Encounter with the Demon-possessed Man (Mark 5:1–20)

Old Testament Themes and Biblical Echoes

Exile and Isolation: The demon-possessed man’s life “among the tombs” (Mark 5:3) evokes the experience of exile – being cut off from home and community. In Scripture, living among graves and away from society was a sign of extreme alienation. Isaiah paints rebellious Israel as people who “sit inside tombs” and eat unclean food workingpreacher.org . This man embodies that exile: driven from town, dwelling in deathly places, “crying out night and day” in lonely anguish. His eventual restoration – being sent home healed – echoes God’s promise to gather exiles back and give them peace.

Uncleanness and Purification: Every detail emphasizes ritual uncleanness in Jewish terms: the man has an “unclean spirit,” lives in a graveyard (contact with the dead made one unclean), and there’s a herd of pigs (unclean animals) nearby workingpreacher.org . This setting recalls Old Testament purity laws (e.g. touching graves, eating swine’s flesh – cf. Isaiah 65:4, Leviticus 11:7) that separated people from worship until cleansed. By entering this impure context, Jesus intentionally crosses purity boundaries – a holy teacher stepping into defilement to purify it. It’s a foretaste of the gospel age where grace will reach Gentile lands and cleanse every impurity (cf. Acts 10:14-15). Jesus sending the legion of demons into pigs (the epitome of uncleanness workingpreacher.org ) symbolically “throws away” the impurity, like a scapegoat bearing filth out of the camp (Leviticus 16:10). (Illustration note: Consider describing the shock a Jewish disciple might feel watching Jesus converse next to pig herds and tombs – it highlights how far Jesus goes to rescue a lost soul.)

Cosmic Conflict – God vs. the Powers of Evil: This encounter is described in militaristic terms. The demon names itself “Legion,” implying thousands of evil spirits (a legion was ~6,000 Roman soldiers) workingpreacher.org . This is a clash of kingdoms – Jesus, the Son of the Most High God (5:7), versus a massive force of darkness occupying a human life. The Old Testament often portrays God as a warrior defeating chaotic forces (Yahweh crushing Rahab/sea monster in Psalm 89:9–10, for example). Here Jesus confronts a legion of demons and triumphs with a mere word. There’s also a political/cosmic echo: Richard Hays observes that Mark’s original readers would catch a satirical allusion in the name Legion. It hints at Rome’s occupying army – and Jesus casting the Legion into the sea is “a kind of political cartoon, in which the Roman army is driven out by Israel’s true king, sent back into the sea from which their invading ships had come” liambyrnes.com liambyrnes.com . Just as the Red Sea swallowed Pharaoh’s army, the sea now drowns these demons – a sign of God’s ultimate victory over oppressors, spiritual and earthly. (Pastoral note: Without being too speculative, you can mention this connection to Exodus as an illustration of how Jesus is enacting a new Exodus deliverance, freeing people from bondage to Satan as decisively as God freed Israel from Pharaoh.)

Deliverance and Restoration: In the Old Testament, God promises to restore those in bondage – “to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). This theme comes alive in Mark 5. No human effort could tame or bind the demoniac’s destructive behavior (5:3-4), yet Jesus succeeds effortlessly. It’s a dramatic picture of salvation: a person literally enslaved by evil is set free by the word of Christ. Like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision coming back to life, this man is given new life – “clothed and in his right mind” (5:15). The transformation also echoes the Jubilee year imagery (Leviticus 25, Isaiah 61) when debts are canceled and slaves freed. Jesus is effectively plundering the “strong man’s house,” fulfilling his own parable that one must first bind the strong man (Satan) to liberate his captives (cf. Mark 3:27). By restoring this man to wholeness, Jesus shows that God’s kingdom is about making broken people whole – just as prophets foretold a time of cleansing for the unclean, homecoming for exiles, and victory over demonic idols.

Revelation of Jesus’s Character and Authority

Supreme Authority Over Spiritual Evil: Mark highlights that Jesus commands demons with absolute authority. The legion of spirits begs Jesus for permission (5:10-12); they recognize him as “Son of the Most High God,” a title acknowledging his divine supremacy. This fulfills the expectation that only God’s power can subdue demonic forces. As Calvin notes, even against thousands of evil spirits “the whole of Satan’s kingdom is subject to the authority of Christ” studylight.org . By a simple command, Jesus accomplishes what no chains or guards could – a “magnificent display of the power of Christ” that left the man completely free studylight.org . Jesus’s word has the force of “Let there be light” – and darkness flees. This reveals Jesus not merely as a compassionate healer, but as the divine warrior King. In him, God Himself has come to confront our ultimate enemy. (For preaching: underscore Jesus’s calm dominance here. Unlike superstitious exorcists of the time with their rituals, Jesus speaks one word and a legion obeys. This is the Creator commanding his rebellious creatures studylight.org . Believers can therefore have great confidence in Christ’s authority in spiritual warfare.)

Compassionate Pursuer of the Outcast: Jesus deliberately sailed to this Gentile region (the “other side” of Galilee) seemingly for this one man, demonstrating his willingness to seek out the most marginalized. The Gerasene demoniac was the ultimate outsider – a Gentile by location, rendered unclean by demonization and proximity to pigs, and ostracized by his community. Yet Jesus initiates the encounter; he comes to where the man is enslaved. This reflects the heart of God the good shepherd who goes after the one lost sheep (cf. Luke 15:4). Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is moved with compassion for the hurting, even when others fear or avoid them. Here, while the townspeople tried to restrain or ignore the man, Jesus sees his inherent human dignity. He speaks to him (5:8-9), frees him, and later commissions him with honor. The subtext is that no person is beyond the reach of Jesus’s mercy. His authority is exercised not in cold dominance but in loving deliverance. Jesus did not treat the man as a monster; he treated him as a man worth saving, even at the cost of disrupting an entire region’s economy (the loss of the pigs). This reveals a Savior who values people over property and restoration over convenience – echoing God’s Old Testament concern for the marginalized and unclean (think of how God sought out Hagar in the wilderness or the lepers in Israel who were given purification rites).

Revealing Divine Sonship and Kingdom Mission: The demons’ cry, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (5:7) inadvertently testifies to Jesus’s divine identity. In a rich irony (a common Markan motif), the spiritual realm recognizes Jesus while human onlookers do not. This confrontation showcases Jesus as the stronger one who binds the “strong man” Satan (3:27) – essentially announcing that the kingdom of God is overtaking the kingdom of darkness. It also foreshadows the cross and resurrection: Jesus would ultimately defeat the legions of hell by allowing them to seemingly “undo” him at Calvary. (You might note how the demoniac’s description – naked, isolated, crying out in torment – eerily parallels Jesus’ own suffering and death. Jesus traded places with the man, going into the tomb of death and darkness himself, so that the man could go free. This is the kind of Messiah he is.) In sum, this passage reveals both Jesus’s almighty power over evil and his saving purposeto free those oppressed by the devil (1 John 3:8). He is fully sovereign and fully good.

Transformation, Discipleship, and Mission: The Healed Man’s Response

From Madness to Mission: The man’s personal transformation is one of the most vivid in Scripture. Moments after being a raging, self-harming outcast, he is found “sitting at Jesus’s feet, clothed and in his right mind” (5:15). This outward calm and restored dignity demonstrate the totality of Jesus’s healing – it affected his mind, body, and soul. Importantly, the man doesn’t just experience a miracle; he also undergoes a call to discipleship. His first instinct is to follow Jesus physically (5:18) – a natural response of gratitude and devotion. In fact, Mark uses “be with him,” language that elsewhere describes disciples (cf. Mark 3:14). Jesus affirms his desire but redirects it: rather than joining the traveling band of disciples, Jesus commissions him to stay and testify. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you” (5:19). The man obeys enthusiastically, becoming, in effect, the first missionary to the Gentiles. He proclaims in the Decapolis region what Jesus did, and the text says “everyone marveled” (5:20). This turn of events highlights that true encounter with Jesus leads to witness. The man moved from being a symbol of Satan’s power to a living trophy of God’s grace – and he could not keep silent about it.

Restored Humanity and Testimony: Note how Jesus restores more than the man’s sanity; he restores him to community (“Go home to your friends…” 5:19). The man is re-integrated into society as a messenger of hope. His testimony would have carried incredible weight – people knew who he had been, making his new condition a powerful evidence of Jesus’s authority and mercy. In telling “what the Lord has done,” the man actually identifies Jesus as “Lord” (Mark 5:19–20 subtly equates “what the Lord has done” with “what Jesus has done,” indicating the man understood Jesus’s divine role kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com ). This is the essence of discipleship: recognizing Jesus’s lordship and obeying his commission. Also, there’s a beautiful contrast between his posture before and after: earlier he was begging Jesus not to torment him (under demonic influence), now he begs Jesus to be with him; earlier the demons “drove” him into solitary places, now Jesus sends him with purpose into society. The chaos of his former life is replaced by mission. (For application, we can encourage believers that no matter how dramatic or simple our conversion, part of following Jesus is sharing our story of “what great things the Lord has done for us.” Even new believers can immediately impact others by their change of life and testimony.)

Discipleship’s Broader Picture: Interestingly, Jesus does not allow this man to physically accompany him – unlike other cases where he says “Follow me,” here he says essentially “Stay and serve.” This shows that not all discipleship is identical in form. In the man’s Gentile context, the best way to follow Jesus was to witness to his own people. Obedience, not proximity, defined his discipleship. He had to trust Jesus’s plan and go live out his faith at home, which can be even harder. In doing so, the man becomes a precursor to the Gentile mission (later, in Mark 7:31–8:10, Jesus returns to Decapolis – perhaps to people prepared by this man’s testimony). We see in him the ideal response to grace: sitting at Jesus’s feet (posture of a learner), then going where Jesus sends (the life of obedience). His story reminds us that every deliverance by Jesus is unto a life of purpose. We’re not just saved fromsomething bad, but saved for God’s glory and others’ good.

(Illustration: You could compare the Gerasene’s zeal to the Samaritan woman in John 4, who, after meeting Jesus, immediately ran to town to invite others. Both had a “before-and-after” contrast that made their testimony compelling. Encourage the congregation that our past, even the painful parts, can become a platform to display Christ’s mercy.)

Implications for Believers Today

Jesus’s Power and Our Spiritual Authority: This encounter assures us that no demonic force can rival Jesus. Believers, being in Christ, need not live in fear of Satan’s power. We minister under the same authority that sent the Legion fleeing. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) is the lived reality for those united to Jesus. Practically, this means we can confidently renounce evil influences, pray for deliverance, and resist temptation knowing Christ’s victory stands behind us. We should neither dismiss the reality of spiritual warfare nor exaggerate it – instead, view it through the lens of Jesus’s supremacy. (Orthopraxy tip: Encourage practices like prayer, Scripture declaration, and praise as means of resisting demonic oppression – not as magical formulas, but as ways of standing in Christ’s authority. James 4:7 says “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” which is exactly what we see in Mark 5 when the man came under Jesus’s dominion.)**

The Value of Every Person: No one is beyond Christ’s reach. This story challenges us to look at people in bondage – whether to literal demonic influence, addiction, mental illness, or extreme sin – with hope and compassion rather than fear or dismissal. Jesus intentionally engaged someone whom society had given up on. As his followers, we’re called to carry that same pursuing love into our communities. In practice, this might mean befriending the “outsiders” and praying for those in the worst circumstances. The church is to be a place where the most broken can encounter the living Christ and find restoration. We’re reminded that every human bears God’s image and is worth the effort (Jesus saw this man as worth saving even at the cost of 2,000 pigs – people matter more than pigs!

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). Do our ministry priorities reflect that same value system?

Our Own Deliverance and Testimony: Spiritually, each of us apart from Christ was under the tyranny of darkness (Colossians 1:13). Maybe we weren’t demon-possessed, but we were sin-possessed, enslaved to various “legions” of passions and fears. Jesus saved us just as truly as he saved the Gerasene. Meditating on this should rekindle gratitude and boldness to share our story. Like the healed man, we have a mission field starting with those closest to us. Consider: Jesus sent him home first – often the hardest place to witness because people know our past. Yet those are the people who can see the reality of our transformation. In our context, “going to your own people” might mean sharing your testimony with family, friends, or community, even if you once alienated them. The Gerasene demoniac reminds us that a personal encounter with Jesus is undeniable evidence; a changed life is the loudest sermon. So, a question for application: Are we, who have been freed by Jesus, actively “proclaiming how much Jesus has done for us” (5:20)? If not, what holds us back, and how might this story spur us on?

Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance Ministry: Mark 5 gives a template for engaging spiritual evil: with Christ’s authority, not our own strength. The townspeople’s failure (binding with chains) shows human methods can’t solve a spiritual problem. Jesus succeeds through a word of command. For us, this means the ministry of prayer, commanding in Jesus’ name, and Spirit-led discernment is vital when confronting evil. Ephesians 6:10-18 comes to mind – our struggle is not against flesh and blood, and our weapons are the gospel, faith, the Word of God, etc. We learn also that demons recognize Christ’s authority – so the key is being properly under Christ’s lordship ourselves. Union with Christ is our position of victory. If you find yourself or others in spiritual oppression, approach it in Jesus’s name and with a heart submitted to God. Also, note Jesus asked the demon’s name (5:9) – showing a kind of discernment in deliverance. While we shouldn’t get fascinated by demons, there’s a place for understanding what one is dealing with in order to minister specifically. But the focus must always return to Jesus’s power and the person’s restoration, not the drama of the evil itself. As a balanced orthopraxy: neither ignore the demonic (Jesus didn’t dismiss this as mere mental illness or tie him down again) nor fixate on it (Jesus spends far more time commissioning the man than talking to the demons).

Hope for the Bound: Finally, this story speaks hope to anyone who feels utterly bound by something beyond their power – whether an addictive sin, oppressive thoughts, or even occult bondage. It shows no chain is too strong for Jesus. “Legion” implies an overwhelm of problems (we might say “I have a legion of issues”), but one encounter with Jesus can begin a journey to freedom. Sometimes deliverance is immediate (as here); other times it’s a process. But in all cases, Jesus cares about our wholeness. He wants us “clothed” (our dignity restored) and in our “right mind” (peace within). As believers, we should continually seek Jesus’s presence in areas of personal struggle, and also be willing to intervene for others in prayer. The same Jesus who crossed the lake in a storm to rescue one man has crossed from heaven to earth to rescue us. There is no hopeless case. Orthopraxy here might include integrating this truth into pastoral care: when counseling someone deep in bondage or depression, use Mark 5 as a demonstration that Christ can reclaim a life in the most astonishing ways.

(Pastoral illustration: You might share a modern testimony of someone who was dramatically saved – e.g., a former drug addict or gang member who met Christ and was totally changed. These real-life “demoniac” stories resonate with Mark 5 and assure the congregation that Jesus is alive and able to deliver today. It can also challenge us: do we believe Jesus still sets people free? If so, how are we participating in that ministry as his body on earth?)

New Testament Connections and Parallels

Mark 3:27 – “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.”Jesus spoke this earlier, and in the Gerasene deliverance he is literally binding the strong man (Satan’s minions) and plundering his “goods” (setting a man free from Satan’s possession). This event is a narrative illustration of that principle.

Luke 4:18 – “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives… to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”Jesus’s mission statement (quoting Isaiah 61) comes alive in Mark 5. The man was a literal captive of oppression, and Jesus liberated him. This connection reinforces Jesus as the Isaianic liberator.

Ephesians 6:12-18 – Paul’s teaching on the armor of God assumes the reality of demonic forces (“we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…”). Mark 5 gives a concrete example of such wrestling. Believers are exhorted to stand firm in Jesus’s strength, using faith, salvation, the Word of God, etc. (the “armor”), rather than physical force – analogous to how Jesus dealt with the demon by spiritual authority, not chains.

Colossians 1:13 – “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” This broadly describes what Jesus did for the Gerasene (and for us). The story is a dramatic transfer of kingdoms: one man is pulled from the domain of a legion of demons into the gracious rule of Christ. Similarly, conversion for any believer is a rescue from Satan’s authority.

1 John 3:8 – “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” Mark 5:1–20 is a case in point of Jesus destroying the devil’s work in a person’s life. Where Satan had brought destruction (self-harm, alienation, terror), Jesus reverses it. This link can be used to show that every healing and exorcism in the Gospels is part of Jesus’s campaign against the devil’s works, ultimately accomplished at the cross.

Acts 26:17-18 – Paul’s commission from Jesus: “…I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” Interestingly, the healed Gerasene man in Mark 5 essentially becomes a forerunner of this Pauline mission – he is sent to his people to turn them to God’s light from Satan’s power by sharing his testimony. It’s a living example of what turning from darkness to light looks like, and it prefigures the Gentile mission that Paul and others would carry out.

Luke 8:2 – Mentions Mary Magdalene “from whom seven demons had gone out.” Though a much less extreme case, Mary’s deliverance (and subsequent faithful discipleship) parallels the Gerasene man’s story. Both show that those freed by Jesus often become his most devoted followers. It’s worth noting such transformations in the early church as evidence of Jesus’s ongoing power after his resurrection.

Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” While Revelation is apocalyptic, this principle rings true in Mark 5: the man conquered the enemy’s hold by the power of Jesus (foreseeing the cross, “blood of the Lamb”) and then by bearing witness (“word of testimony” – he literally went and testified about Jesus). Believers today likewise overcome Satan’s influence by standing in Christ’s finished work and boldly testifying to God’s grace.

(These connections can enrich a sermon by showing that the themes of Mark 5 reverberate across the New Testament. Jesus’s clash with demons isn’t an isolated incident; it’s tied to the larger story of the cross, the church’s mission, and ultimate victory over Satan.)

Quotes from Respected Theologians on Deliverance and Christ’s Power

Tim Keller: “Mark 5 teaches us at least three things about evil: 1) the power of evil, 2) the patterns of evil, and 3) the pattern for the healing.” oneplace.com (Keller notes that the story reveals how destructive evil can be, how it often works in patterns of isolation and self-destruction, and how Jesus brings healing – insights we can apply in understanding and battling evil in our lives.)

N. T. Wright: “Jesus doesn’t explain why there is suffering, illness, and death in the world. He brings healing and hope… He allows evil to do its worst to him. He exhausts it, drains its power, and emerges with new life.” azquotes.com (Wright emphasizes that Jesus ultimately defeated evil by absorbing its full force at the cross, much as he absorbed the legion’s onslaught and left the man unharmed. Our hope in spiritual warfare rests in this victory of Jesus over all evil.)

John Calvin: “Hence we infer, that all the kingdom of Satan is kept in check under the dominion of Christ… By casting [the demons] out, He proves Himself to be the deliverer of men.” studylight.org studylight.org (Calvin marvels at Christ’s authority over demons in this passage, seeing it as proof of Jesus’s divinity and gracious deliverance. The quote underlines that no matter how rampant evil seems, it cannot escape the restraining power of Jesus.)

Martin Luther: “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us… The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him… one little word shall fell him.” hymnary.org (From Luther’s hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, echoing the confidence believers have because of Christ. It resonates with Mark 5 – one word from Jesus was enough to fell the legion of demons. Luther reminds us that we need not be terrorized by the devil’s presence in the world, for Christ’s truth and word are mightier.)

A.W. Tozer: “Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word.” deeperchristianquotes.com (Tozer’s point speaks to spiritual warfare: knowing the truth of Scripture – including Christ’s authority over demons – disarms the devil’s lies and tactics. In Mark 5, the demons were powerless against the Word (command) of Christ. For us, standing on God’s Word equips us to withstand demonic deception and oppression.)

Saint Augustine: “Thus was I sick and tormented…rolling and writhing in my chain till it was utterly broken, and I fled to Christ…” goodreads.com (paraphrased from Confessions Book VIII). (Augustine, though writing about his struggle with sin, uses imagery that could describe demonic bondage. His eventual deliverance came when he surrendered to Christ. This aligns with the demoniac’s experience – true freedom came at the feet of Jesus. Augustine’s testimony adds that internal battles with sin and despair are ultimately healed by the same Savior who cured the Gerasene.)

Eugene Peterson: “When we sin and mess up our lives, we find that God doesn’t go off and leave us—he enters into our trouble and saves us.” (Illustrative of Peterson’s teaching) (Peterson’s pastoral insight applies to the Gerasene’s story: Jesus literally entered the man’s “tombs” and saved him. Christ is not repelled by our mess; he comes into our chaos to redeem us. This quote can encourage anyone who feels unworthy or too “unclean” – much like the demoniac might have felt – that Jesus draws near to save, not to condemn.)

Each of these quotes reinforces aspects of Mark 5’s theology: Christ’s unmatched authority, the call not to fear evil, the importance of God’s truth in battle, the value of a soul, and the transformative mercy of Jesus. They can be woven into a sermon to add depth and testimony from the broader church to the truths seen in this encounter with Jesus.