The Gospel of Mark Part 21
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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I. The Demoniac’s Condition
I. The Demoniac’s Condition
II. The Demoniac’s Cry
II. The Demoniac’s Cry
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.
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!…as we see in verse 14:
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.
These pig farmers ran EVERYWHERE to tell people about what they had seen.
The demoniac was likely a notorious character in the region…everyone knew not to go down by the tombs alone…he was a menace to society.
So when these farmers go around broadcasting their story, everyone knew exactly where and who they were talking about.
Once again, Jesus’ authority and power are on public display, which is why His antagonists never tried to refute that He did the miracles…only tried to disparage the POWER by which He performed the miracles.
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!
Now we will see the results of his transformation…first of all from the eyewitnesses:
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.
Now the people that the herdsmen had been talking to had to come and see this for themselves.
Notice their response: FEAR!
“afraid”: φοβέομαι phobeomai - they were terribly frightened
It is interesting that this is the same Greek word used to describe the disciples’ response to the stilling of the storm, but the context helps us understand their hearts.
The disciples are stunned in amazement…they have “leveled-up” in their esteem for Jesus and are trying to understand Him at a deeper level. He is so much more than they realized at first.
However, the crowds that came out to see the demoniac for themselves are terrified, but not in a way that makes them want to know Jesus more…it is a terror that wants to know Him less…in fact, they want Him gone:
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.
Unlike the disciples, who where terrified to the point of awe, these people were terrified to the point of distress…they wanted as much distance between themselves and Jesus as possible.
What is ironic is that they were more afraid of Jesus, who cast the demons out than they were of the demoniac…they drove him only to the tombs, but Jesus, Him they drove across the sea.
Also, remember that this was a Greek cultured area, and Greeks of the day were very superstitious…anyone with this kind of power was dangerous and to be avoided.
“Maybe He will tell the demons to go into someone else!”
They were no doubt offended by their loss of livestock, and didn’t want anymore losses to occur. This could indicate that there were more demon-possessed people in the Decapolis that could have used Jesus’ help…but pigs were more important.
This is not an uncommon reaction to God, even today. When God shows up, most people ask Him to leave:
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
In context, this is speaking specifically about the Jews, but the same principle applies to all people, including Gentiles.
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.
There is quite a contrast given here by Mark - the citizens beg Jesus to leave them, while the healed man begs Jesus to take him along! (the same Greek word is used!)
This is further proof of his cure - a desire to be closer to Jesus…a complete contrast to the demons’ response: “What have I to do with you…?”…This man is saying, in essence, “I have EVERYTHING to do with you!”
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.
These verses all represent the truth that was resonating in this man’s heart…and the truth that should be resonating in ours.
While most of us were not former demoniacs, we all have a story - we all have a past the required a miracle…we all need Jesus!
Sometimes we as Christians can drift from this kind of powerful affection for Christ…we lose our first love and we grow cold to the Word and to prayer.
The former demoniac is a rebuke to us here 2,000 years later - do we earnestly beg Jesus to spend more time with him?
Mark 5:18 (NKJV)
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
The presence of Christ was this man’s most earnest desire, and it should be ours as well.
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.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
Remember that Jesus’ main mission was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to bring a Gentile disciple along would have likely disrupted His ministry. (think of Jesus’ obedience to the Law by entering the temple at the appointed feasts…this disciple would have had to wait outside…it would have caused a distraction and defeated the purposes that Jesus was setting out to do)
So here is the formal commissioning service for this new believer.
Mark 5:19 (NKJV)
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home...”
The Commissioning Service:
Home!
Think of the joy that must have flooded his heart…HOME! how long had he been away from HOME?…How long had those tombs been his home of darkness and despair?…and now he was going to go back HOME!
Mark 5:19 (NKJV)
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends...”
The Commissioning Service:
Home!
Friends!
Jesus’ command here seems to indicate that this man had enjoyed a normal life up until the time of his possession…He not only had a HOME, but he also had FRIENDS!
Think of being away from your dearest friends for so long and for such a horrible reason!
It might have been these friends that had tried to shackle and chain him up…it might have been these friends that had tried to “tame him”…but to no avail.
Now Jesus had done the taming and now he could return to those dear friends, not only as he was before, but as a new man, with an amazing story to tell!
What a homecoming that must have been!!
Mark 5:19 (NKJV)
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...”
The Commissioning Service:
Home!
Friends!
Great things the Lord has done!
This man was not simply rehabilitated…He was TRANSFORMED!
This was not a physical or mental change of affairs…it was a total METAMORPHOSIS!
And it was not by human strength…this was a supernatural event!
This was an act of God! - And this was a critical part of his commission…go home, tell your friends, but make sure they know and understand that it was GOD that did this!
This was another claim to deity by Jesus. It was only His VOICE that spoke…their was no superstitious incantation…there was no pagan ceremony…there was no man-made religious establishment involved - it was only this man, Jesus of Nazareth, that spoke and the demons obeyed.
As an aside, this also helps us understand that a demon-possessed person has some level of consciousness…this man knew that he was demon possessed and he knew that Jesus had been the one to send them out - he was aware enough to be considered Jesus to be an eyewitness of the event - a FIRST-PERSON eyewitness!
It also elevates our understanding of the absolute terror that this possession must have been…his soul was still conscious among the hundreds or even thousands of demons living inside him.
Mark 5:19 (NKJV)
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.”
The Commissioning Service:
Home!
Friends!
Great things the Lord has done!
Great compassion of the Lord!
This word for compassion is most often translated as “mercy”.
It conveys the sense of this man’s complete unworthiness to receive the healing. He did nothing to deserve Jesus’ actions of mercy, yet Jesus did them anyway.
This man’s boast can only be in the Lord!
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
This man’s testimony was no different than Paul’s (or ours) in the sense that we don’t deserve to be healed.
We don’t deserve to be loved, yet God loves us anyway! And that is the message that he proclaimed:
20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
The man’s desire to be with Jesus was only outdone by his desire to tell others about Jesus!
Notice that it is specifically the name of Jesus that the man used to make his proclamations…another way that Mark underscores the deity of Christ.
What a message he had!…but again, it is really no different than the message that we all have.
This kind of proclaiming was to make a public proclamation, to spread the story widely!
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
The former demoniac became the first known missionary to the Gentiles!