The Demoniac of Gadara: From Chaos to Calm

Introduction

This morning we get back into our series The Way, the Truth, and the Life: Studying Jesus through the Gospels. We left off in the story of Jesus’ life, at an event that was quite chaotic. Jesus had just finished teaching His first large grouping of parables, and then had take the time to explain a few of these to the 12 disciples and to a few others that had the desire to know more about Jesus’ teachings.

Immediately after, Jesus tells the disciples to get into the boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When He does this, there are some people that show interest in following Him, however, these people have shown that they are more interested in other things than in they are in following Jesus.

One of these individuals is one of Jesus’ disciples, who says, “Let me go bury my father first.” But Jesus responds, “No. Let the dead bury their dead, you follow me.” And though at first we may have seen this as rather harsh, we saw later that Jesus had a plan, and that plan necessitated them to get into the boat immediately and begin to sail now. Hopefully you will remember that when He said, “Get in the boat,” they left just as they were without any kind of preparation.

And one of the reasons that Jesus sets sail when He does is because there is a storm that the disciples needed to meet. This storm came upon them suddenly and was so fierce that it threatened to sink their ship, and in fear the disciples wake up Jesus who was asleep at the stern of the ship.

Jesus arises and calms the storm, but because the disciples had approached Jesus in fear and not in faith, Jesus tells them that they have little faith. Jesus wants His disciples to approach Him in faith, realizing that He is in control always over everything, and that when problems overwhelm us, we can confidently go to Him without fear.

It is probable that those that stayed ashore had the thought, “If only Jesus and His disciples would have waited until later to cross, they would not have had to experience this near-fatal storm.” However, it was necessary for the disciples to go through this, and having passed seen Jesus in control of the very forces of nature, they exclaimed, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the waves obey Him!?”

And they were the only ones that were able to see and experience Jesus’ power first hand. Had they waited, they never would have experienced that moment. We saw that Jesus sometimes orchestrates obstacles and difficulties and even situations that threaten our very safety so that we can experience His absolute control in our powerlessness.

This morning, we find another reason that Jesus urgently told the disciples, “Get in the boat and let’s go to the other side.” Not only did Jesus have an appointment with a storm, but soon after, the disciples see that He had an appointment with evil in the worst way than they had probably ever seen before.

This morning, our study through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ takes us to a story that most of us know as the Demoniac of Gadara. We will study this event in the ministry of Jesus, and as we do, I hope to point out some truths that will help us as we continue studying the events surrounding this day in the ministry of Jesus. Over the next few weeks, as we progress through our study, I hope that you will keep the events of this study in mind, because they come into play later on.

Without further ado, let us dive into the scripture this morning. The events of today are described by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and today we will mainly be focusing on the account that Mark gives us. As we do, I will point out some nuances from the other Gospel accounts.

So, let’s start in Mark 5:1-5

Mark 5:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. [Matthew 8, where we find this event in that book, tells us that this is the region of the Gergesenes. Both Gergesa and Gadara were in the same region of Decapolis (a lose alliance of ten Hellenistic cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire). Gergesa seems to be the place of the miracle, as it is located close to steep cliffs that drop into the Sea of Galilee. However, it is smaller than Gadara, and owing to the fact that both Gadara and Gerasa were close to each other and belonging to the Decapolis region, this area would still be considered the country of the Gadarenes. It like when I say that Tahsha is from Fort Worth, Texas. In reality, she was raised in Burleson and lived there until she married me, but because nobody outside of that area is familiar with Burleson, we commonly say she is from Fort Worth while retaining accuracy because Burleson does belong to the Ft. Worth region. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, [Again, the fact that the man met Jesus immediately after He got out of the boat supports the location of Gergesa, because of the proximity of Gergesa to the shore, and also because of the tombs that can still be seen that were carved into the mountain outside the city of Gergesa. In addition to this, Matthew tells us that there were two men. Because Mark and Luke both give us much more detail of the story and only tell us of one man, we will treat this as a singular man. We do not know why Matthew references 2 men while the others only reference 1, there could be any number of reasons. But the fact that Matthew tells of an additional man does not make this a contradiction, it merely suggests that Mark and Luke were more impacted by the healing and transformation of one of these men over the other.] 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

A Look at the Man

We have just read about a man with some problems. Often, when we see people with problems, our minds focus on the problems and not on the person. So just for a minute, I want us to think of this man, not as a demon possessed man, but as a person.

This man had a mother and father. He probably, at some point, lived in a house, probably had a job, maybe even working in the family business. Most likely, he had friends at some point. This man may have had a wife and children. This is not just some crazy, nut job that lives in the cemetery outside town. No, this man was a person who at one time had a life. No doubt he liked to have fun, hang out with friends. But now, he is just a wild man. Let’s walk through the description.

1. He Was Uncontrollable

Mark 5:4 KJV 1900

4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

He was wild. Luke tells us that he ran around naked. No one could subdue him. There was nothing that could calm him down. He was a fierce man. Matthew describes him this way and adds that he would not let anyone pass by that way. As people came upon the shore that Jesus landed, this man would chase them off.

He was strong; he had so much strength, but nothing good ever came of it because he was uncontrollable. He could not live at home with wife and kids; he could not live at home with family because he had no self control.

2. He Was Inconsolable

Not only was he uncontrollable, he was inconsolable. He cried, day and night. Mark 5:5

Mark 5:5 KJV 1900

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

Why did he cry? It wasn’t because he was a crazy person. Even those we would consider “crazy” have reasons why they cry, just like the rest of us have reasons when we cry. We cry because of pain, depression, discomfort, etc. But when people head “Crazy Joe” out in the tombs crying, do you think they ever asked themselves, “I wonder why he is crying?” No, the prevailing thought in that day, just as it would be in this day, was probably, “Well, there goes Crazy Joe again, howling at the moon.”

But come on, this man, as we will see in just a little while, was possessed with a multitude of demons. That has to be something to cry about. Think about all that he had lost as a person for being in his condition - his family, his friends, his home.

To my knowledge, I’ve never encountered a demon possessed person before, but I have spoken with some who have. It seems that those in this condition are not always under its control 100% of the time - that there are moments of lucidity. One man told me of an encounter he had with another man who looked like he was painfully straining, trying to stay in his right mind. The book of Luke 8:29 seems to corroborate this as it says:

Luke 8:29 KJV 1900

29 (...For oftentimes it [the unclean spirit] had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

In times where this man was tame enough to be bound, they would chain him up, but as soon as the unclean spirit took control, he would break out of those chains.

This man was in pain. Surely he was depressed. When we think about this man as a person, we understand why he would feel this way: No family, no friends, no company except for the other possessed fella with him, no purpose in life. he was inconsolable.

3. He Had a Harmful Habit

There was no comfort for him, and thus, he had turned to other ways of releasing the pain. We read in Mark 5:5 that he was “always, night and day… in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.”

He had no self control, he was uncontrollable by others, he had lost it all, and in his pain he began to harm himself.

I wonder if it was these times, at night, when he would be left alone, and for a moment be in his right mind considering all that he had done throughout the day and over the years. I wonder if these nights he sat among the now familiar tombs, wishing to go back to family that rejected him, family that was scared of being around him, wishing to integrate back into a community that now only ridiculed him and avoided him. And I wonder if while he sat there, he would cry, and the only way he knew to deal with the pain on the inside was to cause himself pain on the outside.

And oh how that unclean spirit must have been overjoyed when that happened! Listen, this cutting and self-harm thing is nothing new. It has been around for thousands of years. It was used as a way of worshipping demonic false gods. And Satan has few greater pleasures than to see God’s most cherished creation harm its own self.

And there this man is - uncontrollable and hopelessly inconsolable.

4. He Had an Unnatural Hangout

His dwelling was among the tombs. Luke 8:27 tells us that he lived among the tombs.

Luke 8:27 KJV 1900

27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

He was obsessed by death, and no wonder, for he was possessed by the servants of Satan. Satan, the roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Satan, the thief that seeks nought but to steal and kill and destroy. This man was as far away from God, the God of the living, as he ever could be. This man was living with the dead.

5. He Was Aware of His Problem and of Who Could Change It

This man had all these problems. He was in a bad spot, but he was aware of these things, but I also believe that in himself, he recognized the One that could change him. I want you to notice a couple of verses. Mark 5:2

Mark 5:2 KJV 1900

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Look now at verse 6.

Mark 5:6–7 KJV 1900

6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

I imagine that this was one of the times of struggle between the man and the spirits that possessed him. The demons obviously did NOT want Jesus there and they were afraid of him, but I believe that the approach was initiated by the man. He approached Jesus, ran to Him and worshipped Him, but now, the spirits gain control and cry out loudly, “What have we to do with you, Jesus?”

A Look at the Unclean Spirit

We’ve taken a look at the man. Now let us take a look at the unclean spirit that possessed him.

Mark 5:8–13 KJV 1900

8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

1. It Was a Legion

“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “I am Legion, for we are many,” came the response. It probably did not start off this way for Joe. Joe’s encounter with the spirit realm probably was opening the door of influence in his life to one unclean spirit. The man probably looked for exorcists and those that could rid him of that unclean spirit. But as we know from Jesus, when that happens though any other means than by God’s power, the unclean spirit leaves for a little while, but comes back with friends.

We do not know how many times this had happened, but now there are hundreds, if not thousands of unclean spirits possessing and tormenting this man. Legion. Legion is a Roman military term. A legion was a division of the Roman army containing anywhere from 4-6 thousand soldiers. That this man was possessed by 4 thousand spirits is unknown, but we cannot discount the multitude of unclean spirits present.

2. It Was Afraid

The spirit was afraid. Let’s take a look at what Matthew and Luke have to say.

Matthew 8:29 KJV 1900

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

They were afraid of being tormented before their time. These demons knew that Jesus had not come to judge the world at this time, but they also recognized His divine authority and ability to judge them at any time he pleased.

Luke gives a further observation. Luke 8:31

Luke 8:31 KJV 1900

31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

This is not a reference to the deep parts of the Sea of Galilee that was nearby, but into the depths of hell. Notice what 2 Peter 2:4 says.

2 Peter 2:4 KJV 1900

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

There is a certain amount of fallen angels that are not free to roam the earth. They sinned in such a way, at some point in time, that God cast them, bound, into hell, and there they are tormented until the final day of judgment.

The spirit possessing the man has besought Him to not cast them there.

3. It Was Territorial

For whatever reason, the spirit named Legion did not want to leave even the region where it was located. There are passages of Scripture that seem to indicate that Satan has organized his servants into territories and/or governmental commands, and it seems that these had been assigned by their master this particular region. Mark 5:10

Mark 5:10 KJV 1900

10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

So it was territorial.

4. It Was Evil

You might say, “Mike, that is a given. I don’t even know why you bring it up.” But I don’t think we consider the level of evil that Satan and his demons are. The man, possessed by these demons, was tormented day and night - screaming, crying, and cutting himself. It wasn’t enough for one to come in and torment him, he brought back more and more and more. Hundreds, if not thousands, of evil spirits continually wrecked this man’s mind and soul, and would not even allow him to die. He cut himself constantly, and yet they just used him as a toy, never letting the cuts go too deep, but overjoyed in watching God’s creation destroy his body and be tormented in his mind.

That’s evil.

But their last act that we read of is evil as well. Mark 5:12-13

Mark 5:12–13 KJV 1900

12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

There is a couple of questions that often get asked here. “Why didn’t Jesus send these spirits to hell right then and there? Why did He allow the spirits to go into the herd of swine? And why did they want to enter into the pigs anyway?”

Well, there are several prevailing theories, and after I tell them to you, I’ll give you my opinion as to which one is the reason.

It is possible that they wanted to be allowed to go into a host body where they could exert more of their influence.

Another explanation is that the demons had a hatred for God’s creation. They had been tormenting this man for a long time, and now, in a final slap in the face to the Creator, they ask to go into the pigs only to drown them unnecessarily. In killing these animals, they also hurt those that raised and sold them for a living.

They wanted to damage Jesus’ reputation. As we will read in a moment, the people from that area, having seen the events unfold before their eyes, go and ask Jesus to leave. Now, instead of being able to influence many people, Jesus has only delivered this one man.

Of these three, I think all of them are good possibilities, and strongly believe that the last two are the principle reasons for why the demons wanted to enter the herd of pigs.

But the question remains, why did Jesus allow this?

By allowing the demons to do that, Jesus exposed the true nature of evil. He visibly revealed the true nature of evil - destruction and chaos. I imagine that to the town, Crazy Joe had become a staple. It became impersonal to them that there was a crazy, wild, demon possessed man living in the tombs. When people would visit, I imagine they would ask. “What is that horrible wailing sound?” “Oh, yeah, that’s Crazy Joe! He runs around naked and cries and cuts himself all the time. We’re used to it by now.” Kind of like you might say of a train after several years of living by a railroad track. But now, the evil presence of these spirits becomes very personal to the people of this country. What a warning to others that evil is such a destructive force.

As we will see in a moment as well, Jesus allowing the demons to enter and destroy the herd of pigs is a critique of the priorities of the people of this region. When Jesus heals this man and delivers him completely, the people were more concerned with their livelihood than they were with their neighbor who had been tormented, probably for years. They preferred pigs over people. And as evil as those spirit were that were possessing the man, the love of possessions over people is just as evil.

A Look at the Savior

We have taken a look at the man, a look at the spirit, and now we will take a look at the Savior.

We won’t read all the verses over again, but I’ll reference them for you.

1. He Loves

First off, we see that Jesus cared about this man. I believe that one of the reasons that Jesus was insistent on crossing the Sea of Galilee when He did, without making preparations, was not only because He needed the disciples to experience the storm and His power over nature, but He had an appointment with this tormented man.

He cared enough to go over there to show these men love, even though everyone else would beg him to leave.

2. He Has Authority and Power

Earlier, during the storm, Jesus showed His disciples that He has authority over the forces of nature, and now Jesus demonstrates His total authority in the spiritual realm. Jesus did not request that the spirits leave, He commanded them to leave. And these spirits recognized His divine authority and left. They requested of Jesus to enter the swine, knowing that they needed even His permission to wreak that damage on His creation.

3. He Can Change Anyone

Mark 5:14–15 KJV 1900

14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

A Look at the Change

Anytime that there is an encounter with Jesus, there will be a change.

The man, who was uncontrollable, now sat down peacefully. The man who used to run around naked, now sat clothed. The man who who wept and screamed and cut himself in agony, now was in his right mind, no longer tormented.

Luke adds one more detail to the change. Luke 8:35

Luke 8:35 KJV 1900

35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

He wasn’t just sitting, he was sitting at the feet of Jesus. He was submissive. He was listening. He was learning from Jesus already.

From Chaos to Calm all because of the Savior.

He had a desire to follow Jesus, even when no one else did.

Mark 5:16–18 KJV 1900

16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

He begged Jesus to let him get in the boat with Him and the disciples. What a story this would have made of the 13th disciple! He wanted to follow Jesus. He had lost it all because of the evil within him. Now free, Jesus was all that concerned him.

But this man was submissive as well. Notice what Jesus says to him.

Luke 8:39 KJV 1900

39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Mark 5:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Jesus says, “No, you can’t come with me. Your place is to go to your own home, go to your own friends and family and tell them what God has done for you.”

Luke records that he departed and started to tell everyone in his own city, but Mark tells us further that he want on to tell all the cities of Decapolis the great things that Jesus had done for him. And what was the result? Everyone marveled.

Can you imagine this man, showing up at home. Knocking on the door, and his wife opens up. A wife that hasn’t seen her husband in his right mind for years. Children come to the door as their mother weeps for joy, children that this man has not seen since they were babies, now walking around and talking. And his sits his family down on the couch and begins to tell them the wonderful encounter he has just had with Jesus.

From there he tells his parents. Then his old boss and coworkers. He tells his old High School friends and then the whole city is a-buzz, “Have you heard about what happened to Crazy Joe? Have you seen him lately? Have you noticed that he’s not waking us up at all hours of the night with his weeping and wailing?”

From there, he takes Jesus’ command seriously, and goes from city to city - from Gergesa to Gadara, from Damascus to Hippo, from Gerasa to Scythopolis and all the ten cities of that region, telling them all about this man named Jesus who changed his life forever.

Invitation

Has Jesus made a change in your life?

Do you find yourself in misery, pain, and despair?

Are your hobbies and habits harmful? (Physically, spiritually? Think movies, games, tv shows, books). The demoniac used cutting as his outlet; what are you using as your outlet for pain or stress (eating, gossiping, drinking, shopping, etc.)?

Are you seeking God or are you using other means to lighten your load? Jesus said, "Come unto me all you who are heavy laden... and I will give you rest." No bottle, powder, needle, or cigarette will give you the rest that Jesus can. No amount of cutting or other self induced pain will lighten your present pain.

What about the friends you hang out with? If you read the book of Matthew, he gives the account saying there were 2 demon possessed men. Mark and Luke seem to just relate the account of the worst of the two. But this man had friends that were in the same condition he was. This friend could not help him any more than he could help himself.

What about your friends? Are they those that promote you to live and grow spiritually? or are they those that join you in your self-destruction?

Are you master-less, or have you submitted fully to Christ? - If you have, is it obvious to others?

Is it noted in your attitude, in your actions?

Are you letting Jesus use you to make a change in other people's lives?

Do you detach your Sunday morning self from the rest of you throughout the week, or do you carry what you have experienced on Sundays (the worship, the preaching, the encouragement from others) and tell others what great things the Lord has done?

Home Groups

What, if anything, stood out to you from the sermon today?

Warm Up

1. Why do you think it's easier to notice someone’s problems than to see them as a person with a story?

Scripture Focused Questions

2. In what way did the townspeople react to the man’s transformation after being healed? What does this say about their priorities?

3. What was the significance of Jesus telling the man to return to his own home and share his story?

Heart Focused Questions

4. Reflect on the man’s pain, isolation, and self-destruction. How do you think he felt about his own condition? Have you ever felt desperation or hopelessness in your own life? How did you cope with it?

5. When have you been tempted to see someone only through the lens of their struggles, rather than as a whole person deeply loved by God?

6. Jesus crossed the sea and chose to meet this man intentionally. What does that reveal about God’s heart for those who seem the farthest gone?

Application Questions

7. What specific step could you take this week to show compassion to someone going through deep pain, rather than avoiding or judging them?

8. How does the man’s obedience to Jesus’s command, to go and tell others what the Lord had done, inspire you to share your own story of God’s work in your life?

9. In what ways does this story challenge you to examine your priorities—do you value comfort, possessions, or status over people’s lives and transformation?