in various stages of healing, but many also infected and oozing.
Verse 5 says this was happening “always, night and day”…it was a 24-7 problem!…never a break, never an end in sight…never stopping..always, constantly happening!
This was a gruesome scene - this man had no hope.
We also know from Luke’s account that he was naked.
And Matthew tells of not just one, but TWO men in the same state!
(BTW, some have used this apparent contradiction to attack the Bible’s trustworthiness - but if there were TWO men, wasn’t there also ONE man?…an omission of part of the account does not make it false, just a different focus.)
Unclean Spirit
Tombs
Shackles and Chains
Crying Out and Cutting
NO HOPE!
Mark tells us that others had tried to help - “neither could anyone tame him”(v.4)…so some had tried!…Some had attempted to fix his problems, maybe in an act of compassion or greater-good, they had tried to reform him, but to no avail!
He was beyond all human strength!
II. The Demoniac’s Cry
II. The Demoniac’s Cry
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” 8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
So, if you were one of the disciples…you are stepping out of the boat, pulling it up on shore, and from out by the tombs in the distance, you hear this blood-curdling scream, and turning, you see this barely dressed, bloody, filthy, unkept man running toward you, chains bouncing along behind him…what would you do? (I would be getting back in the boat!)
But not so with Jesus! He simply commands the spirit to leave the man’s body! - What AUTHORITY!!…Jesus stood, grounded, in control and steadfast, unflinching in the face of a maniac!
So Mark’s verse structure seems a bit out of chronological sequence here…it should be:
The demoniac sees Jesus and screams and runs to him
As he is running, Jesus commands the demon to leave
The man falls to his knees, bowing down before Jesus, addresses Him by His deific identity, and begs for mercy.
One thing to keep in mind in this passage is to watch the pronouns carefully - when you read it slowly and carefully, you see that Mark seems to move back and forth from the man speaking to the demons speaking…using “he” and “they” interchangeably. We will learn that this man was possessed by not just one demon, but many, and the one speaking was likely the leader and spokesman of the horde.
Let’s take a closer look at the action here:
Worship: προσκυνέω proskyneō: to do reverence or homage by prostration
It is important to note that the word worship here is not in the same sense as when a believer truly worships His Lord as an act of faith and devotion, or as others did to Jesus during His earthly ministry.
This was an act of reverence based on the superior power in the room, not because the demon became a Jesus follower, much like one might do to a nobleman or king in his court.
Next, take a look at the demoniac’s title for Jesus:
“Jesus, Son of the Most High God”
The words, Most High God, were used in the Old Testament, often by Gentiles, to refer to the superiority of the true God of Israel over all man-made gods
The demons (s), plural as we will see, recognized that, unlike any other man, Jesus had the superior power - He wasn't just any God…He was the Son of (or the exact representation of) the true and living God of the universe and beyond.
We saw a similar title given to Jesus by a demon back in Mark 1:24
24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Third, we have the request of the demons…look at Mark 5:7
Mark 5:7 (NKJV)
7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
The demons know that their days are numbered.
The parallel passage in Matthew sheds more light on it:
Matthew 8:29 (NKJV)
29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
Also 2 Pet. 2.4
2 Peter 2:4 (NKJV)
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
There is coming in the future a final judgment of demons (and of Satan) of which they know about and are frantic to cause as much havoc and destruction until that day.
Mark 5:9 (NKJV)
9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
In Roman terms, a legion was a regiment of about 6,000 soldiers, but here it could also have simply meant “a very large number”.
Remember that Mark’s audience was likely Roman gentiles, so reading this was likely very meaningful as a symbol of great strength and oppression!
And really, it is no less meaningful to us - imagine being possessed by 6,000 demons!…or at the least many, many demons! (one is one too many!)
We know that Mary from Magdala was possessed by seven demons:
Mark 16:9 (NKJV)
9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
We also have a parable by Jesus about multiple demons entering a man:
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
There are some things here we can add to our knowledge of demons:
They seem to desire a host.
When disembodied, they travel through dry places.
Multiple demons can possess one body.
Some demons are more evil than others.
10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
The demons didn’t want to be forced to exist as disembodied spirits…they wanted to stay in the region so that they might find a new host.
But even this conversation further establishes the authority of Jesus of Nazareth! The demons know that He calls the shots - as evil as they are, they realize that they must ask permission before they do something.
12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”
III. The Demoniac’s Cure
III. The Demoniac’s Cure
13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
Let’s look closer at the action again:
Jesus allows them to enter the pigs - but why?
First of all, this was not a command by Jesus, He only permitted them to do so.
The passage also never deals with the moral implications of this event:
The destruction of 2,000 pigs was a substantial economic loss!
People’s livelihoods were ruined in this event, yet neither Jesus nor Mark address this obvious concern.
Remember that the focus of this passage is the rescue of a human being out of the clutches of the “strong man”, Satan and his demons.
As a first century Jew, Jesus would never have been concerned with the loss of life of an entire pig heard.
Also - this was eye-witnessed by several people - proving that Jesus had supernatural authority and that the man was indeed demon-possessed - there could be no doubt!
15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
Here is the focal point of the message - the demoniac is now seated (always running about and screaming before), clothed, and in his right mind
Seated
Clothed
In his right mind
It could be that many had not seen him like this before.
Think of the radical transformation!
No more screaming, cutting, chains, shackles, tombs…he has clothes on and can carry on a normal conversation!
And most importantly, he now has HOPE!
Let’s look at the verse again, and see the people’s response:
Mark 5:15 (NKJV)
15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
This is a parallel to the calming of the storm:
Both end in FEAR - like the disciples were in awe of Jesus’ ability to calm the storm, the citizens were more afraid of Jesus’ ability (and potential financial loss), then they were of the demoniac.
The herdsmen, like the disciples, are witnesses to an amazing miracle, but the result is not faith (at least not yet).
Third, the composure of the healed demoniac is parallel to the calmness on the sea - and both came at Jesus’ command.
And, as this chapter unfolds, we will see Jesus’ authority on display over and over again, not to mention the theme of FREEDOM!
16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
And here is the text that shows the response of the citizens - fear and rejection of Jesus.
I believe the same thing happens to today, only with the Bible - it might now be a demon being cast out, but Scripture is a sharp, two-edged sword, which cuts deep and lays our hearts open - exposing who we really are and many do not want that to happen - so they push the word away.
IV. The Demoniac’s Commission
IV. The Demoniac’s Commission
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
Unlike the miracles in Israel, Jesus does not tell this man to keep quiet about it, but to do the opposite!
Being a Gentile region, there was not the same danger of a messianic confusion - remember that Jesus was strategic with how He taught and to whom He revealed Himself.
To the woman at the well in Sychar, He tells her straightforward that He is the Messiah.
To this man, He tells him to go tell everyone about what the “Lord” has done for him.
Also, having a Gentile among His disciples would have probably caused more of a stir and possibly made His ministry ineffective to the Jews, who were His main mission.
And so He commissions this man.
Now his worst days are the best tool to bring people to understand true freedom.
Now his scars became his testimony.
He could genuinely say that he was lost and now is found.
He had a new beginning! Which is what God does with everyone who comes to him.
20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
And now we see his obedience - and no one could deny that his life was transformed - he was made new and “all marveled”.