Mark 5:1-20 (Shortened)

The Power of Jesus

Introduction

Opener

Hope, desperation, the absence of hope, but hope, that’s what God’s Word brings us tonight.

That’s what Jesus brought us, through his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his declaration, that one day He will return.

Through the gifts of mercy and grace that he offers all those who find faith in Him.

Hope, that’s what we will find in our story for tonight.

And as we will read, for one man lost in desperation, our Lord and Savior, Jesus, makes all the difference.

And so, if you will, please open your Bibles to Mark 5.

Main Point of the Text (MPT)

Leading into our passage for tonight, Mark 4 ends with Jesus and his disciples on a boat somewhere in the Sea of Galilee after Jesus had calmed a great windstorm that brought fear to the disciples, the passage ending with the disciples no longer in fear of some windstorm, but in fear and awe of Jesus’ power asking, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41).

Main Point of the Sermon (MPS):

Our passage for tonight picks up after these events and in this story, we, just like the disciples had and just like the man we will meet shortly, must realize that in time of desperation, hope can be found in Jesus Christ.

That is the main point for tonight’s message.

And so if you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Scripture Reading: Mark 5:1-20

Prayer

Body

Point 1: Extreme Torment

Scripture: Mark 5:1–5

Explanation:

As we begin, verse 1 tells us of Jesus and his disciples future destination, telling us they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.

Where they came to shore was most likely a small city called Gersa, that was located midway on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, located in an area called Decapolis, a group of ten Hellenistic (Greek-influenced) cities.

As we continue in verse 2, we read that as Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.

The detail about this man, a man with an unclean spirit, refers to the demon or demons that were possessing and controlling him.

Throughout our time in the Gospels, we see many cases of demon possession described this way (Matthew 10:1; 12:43; Mark 1:23,26-7; 3:11; 3:30; 6:7; 7:25; etc.)

In many of these cases, we see that these unclean spirits lead people to experience different symptoms that someone who isn’t demon possessed wouldn’t.

Let’s take a look at these symptoms:

The first symptom is social isolation as verse 3 tells us that this man lived among the tombs.

While in small doses, social isolation can be helpful, such as stepping away to get fresh air or spending time in prayer, complete social isolation is harmful and is not part of the design God has laid out for humanity as His Word time and time again speaks to the importance of fellowship and community (Genesis 2:8; 1 Corinthians 12; Hebrews 10:25; etc.).

But unfortunely, this was often the practice during this time period, that people dealing with symptoms such as he was were completely isolated from society and forced to live in the tombs, which were often burial chambers carved out of the rocky hillsides on the outskirts of towns.

But what exactly were the symptoms that caused him to be isolated by the people of Gersa?

The second symptom found in verse 3 and 4 is supernatural strength, as we read that 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.

This man’s strength was not natural, but supernatural, powered by the demons that possessed him.

We know that he didn’t start out this way.

Based upon the scripture, we can assume that at some point he lived amongst the people as a normal person, then something happened to cause him to be demon possessed, but we aren’t provided with the how, only the outcome.

Someone or a group of someone's decided they wanted him gone, out of sight, out of mind, how disgusting a thought to throw a man away instead of helping him.

So they tried to bind him with shackles and chains, because of how the demons were causing him to act, but the demons wouldn’t allow him to be bound so they provided this man with the strength to wrench the chains apart, break the shackles in pieces, and overpower anyone who tried to subdue him causing disorder and chaos to continue for this man and for those who had tried to bind him.

The third symptom, lamenting, the beginning of verse 5 tells us that night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out.

The demons controlled him, but even still, we see him crying out as someone would cry out for help when facing their struggles.

The Greek word here for crying is krazō (krad-zo), means to cry out, to call out, to shout, to scream.

No one answered his screams, no one came to offer help, he was socially isolated, plagued by supernatural strength, lamenting day and night and...

The fourth and last symptom, he was self-destructive.

At the end of verse 5, we read that day and night not only consisted with his screams, but also with him cutting himself with stones.

As someone who has met people who have struggled with self-destruction such as cutting, this one hits home.

Many who I have talked to about the subject did it because the pain from cutting helped them cope with the pain they were experiencing, whether that be physical or emotional, and perhaps for this man it was the way of coping with the pain the demons were causing him, but I am here to tell you, just like cutting couldn’t help this mans pain, it can’t help yours either.

I know for the person out there struggling with this, that probably isn’t the answer that your seeking, I am not a professional counselor by no means, but I want you to know that I love you and want tell you about Jesus, as I know He can help you just like He did this man, but more than that I also want to work with you to help you find the help that you need, connect you with a professional counselor, whatever the solution may be, please don’t hurt yourself, please seek help, help is available.

Application:

This wasn’t an easy passage to stomach and if we believe the Bible is the true, then we must accept demons exist, they do not serve our God, but the devil and do so by causing disorder and chaos in the life of both Christians and non-Christians.

And how do we often find ourself attacked by Satan and his demons?

We must look no further than our flesh, our own sinful desires.

We’ve actually been discussing this with the youth as we have been studying the book of James.

Consider what James says in James 1:14–15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

While direct attacks from the devil or demons are possible, one, if not, the primary way we are attacked each day is through our own desires, we go through what is called the cycle of desire:

First, temptation occurs as we are lured and enticed by someone or something.

The temptation might look like a new job that pays more or a promotion that will put you on top.

Second, if we give into the temptation, it causes a desire is conceived, born, created.

The desire might be greed or pride.

This desire then gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown bring forth death.

I loved what Trevin said when we were discussing this in youth, that this doesn’t always mean physical death, but death or loss of something in life.

Maybe that new job or promotion pulls you away from church, so you lose time with your church family, maybe it pulls you away from your own family, so you can’t be the spouse or parent your supposed to be.

This doesn’t mean that every desire you have is wrong, but it does mean that we should be aware that if our desires do not line up with God’s desires found in His Word for us, that they could lead to death.

The reality is that this cycle of desire affects us all, because we are all affected by sin, it is a hard, constant battle, but it is a battle that can be won through Jesus and the power that He has given us through His Spirit.

This leads me to Point 2, Extreme Power...

Point 2: Extreme Power

Scripture: Mark 5:6–13

Explanation:

I want to start out by first looking at verse 6, the man’s response to seeing Jesus from afar.

You know, this part still puzzles/amazes me, we see the man’s response was to run and fall down before Jesus, the word for run here being trechō (trey-ho), in Greek, meaning to run hard, sprint, and the word for fall down in Greek, meaning to bow down or worship.

Why would a demon-possessed man sprint to Jesus and not only that, but bow down to Jesus? Wouldn’t the demons see Jesus and choose to high tail it the other way?

God’s Word doesn’t really give us an explanation for his behavior, but I definitely think it’s a question worth exploring, because as I thought more and more about it, my only conclusion is this, that there was something in this man that was still human, the man he was before he became possessed was still in there and in desperation, he sprinted to Jesus and not away from Him, he bowed down to the only One that could truly help him escape the evil he was experiencing night and day.

Let’s continue, verse 7, again, in the same way as he was doing day and night, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

This wasn’t the man speaking, this was the demon/s.

In protest to Jesus’ arrival, “What have you to do with me...?”, why are you troubling or disturbing us?

But in the same question, they recognize who He is and the power He possesses, referring to him as Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

Man had tried to bind the man in shackles and chains, but couldn’t, they didn’t possess the power necessary to deal with these demons, but Jesus, the Son of the Most High God did, and they knew it as they plead, “I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

Torment was what they were putting the man through, and now look at who was afraid of being tormented.

Their fear was valid, they knew who Jesus was based upon how they addressed him, if we look at the the title they gave him, it speaks to their knowledge of the power He possessed, Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, the demons knew they were in trouble and so, they adjured him, begged him, do not torment me, they knew their fate.

What was that fate?

Verse 8, "For he was saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’”

They would be forced to leave the man, but before that Jesus would ask them their name, “What is your name?”

The demon would reply, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

Jesus wasn’t dealing with just one demon here, He was dealing with many as the name Legion suggests.

Legion was a term common to Jews and Greeks at the time and defined a Roman military unit of 6,000 infantrymen.

Was there that many demons in this man? The answer isn’t know, but by their name, we do know there were many as the demons response suggest.

As the story continues, the demons still continued begging, it says in verse 10 that they begged him earnestly, meaning greatly, extensively, that He not send them out of the country.

That is when we are told of the great herd of pigs feeding on the hillside, pigs, to the Jew were an unclean animals, forbidden by the Law to eat (Deuteronomy 14:8), but since this was a Hellenistic or Greek-influenced area, this makes sense to why they would be there.

The demons see these and once again, beg Jesus, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”

Verse 13, “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.”

Jesus gave permission, allowed the demons to possess the pigs, the herd, about two thousand just speaks to the immense power that even the demons possessed, but Jesus having all power over them, possessing all authority, allowed them to possess the pigs.

And look at the pigs response, they rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea, which, speaks to the extreme torment the man must have been going through night and day, so much, that the pigs would rather die than be possessed by them.

Application:

Perhaps, just like the demon possessed man, there is someone out here today in desperation, you’ve sought every other solution but Jesus, you’ve gotten to the bottom of the bottle, it didn’t help, you’ve clocked in a million hours at work hoping to stay distracted from reality, it didn’t help, you’ve taken it out on others that you love through anger and aggression, it didn’t help, you’ve done everything but run to the only one who can save you.

WHY? Why do that to yourself?

Do you not think your desperation is an issue that Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, can solve? Do you not want to swallow your pride? Do you not want to admit that you need help? What is it that keep you stuck in a place of desperation?

Just like for this man, Jesus is not to far away for you to run to Him, He is waiting to take you out of your desperation, to strip you of your demons, to set you free today!

Humble yourself, accept the help, and begin a new life, today is the day for you to sprint and bow down to Jesus!

This passage was placed here by God to give you hard evidence of the power of Jesus, Son of the God Most High.

He has the power to bring you out of your desperation, all you must do is put your faith in Him!

The demon possessed man did, his desperation was no more, and now it is time to look at the extreme evidence Jesus provided by his extreme power, Point 3, Extreme Evidence...

Point 3: Extreme Evidence

Scripture: Mark 5:14–20

Explanation:

Jesus had provided the evidence of his extreme power to the demons, the man, and to the herdsmen.

The demons response was to obey and come out of the man into the pigs, but now let’s take a look at the response of the man and the herdsmen.

Verse 14, “The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country.”

Upon fleeing, as verse 16 tells us, they must have described to others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs, because we see that in verse 14, more people came to see what it was that had happened, they too needed to see the evidence of Jesus’s power.

The demon possessed man and his condition must have been well known by those who lived in city and the country and most likely in disbelief, people came to see what they would consider a miracle.

Likely posing the same type of question the disciples had when Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:41), who was this, that even demons obey him?

We read of the man’s new state, God’s Word saying that he was “...sitting there, clothed and in his right mind...”

What an extreme difference from the state he had been in before, a man who once bore shackles and chains, who spent day and night crying out for help as he cut himself with stones, was now calmly sitting, clothed, as another account of this story mentions him being naked (Luke 8:27), and in his right mind, there’s no telling how long it must have been since he had been able to relax from the torment he suffered at the hands of the demons who had possessed him.

Have you experienced Jesus’ wondering working power?

The herdsman had, their description of what had happened is what brought the people to come and see and now that they had seen, what was their response, the end of verse 15, “...they were afraid”.

How would they react to that fear? Would they sprint to Jesus, bow down before him?

No, verse 17 tells us of their reaction, “they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region”, He wasn’t welcome there any longer.

His power had brought them fear, just as the disciples where when Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:41), they were afraid, their response wasn’t worship, it was dismissal, depart from our region, were afraid of you.

Before we unpack, let’s look at the man who had been possessed response, as he was no longer a enslaved to the demons, he had been set free.

Verse 18, Jesus, respecting their wish for him to leave was getting into the boat, but as he did, the man begged him that he might be with him.

This man’s response to Jesus stands in contrast to the herdsman's and onlookers response, He responded in worship, devotion, and as we will read of, obedience, the power of Jesus that rid him of his demons caused him to want to be with Jesus, not away from Jesus, but Jesus had other plans for the man as again, with authority, Jesus did not permit him to go with 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.”

He was to be a witness of the extreme power of Jesus, to spread the story of what had happened there to his friends, to proclaim the extreme power of the Lord Jesus and the mercy he hath provided him to them.

And with the extreme evidence that Jesus had given the man, in obedience, a form of worship, responded to Jesus’s command as our verses for tonight end inform us that “...he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

A man in extreme torment had experienced Jesus’ extreme power, which now gave him the extreme evidence he needed to be an extreme witness.

Application:

What will be your response to the evidence brought forth to you tonight of the extreme power of Jesus, Son of the God Most High?

Will you be as the herdsmen and the people from the city and country?

Will you choose to dismiss him? To run from him or reject him?

Or will you be as the man, who was, but no longer is demon possessed because of the power of Jesus?

Will you you acknowledge Jesus as the only one who can save you from the devil, his demons, and your own desires? Will you sprint, bow down, worship Him, and receive the gifts of mercy and grace He offers you today? Will that lead you to being a witness for Him today?

How will you respond today?

We must respond like the man, we must acknowledge the extreme evidence, the extreme evidence being the GOSPEL!

We are all sinners, by nature, by choice. No one of us here is not a sinner, everyone of us struggle with sin, it is a part of our every day life, and ever since Eve ate of the apple, and Adam ate of the apple out of their own desire for knowledge, it has affected us since the beginning!

In Romans 3:23 it says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”, but then God brings about this good news.

He says that for the wages of sin is death, but the gift, the free gift of God’s eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

You see, God offers mercy and grace to all sinners. He takes the title of sinner and He makes it into son or daughter of His and it says that God demonstrated his love for us that while we are still sinners that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Do you understand that today?

Christ died for you so that you might have a relationship with God. We must trust and surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The Bible says, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Who needed to hear this tonight? Who needs to hear that in their desperation, hope can be found in Jesus Christ because he loved you enough to die for you, but more than just that the Bible tells us that three days later He arose and then one day He’s coming back to receive to bring us back to glory to spend eternity in a place with no more desperation, only hope, only love, only joy, only peace.

The Bible assures us of this when it says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13) Point, blank, period.

Will this be you tonight?