Lesson 25 Luke 8:26- 40 The Healing of a Demon Possessed Man

New Location, More Needs 8:26- 30

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 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. 28 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.” 29 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.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 8:26–30.

The first facts of the demon possessed man are an interesting part of the miracle:

He was not afraid to approach Jesus.vs.27

He was a city man. vs 27

He was naked/no clothes were being worn. vs.27

He was homeless.vs. 27

He lived in a graveyard. vs.27

He knew who Jesus was before they were introduced. vs.28

He made a pretty big display for everyone. vs.28

He pleaded with Jesus by name, to not send him to torment. Vs.28

He was in a condition in which someone guarded him, even though he would break free from metal shackles and chains. vs.29

The demon would drive him into a desert area.vs 29

The demon group had an actual name.

The demon promptly left after Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave. vs.29

Demonic possession is a spiritual problem, and it had affected this man’s whole life. It’s very common for demonic people to search out Christians and know quite a bit about you, just as he did Jesus. This demon did not reside in the man alone, but rather there were hundreds. Hence the name legion. Legion becomes a proper name for this unfortunate fellow. A “legion” was also an army regiment of 6,000 soldiers. It gives us a picture of how messed up he was and the complexity of an encounter you may have with a person like this. Oddly enough, this individual responds really well to the questioning by the Savior. In fact, he is truthful when, in fact, he presents himself as out of control to the arriving group with Jesus (he is naked and shouting.) Later verses describe him as violent. Can you imagine this being the first thing you see when you arrive off the boat.

Are there demon controlled people today? Yes, there are. Have you encountered someone you knew that was unquestionably demon possessed or controlled? If you are a fearful person, it’s best not to carry on a conversation with them unless they start the conversation. As a believer, it is well within your power. In Jesus name and through His blood you will prevail. Deliverance for a man such as this this is usually handled by people who are familiar with the ministry of deliverance. You may even see a person delivered on the spot someday. Actually, you may never find out if there is a demon controlled person in your presence. I’m sure they operate under the radar as much as they operate in the open. Your spiritual perception or discernment may alert you to someone nearby.

It is no doubt that the nakedness that pervades our society is demon controlled. Also, the rise in violence, and with certain people committing acts of atrocity, there are demons involved. There has been a pre-occupation with demonic movie films, television programs, and various forms of media in our own generation. It gives us a picture of how needy our society has become. It is like the naked man greeting us and loudly proclaiming that they are going to live their lives as they chose and not to bother them. It is a pervasive problem.

The Miracle for the Cemetery Man 8:31-39

English Standard Version (Chapter 8)

31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 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. 33 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.

34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 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. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 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. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “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 miracle of Jesus shows us the power He commanded as He walked this earth. When He sent out his disciples two-by-two, the results were less amazing. When asked why they could not cast out demons, He said, “This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.” Let’s consider what happened after they begged Him not to send them into the abyss. They had to obey Him, no matter what. They begged to be sent into a large herd of pigs. Probably they would be allowed to enter into something unclean. So He gave them permission to do so. They they ran off a cliff and into the lakeside and drowned.

That must have been pretty spectacular. It does not say there were large crowds there, especially with a naked man running around. But the scene was deadly. The herdsmen got a great view and went and told everyone. The herdsmen were probably Gentile, as were the people in the area. Imagine the surprise of the herdsmen to be involved in something that came from an encounter with a Jew. The people came to see this man clothed and n his right mind. This new situation made people afraid. And why? Because The demon possessed man said that Jesus belonged to the Most High God as a Son. They were in God’s presence and that meant death.

The Gerasenes were mostly a Gentile community and meeting with God had not been on their agenda. A man had been healed and they did not know how to deal with it. It says they were seized with fear. Now, they were the captive ones and the cemetery man was free. Jesus was asked to leave and so He did. The healed man begged to go with Jesus and leave the place. He was a new man and in his right mind. Evidently there is a mental illness factor to demonic possession. And, there are the physical and spiritual aspects to what just happened. No matter what, he was healed all over. Jesus then told the man to return to his home and declare how much God has done. Yes, Jesus is God. He is the one we are serving today.

Was it worth the storm of the earlier verses that the men on the ship encountered? Of course it is. Much ministry can occur after great trouble, but Jesus is with us all the way. The troubles of this life are many. Some them are demonic, and some are not. There is not a demon under every bush, but there will be some to deal with in our spiritual journey with Jesus Christ. That is the nature of what we do. We are in the same boat as the Savior and we too want to see men, women, boys, and girls set from from the power of the evil one. We have been given the spiritual authority and power to change their lives through the blessed gospel, so we look for new shores to park our boat, get out and see God work. This situation allowed one man to reach a whole city with his testimony because they all went with Jesus, as he had commanded.