No Match for the King

INTRO

HOLY WEEK

Palm Sunday - Jesus enters Jerusalem (to fanfare)

Easter Week in Real Time - Article on Social Media this week — Follow along.

Weekly Reading — Luke 22-23 —> Prepare our hearts to celebrate the Resurrection.

Maundy Thursday — Last Supper, somber & reflective

Good Friday

Family Prayer Walk — 9-11 AM (Building B)

Good Friday Service — 12pm —> Reflect on the crucifixion (short service, but important).

Resurrection Services

Normal service times, Small Groups, Sunday School (Kids), Youth, etc.

PRAY —> Invite & trust the Lord

LAST WEEK —> RECAP

Jesus calms the storm - 3 rebukes (Disciples —> Jesus, Jesus —> Storm, Jesus —> Disciples)

Jesus is both the model and the object of our FAITH.

In fact FAITH was really the theme of that passage & will be for the next 2 passages (Today & Chapter 5)

Meeting Wayne Gretzky

TENSION:

When you encounter the Power of God — What is your Response?

TRUTH:

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.

Pray

“In this passage we see THREE responses to Jesus: 1) The Demoniac Confronts Him, 2) The Residents Fear Him, 3) The Healed Man Obeys Him.”

The Demoniac Confronts Him (vs. 1-13)

Some Important Details in this Passage — Mark (Peter’s interpreter)

Same boat Jesus began teaching in - Chapter 4 — Right after they have seen Jesus wake up and calm the storm…

People had attempted to restrain him - but could NOT (SMASHED the chains) — POWER.

Mark 3:27 “But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

The man is tormented by the unclean spirit(s) — Spiritually & Physically

UNCLEAN

Geography — Mostly gentiles — would sometimes be where Jews & Gentiles intermingled.

Tombs — unclean around dead bodies

Sickness and wounds

The Man Comes to Jesus

“met him” when he got out of the boat; “ran and fell down before him.”

At his feet implies WORSHIP

Seems Jesus had already interacted with him — probably recognizes his state immediately.

“Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

Attempts to exercise power of Jesus

Identifies & names him — “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

1st Century — Naming = control over someone

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

Jesus though is going to EXORCISE the unclean spirits from this man!

Jesus makes the spirit(s) name himself — POWER over him!

Legion — Many! — about 6,000 — probably just means soldiers & a lot of them - as we will see…

The spirit(s) BEG (adjure/implore) Jesus NOT to torment — Because he could! — but go to the pigs.

Jesus allows this — in his plan.

Whether the spirits cause them to go crazy, or Jesus causes them to — they drown in the sea (END).

Possibly judgement on the herdsman?

This is the miracle — in connection with CALMING the storm in the last passage.

NOW — TWO different responses to the TRANSFORMING POWER OF JESUS…

The Residents Fear Him (vs. 14-17)

Mark 5:14–17 ESV

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.

Herdsmen

Not clear if they are Gentiles or Jews who were ignoring religious regulations to raise pigs to sell to the Gentiles.

Either way — Jesus has taken $$ out of their pockets.

They go and tell the people in the “City & Country”

Residents/Townspeople find the CHAOTIC man — CALM.

They had tried to restrain him — unsuccessfully — then avoided him

Jesus didn’t just Restrain him —> TRANSFORMED him!

They Fear Jesus’ Power.

Value the PIGS (possessions & things) more than this man’s soul…

BEG Jesus to leave them

The Healed Man Obeys Him (vs. 18-20)

Mark 5:18–20 ESV

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.

Jesus gives the residents what they asked for — LEAVING

The healed man wants to remain close to Jesus.

Why does Jesus turn him down?

NOT part of his plan.

Salvation comes through Israel — Jews — this was a Gentile man (may have been detrimental to ministry to Jews).

Then to the Gentiles —> ACTS

Jesus gives him a different assignment

The man obeys with Joy & is EFFECTIVE in telling his friends what the Lord has done.

The man recognizes that Jesus’s power comes from the Lord who has shown him mercy

First Missionary? To the Gentiles?

APPLICATION

Similarities between passages (Jesus Calms the Storm & the Healing of the Demoniac)

Jesus & followers encounter a violent storm at sea —> Jesus calms the storm.

Jesus & followers encounter a violent storm inside of this man —> Jesus calms to the storm.

They witnesses of Jesus calming the storm at sea — Fear the power exhibited by Jesus.

The witnesses of the Jesus subduing & transforming the man —> Fear the power exhibited by Jesus.

When we encounter the power of God, it seems there are 3 things that happen. Each leads to the other…

There is FEAR at the mighty power of God.

I mentioned last week — Fear is the response to the presence of an Angel in Scripture (Glory of God).

This FEAR in and of itself is NOT necessarily bad.

Israelites about to enter the Promised Land - Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:2 “that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.”

Deuteronomy 6:13 “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

Deuteronomy 6:24 “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.”

Deuteronomy 8:6 “So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.”

Deuteronomy 10:20–21 “You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.”

In the ESV — 29 Times in Deuteronomy

Reverence = “Respect or honor paid to a worthy object.”

Awe = The term refers to an emotion combining honor, fear, and respect before someone of superior office or actions. It most appropriately applies to God.

“A right fear of the Lord produces awe/honor/respect of God = wisdom”

The Disciples “feared fear” after he calmed the storm — the townspeople were “afraid” when they saw this man in his right mind.

This FEAR requires a RESPONSE.

We don’t know yet in our narrative (MARK) if the Disciple’s FEAR will lead to FAITH yet (It does).

There are 2 responses in this passage.

The Townspeople — Get Away

To honor God is to allow him to change your life.

They wanted no part of that…

They would rather see Jesus leave than lose some of their possessions…

The Healed Man — FAITH (He wants to get CLOSER to him)

The RESPONSE to God’s power leads to ACTION.

The Townspeople — Beg Jesus to leave them — He does

Romans 1 — Gave them over to their passions

God relents to give the People of Israel a King - Solomon.

The Healed Man — Beg Jesus to let him stay with Him (Follow)

Response & Action of true FAITH (= Reliance upon and trust in God). — His fear leads to Faith

Fear/Awe at the Work of God — Does it lead to Faith (it should).

OBEDIENCE

When you encounter the Power of God in your Life…

What does it produce?

Fear/Awe (Reliance upon and trust in God).

Afraid of what it will cause you to give up.

How do you Respond? — Proven by your Actions

Flee (or ask God not to disrupt your life?)

Draw closer to Him — Remain at the feet of Jesus.

***Obedience to the Father —> FAITH — “Reliance upon and trust in God”***

Jesus’ answer to the man is “NO”. —>

How do we respond when God answers our prayer with a “NO”?

Jesus sends him out on mission.

The first missionary to the Gentiles.

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.”

Instructive for us.

“May we go to our friends, neighbors, family, co-workers & tell how much the Lord has done for us, how He has had mercy on us. — Proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ — That other may marvel at the POWER of God.”

What great things has Jesus done for you? Who could you tell about those things?

How can you express your faith in Jesus this week?

May we FOCUS on the POWER of God this week — As we look to the Ultimate Display of His power — The Crucifixion & Resurrection!

PRAY