Luke 8:26-39 - The Lord's Victory Over Legion
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
In his book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis stated:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist and magician with the same delight. - C.S. Lewis
I think C.S. Lewis hit a very important and observable trend that we see even in the church today.
Most people fall into two camps when it comes to sermons involving demons. Some are fearful and avoidant while others are overly interested and borderline obsessive. Some ignore the existence of spiritual warfare altogether - hence Lewis’s reference to materialists meaning that they only consider what they can touch and see - while others are hyper-focused on it. Yet, the Biblical approach is to acknowledge the reality of spiritual warfare but not be paralyzed by it.
Today we are going to see the worst case of demon possession given in the Bible. We are going to see a man who is not only possessed by one demon - but likely thousands of demons. Yet, we are also going to see the victorious power of our Savior in action as a legion of demons encounters the Lord over everything in an encounter that can hardly be called a battle at all.
I pray that as we see our Lord sovereignly reigning, we can rest in the Lord as we still acknowledge the evil that exists all around us.
Prayer
Today we will discuss three ways we should respond in light of the power of Jesus Christ.
I. We Should Reverentially Respect the Power of the Lord (26-33)
I. We Should Reverentially Respect the Power of the Lord (26-33)
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
After the miraculous calming of the storm they finally arrive at the country of the Gerasenes (the parallel accounts refer to this area as the Gergesenes and Gadarenes as well). There is some disagreement by commentators but all three areas are in a similar territory and may have been referred to as an overall area. What is clear is that this occurs on the bank of the Sea of Galilee.
Once they arrive the account starts getting interesting quickly!
When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
As soon as Jesus steps off of the boat and onto land, this demonically-possessed man meets Him. We are told that this man had walked about naked and lived among the tombs. He is pictured almost animalistic. He is a mad man.
Matthew lets us know that there is a second man that is present as well (Matthew 8:28). However, Mark and Luke only focus on the one. This is likely because this is the one who is the leader and as we will see in a moment - is probably the most powerful by far with many demons indwelling him.
This doesn’t make one account more reliable than the other. They are complementary to one another and do not contradict.
For example, when people talk about the Chicago Bulls of the late 80’s and the 90’s, most of the time the name Michael Jordan comes up. He had other guys on the team and sometimes their names come up as well. But the team is known because of Michael Jordan. He outshines the rest. In the same way, the ring-leader of this demonic duo is who the account focuses in on.
Verse 28 is really interesting.
When this man sees Jesus the demons within him cry out for mercy and acknowledge the Deity of Christ. How amazing is this. This is one of the most clear testimonies of Christ’s deity thus far in this Gospel of Luke. Son of the Most High God. What a testimony!
Why give such a response? Look at the next couple of verses:
For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.
We are told that Jesus had commanded the demon to come out of the man. Note that singular pronouns have been used thus far but that is about to change. At the end of verse 30 we see that the demon calls himself Legion - for many demons had entered the man. A legion of Roman soldiers could measure up to 6,000! We know it was likely at least 2,000 because of Mark’s account letting us know that they end up in 2,000 pigs which we will see in a few moments.
Now you can see why Mark and Luke focus in on this guy. He likely has between 2,000-6,000 demons in him. Is there any more terrifying encounter than that!
We are told that these demons would seize the man and drive him into the desert from time to time. The man would supernaturally break shackles and get away from the guards. He obviously was violent and the people wished to contain him.
Mark tells us the following as well:
Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Not only did these demons terrorize the people in the surrounding area, they also caused this man to harm himself time and time again.
Can you imagine a worse state than what this man is in right now? He seems completely hopeless. If there ever was anyone who was unsaveable, this guy would be at the top of the list. But let’s see what Jesus does.
And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
Jesus has already commanded the demons to leave the man - but they plead for Jesus to be merciful to them and not send them into the Abyss. The Abyss is referred to as the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1-2 and a place of gloomy darkness in 2 Peter 2:4. It is a place where some demons are currently held imprisoned. Revelation 9 mentions that some of these demons will be released during the Tribulation. But in the end, they, along with Satan and all other demons will be permanently bound and cast into the Lake of Fire - also called Hell (Revelation 20:10).
Instead of being cast into the Abyss, they beg Jesus to allow them to go into a herd of pigs that was feeding there.
Note the next sentence carefully - so He gave them permission.
We see yet again the sovereignty and authority of Christ. He is over all - including a legion of demons!
Why did these demons wish to be cast into the pigs? As we already saw, they wanted to avoid being sent to the Abyss. They would rather fill these pigs than be sent to a place of holding. However, some prominent scholars think that when the pigs, shaken by the sudden demonic possession, ran into the lake to rid themselves of the demons - that the demons were disembodied from their hosts and confined to the Abyss for final judgment anyway. We do not know for certain, but this is definitely plausible.
I know for some of you, bacon is a staple and the thought of 2,000 pigs rushing to their death makes you a bit saddened. However, the Jewish audience listening to this wouldn’t have had a problem with what Jesus did because pigs were considered unclean and it was forbidden for the Jews to eat them. Some commentators even postulate that some of the pig herders may have been Hellenistic Jews - meaning that they were Jews who joined in with Greek culture and that this was somewhat of a rebuke to them for not obeying the commands of the Law.
We do not know the details or backstory of these herders or exactly why Jesus approved this request - but we know that the request was approved and that Jesus was in control and in charge.
As we move to the next section of today’s Scripture, I pray that you have clearly seen the Lordship of Christ. We should all reverentially respect the sovereign power of the Lord.
Scripture References: Matthew 8:28, Mark 5:5, Revelation 9:1-2, 2 Peter 2:4, Revelation 9, Revelation 20:10
II. We Should Rightly Respond to the Power of the Lord (34-37)
II. We Should Rightly Respond to the Power of the Lord (34-37)
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
We are going to see two responses to the power of the Lord that was exerted.
We are going to see the right response and the wrong response.
We will start with the right response.
We see the man who was healed having the right response to the Lord. He is found sitting at the feet of Jesus. He is clothed and in his right mind. Jesus is most likely teaching this man the Gospel and about forgiveness, mercy, grace, and obedience to the commands of God. This man is being discipled and learning from Jesus. This is what should always happen after someone is saved. They should be discipled.
What an amazing transformation that has occured!
Consider this man… Before and After:
Always moving aimlessly and now sitting and relaxed.
Naked and ashamed and now clothed and covered.
Physically chained and under guard and now free to go where he pleases.
Madness and folly and now in his right mind.
Shrieking and crying and now peacefully resting in the Presence of Christ.
Chained by sin and now free in Christ.
This man exhibits the right response to Christ’s work in his life. He is following the Lord and wants to live for the Lord. He is teachable and humble. He is thankful and appreciative. And all of this is evidenced by the transformation of his life. He has gone from death to life. The workings of Christ in his life are obvious.
But what about the wrong response?
And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
We saw in verse 34 that the people who observed what had happened went and told the people of the area. Now they all come to see this madman who has been healed by Jesus.
You would think that their response to Jesus removing the demons from this man and his companion who had terrorized them for quite some time would be thankfulness and appreciation.
Their response should be one of humility and reverence for Christ. They have seen a wonderful miracle. This man had been made new and delivered.
But their response is yet another great example that people will not believe even if they see a miracle.
I have had many people tell me that they would be believe in God if they saw God do something miraculous or supernatural. Yet, we see that they would not believe even if they saw something supernatural. They already see creation and the intricacies of the human body and vastness of our universe and still do not believe. You see, there are a couple of important barriers that keep people from believing that we see likely underlying our account today.
Wrong Response #1 - The Fear of Economic Loss
Jesus’ action in this likely caused the people of that area some significant economic pain. They lost around 2,000 pigs to the sea that day according to Mark 5:13.
Many people refuse to follow Christ because of money. Their love for money and the things of this world keep them from having a right response to Jesus Christ. What if He would have me spend my money differently or give it away? What if He would make me give up some of my excess spending on my hobbies or trips? Many value the things of this earth more than heavenly things. And this response keeps them from coming to a saving knowledge of Christ.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
This love of money prevents many from experiencing the freedom that Christ offers.
Wrong Response #2 - The Fear of Having to Change
Theologian Kent Hughes asserts that the thing we value most is living our lives the way we want to live them. He states that far more people than we might imagine ask Christ to go away because of fear that He will disrupt their lives.
The most frightening thing about this wrong response is the end of verse 37…
Luke 8:37 (ESV)
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
Those eight last words in verse 37 are terrifying to me. So He got into the boat and returned. Jesus walked away and left. And these people were left lost in their sin.
My friends, I pray that you are not of those who have a wrong response to the Savior and His Gospel message. I pray that you have the right response to Him by submitting your life to Him, repenting of your sins, and placing your faith in Him who died on the cross for your sins and rose three days later.
So many have not responded rightly and now suffer eternally because of it.
Brothers and sisters, be sure you have rightly responded to the powerful Lord.
Finally, we see that…
Scripture References: Mark 5:13, 1 Timothy 6:10
III. We Should Radically Reach Out to Others by the Power of the Lord (38-39)
III. We Should Radically Reach Out to Others by the Power of the Lord (38-39)
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
This man’s right response to Christ becomes a radical missionary movement in his soul.
John MacArthur states that this man went from maniac to missionary.
He pleads with Jesus that he might go with Him. This reminds me of the Apostle Peter’s exclamation in John 6:68:
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
This man has recognized that it is Jesus who has the words of eternal life. It is Jesus who has saved his soul from hell and even saved him from the literal hell-on-earth that he was experiencing with a legion of demons possessing him.
And He wants more than anything to be with His Savior. This should be the longing of our hearts as well friends. Listen to the Apostle Paul talk about the struggle between going to be with Jesus or staying to minister in the world:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
I absolutely love verse 21 - for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. There is nothing more amazing than to be with the Lord.
Yet there are times, like we see here with Paul and like we see today with the man with the demons cast out, that God calls us to go forth and serve.
And that is where we are right now, Church. We are called to radically reach out to others by the power of the Lord. We are called to preach the Gospel to our town, our region, our nation, and our world. Most of us know the following verses by heart, but it is good for us to hear them again today in this context…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
These are the last verses of the book of Matthew. We are not only to obey the Lord, but we are to spread the Gospel to our world and teach others through discipleship to obey the Lord.
Our church mission statement is:
A Family of Believers. Discipled to Make Disciples.
This comes straight from Matthew 28 and the book of Acts. We are to be a family - a fellowship of believers. And we are called to disciple others and to make disciples by preaching the Gospel to those who are lost.
Brothers and sisters. This is our last week at our current location. We are about to make a move to Winfield. We have been praying that God would bring a harvest as we make this move. Are we prepared to evangelize and disciple that harvest? Are we prepared to preach the Gospel to the lost there and reap the harvest?
I pray that over the next week, that you are praying hard for the town of Winfield. I pray that you are preparing yourselves to greet new faces and be willing to disciple, love, and welcome new believers and new members into our fellowship.
We will come to this verse in few weeks but we will get a sneak peak today…
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
My friends, let’s be the laborers. Let’s get ourselves ready to bring in the harvest and lead others to Christ and help them grow in their relationship with Him once they are saved.
Luke 8:39 states that:
Luke 8:39 (ESV)
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
This man obeyed the command of Jesus Christ and became a witness for the saving power of Jesus.
Scripture References: John 6:68, Philippians 1:21-24, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 10:2 Mark 5:20
Conclusion:
As we close, I want to end with an account from Kent Hughes that illustrates our account from today well:
Some years ago an ophthalmologist, just fresh from college, opened his own business. Without friends, without money, and without patrons, he became discouraged, until one day he encountered a blind man. Looking into his eyes, he said, “Why don’t you have your eyesight restored? Come to my office in the morning.” The blind man went. When an operation was performed and proved successful, the patient said, “I haven’t got a penny in the world. I can’t pay you.” “Oh, yes,” said the doctor, “you can pay me, and I expect you to do so! There is just one thing I want you to do, and it is very easy. Tell everybody you see that you were blind, and tell them who it was that healed you.”
That is what the ex-demoniac did. He heralded the news in Decapolis (that is The Ten Cities), and as Mark 5:20 asserts - “all the people were amazed.”
Friends, go and do likewise. You have nothing to bring when it comes to salvation. Like this blind man, you have no money to pay for salvation and none of your works can earn salvation. But you can obey your Savior by telling everyone you meet who healed you and saved you.
Church, I urge you, go forth and preach the Gospel.
Prayer