Rocktober: Jesus Casts Out A Demon

Mark 5: 1-20

Hook: What’s the furthest you’ve ever thrown something before?

Talk about Rocktober and where we’ve been at for the last couple of weeks. Introduce New Testament side of it and elaborate on how even the Bible has some metal stuff in the ministry of Jesus.

Introduce the story of Jesus healing a Man with a Demon. To set up this story, talk about how this takes place after the travel from the other side to the country of Gerasenes. This was during Jesus ministry as he was going out teaching, performing miracles, and laying the foundation about what it looks like to follow Him. At this point in His ministry, Jesus and His Disciples come across something that was completely crazy

Mark 5:1–5 “They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.”

This guy was crazy!!! The way that this passage is describing this guy is something that doesn’t even describe a human. He had torn off the chains, he smashed the shackles, he lived in a tomb rather than in one of the houses. This guy basically acted as if he was a untamed animal of some sorts. The normal nature for someone if they were to come across this person who acted out with this type of behavior, they would turn the other way as fast as they can and they would go towards the other direction. These people in this day in age were extremely frowned upon and not tolerated by anyone. So when Jesus and His disciples come across this man, it was alarming and the thoughts that the disciples must’ve been having could’ve been something along of lines of “avoid this man, he seems sketchy.

Share German Shepherd example about how I was terrified at these 4 watch dogs.

I’m pretty sure it could’ve been compared to this, but this uncleaned spirited man was probably ten times more scarier.

However, Jesus had a different encounter with this man with an uncleaned spirit than what most people did and we see the sign that Jesus gives to those that are witnessing this encounter.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 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.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 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.

So here is Jesus, being gracious and reviving this mans life away from this demon, he ultimately brings out this demon out of the man, but not before he has a flat out conversation with this certain demon.

Right out of the gate, this demon goes and kneels right to Jesus and confesses that He is the Son of God. Imagine the whole entire situation here. A man who is demon possessed, in which he acts wildly and non human like whatsoever, straight up admits that Jesus is the son of God. Think about all of the things that we face in our lives. We face fear, anger, heartbreak, disconnection, and a whole lot more. The world will throw anything at us to discourage the relationship that we have with Jesus. If there was ever any word of encouragement for us, look no further than this scenario from this encounter. Even the demons fall in fear of the name of Jesus. So, if the demons fall in fear of the name of Jesus, why should we ever be afraid of anything when we have a relationship with Him?

So, as this encounter between Jesus and this uncleaned spirit continues, he learns about the personality of this demon. Jesus asks about his name and the demon answers that his name is Legion because they are many. This means that it was not only one demon within this one man, but also many demons. Possibly aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and any homie that this demon might’ve had. All of them were living in this one person. Even through all of this, Jesus was able to have a one on one conversation. It gets to the point where Jesus commands legion to come out. He even does this in a gracious way by letting the demon go into a swarm of pigs. Now it is believed that there were about 2000 pigs here. Jesus then casting this demon out into the pigs, all of these pigs go into the sea and drown. All of this excitement that’s going on. Jesus making legion come out of him, legion then going into these two thousand pigs, these two thousand pigs flat out dying. All of these things. How do the people respond.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

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. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

So instead of thanking Jesus for saving this man who was demon-possessed, they were already begging for Jesus to leave. There could be many reasons of why people were wanting Jesus to leave, however it could really come down to two feelings. One feeling could’ve been that the people were angry with Jesus. During this day in age, pigs were very strong symbol of wealth due to the pork that they held. Losing all of that pork meant they lost a lot of food and money, resulting in the people being angry at Jesus. Another feeling that most of the people could’ve also been feeling is that they were simply terrified. Imagine someone telling you that in the town that in which you are living in, that a man who had been performing miracles and telling parables, that He just healed a demon-possessed man. Some people might be cool, but most people if not all would be terrified. Sometimes, the power that Jesus has over things because He is Fully God and Fully Man can be consider terrifying, but it could also be known as loving. As we go into the final few verses, that’s what we will see

English Standard Version Chapter 5

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 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.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

We look at this man, after he was healed, he had this ultimate desire to stay with Jesus and His Disciples. Ultimately declining the offer, Jesus instead tells him to go home and tell them about all that God has done for him and how God has had mercy on Him. So as we break off into our groups, That should be our response. We are to go out and share about how much God has done for us and how much mercy he’s had on us. As far as the power that Jesus has on people are concerned, we know that the power that is found in the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can save us from our sins. A relationship with Jesus is the only way to God.