Begging in the Presence of Power

Main Idea

When people come face to face with Jesus’ authority, everyone begs—but what they ask for reveals whether they seek freedom, distance, or devotion.

Last week, we left off with the disciples asking, “Who then is this?” Though Jesus’ authority over the storm answered that question, He will go even further in demonstrating His authority by casting out a legion of demons.

Passage

Mark 5:1–20 CSB

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. 3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—4 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. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” 8 For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 “What is your name?” he asked him. “My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. 12 The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there. 14 The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. 17 Then they began to beg him to leave their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. 19 Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

I. Condition vv.1-5

Location. The region of Gerasenes is part of the Decapolis, a political alliance of ten independent cities east of the Jordan River (except 1) that stretched as far north as Damascus and as far south as Amman. The city of Gergesa still has tombs scattered among the many caves near the Sea of Galilee. This is the first time in Mark that Jesus moves out of Jewish territory and into Gentile territory.

Image-bearer. This story describes the condition of an image-bearer of God who is utterly enslaved to the forces of darkness.

•       spiritually dead living among the physically dead

•       cast out by society

•       naked and ferrel

•       uncapturable because of his superhuman strength

•       is in literal and metaphorical chains and shackles

•       crying out in agony

•       constantly cutting himself (a devilish torment or suicide attempt?)

This is the first distinction between kingdoms. One brings life and healing, while the other imprisons and destroys. Satan can promise many things and help you indulge in sinful passions, and for a time it may seem he is giving you everything you ever wanted, much like his promises to Jesus during the wilderness temptation. However, we must understand that his ultimate desire is your torment and demise. He is called a thief and a liar who only steals, kills, and destroys. He hates the image of God in humans and will do everything he can to mar that image. Whatever power this man may have seemed to have paled in comparison to his misery… wailing all night long and mutilating his body.

II. Encounter vv.6-10

Kneel before Jesus.The man came and knelt before Jesus (or was it the demon horde who knelt?). This shows one of two possible details, or perhaps it’s a mixture of both. Either the man knelt before Jesus, showing his partial control over his own body and his willingness to bow before Jesus in the hope of being rescued from his torment, or the demons came and did what they had to do in the presence of their creator.

Spoke with Jesus.The demon speaks to Jesus, much like the one in the synagogue from chapter one. “What do you have to do with me?” Interestingly, this account suggests that Jesus commanded the demon to leave, but it resisted. We see this in verse 8, when Jesus had already told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” This is an interesting detail. On the surface, it seems the demons can defy their Creator and even taunt Him directly. However, on closer inspection, that cannot be the case.  Firstly, I don’t believe this remark was a taunt. I think it was a simple recognition that what Jesus came to do was the polar opposite of what they were currently doing. Similar to the encounter in chapter one, this was a recognition that, like oil and water, their two kingdoms don’t mix. It would be the same as asking, “What does darkness have to do with light?” Secondly, the next verse reveals the reality of Jesus’ authority over them. The demon rightly describes who Jesus is, then begs Him not to do what He has the authority to do.

Begs Jesus.The demon begs. I imagine the poor man begged the demons to leave thousands of times, but their delight was his torment. Now the tables have turned, and they are asking Jesus to show them mercy, though they gave no such mercy to the man. Then Jesus does something unusual. He asks the demon for its name, and interestingly, it replies not with a name but with a confirmation of the number in their ranks - Legion. This was almost assuredly a reference to a Roman legion, a military unit of 6,000 Roman soldiers. We can see this in the statement, “because we are many.” This poor man isn’t being tormented by one demon but by thousands of them! Then, after revealing the size of their military unit, the demon spokesperson begs Jesus a second time, asking that Jesus not banish them from the region.

Many of our epic war stories involve a hero facing impossible odds or engaging in frontline battles where they are severely outnumbered. We resonate with these scenes because we love heroic acts, displays of extreme courage, and underdog stories. I bring this up to ensure we don’t conflate that with what is happening here. Yes, Jesus, as one man, is engaging in frontline warfare against 6,000 enemy forces who are holding a man captive, whom Jesus seeks to free from their grasp. The element of impossible odds is present, but don’t think for a second that a real battle is about to erupt. Just as Jesus commanded the storm to cease with three words from His mouth, so He commands utter authority over this legion… not just as one man, but as the One True God. The Lord of Hosts has confronted the enemy, and their only reply is to beg for mercy. Jesus has authority over an entire legion of supernatural, fallen angels.

If He commands that level of authority over them, realize the authority He has over the enemy you face daily. You might be engaged in a real battle that seems to defeat you time and time again, but the One who is within you is greater than the one in the world. When you do as this tortured man did and kneel in submission before Jesus, you have already won the battle because that act of submission is you handing him the reins of your life.

III. Obedience vv. 11-13

Why pigs? You might be asking yourself why the demon spokesman requested permission to be sent into a herd of 2,000 pigs. Scripture speaks of a few destinations demons are sent to when cast out of a person. The first is wandering through waterless places, which resembles their own type of torment and exile, to be endured until they find another host. The second is the abyss, where they are held captive, away from any human interaction. These demons didn’t want either and were begging for a third option. They knew Jesus would not allow them to stay within this man, nor would He allow them to torment another image-bearer, so they asked to be sent into a living, non-image-bearing creature. In Jewish culture, pigs were unclean and even a derogatory name given to Gentiles. How fitting that an unclean spirit be sent into an unclean animal. This also shows Jesus’ love for human beings over animals. Demons can do real damage to those they inhabit or are removed from. Instead of those violent acts being performed on the man, Jesus allows the demons to act on the animals, not the man.

Mercy. Amazingly, Jesus gave permission! Despite how wicked these demons were, He still showed them mercy. This also shows the ongoing fight between the two kingdoms. Remember, Jesus defeated Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, yet the entire gospel shows the ongoing strife throughout His ministry. He gained all power and authority upon His triumphant resurrection, but even now, the time for ultimate judgment has not yet come. Jesus has authority over the enemy, but He will not fully eradicate them until His second coming.

The demons obeyed.Though there was momentary resistance from the demon spokesman, they ultimately had to obey, and I don’t think it was because their resistance was stronger than Jesus’ authority. I believe Jesus allowed it for us… I believe He allowed the demon to continue talking, thereby revealing their ranks and their desperate posture of begging. Because Jesus allowed it to continue talking, we can glory in the vast power the Son of God holds over the vast numbers of the enemy. Upon Jesus’ command, the demons entered 2,000 pigs, who immediately ran to the ocean and drowned. Unlike the will of man to live and resist the devil, the pigs had no such volition. They were immediately driven to death, because that is always the will of the enemy… to steal, kill, and destroy.

Rest secure in the authority of Christ. Even a legion of demons must have permission to act. You might feel like you are engaged in impossible battles. Maybe you feel like the enemy is owning you at every turn. If that is you, I implore you to remember this encounter. Just as the ancient Hebrews faced a dire situation when fleeing Egypt and were stuck at the water’s edge with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, God will make a way out for His people. He will move on their behalf to deliver them from danger and drown the opposition in the waters of His judgment. The enemy may desire your demise, but Jesus gives victory in the battle… over sin and death itself!

And we must act when faced with this reality. Our decisions are reflected in the two opposing reactions that come next.

IV. Resident Response vv. 14-17

Shock and fear. The townspeople were the first to respond. The herdsmen were the ones who witnessed the whole thing, and their immediate reaction was to go and tell everyone else. So, despite the fact that Jesus had just left a crowd behind on the other side of the sea, He quickly attracted another one. And this crowd was made up of confused and scared Gentiles who, no doubt, worshiped a plethora of other gods.

Faced with real power. The consensus seems to be unanimous… they begged Jesus to leave. However, their reason for that request is an interesting one. It would be tempting to think they asked for this because they didn’t want further devastation to their livelihood. After all, that was a lot of bacon, sausage, and pork chops that just ran into the ocean! But Mark doesn’t offer the loss of income as the reason for their request. What we see in the text are two realities set before them. One is the supernatural power of demonic forces being cast out of a man and into a herd of pigs, and the other is that man, whom the entire town had cast away and been annoyed by, being delivered from his affliction and restored to his right mind. This wasn’t about their livelihood… it was about an encounter with the power of a foreign God (foreign to them as Gentiles, that is).

Is this not the same position we are all in when we hear the gospel? The gospel is the power of salvation, and the resurrection of a soul dead in sin to new and eternal life is the greatest miracle of all! When fallen human beings come face to face with the God who created them, a decision must be made about Him. Unfortunately, the townspeople rejected Him, but even in their rejection, we see something interesting. They begged Him, just as the demons begged. Why is that interesting? Because you don’t beg someone who holds no authority. You beg someone who has a higher authority and power than you. Even they recognized Jesus’ power, though they were afraid of Him. How foolish are we if we not only reject Him but also fail to see His authority over us!

That was one reaction. Let’s now finish our time together with the second, and the right reaction.

V. Captive’s Response vv. 18-20

Yearning for more.This man reminds me of the parable of the two debts. Two men had their debts forgiven by a gracious lender. One debt was relatively small compared to the other’s mountainous debt. Jesus presented this scenario and then asked who was more grateful, and the disciples rightly answered… the one with the larger debt, of course! We don’t know how long this man was tormented, but we have seen the depths of his despair. No doubt, he was hopeless. His only way out was to commit suicide, yet in his literal valley of death’s shadow, Jesus delivered him fully and completely. When a person is freed from such a dark reality, the only appropriate response is full surrender. The man wanted to leave it all behind and follow his Savior! In fact, he begs to follow with the same intensity that the demons begged to be cast into the pigs and the townspeople begged Jesus to leave!

Jesus had another assignment. Yet, though it is clear that Jesus loves this man, He doesn’t allow him to come along. We know from other passages of Scripture that Jesus’ primary mission was to the Jews, though He was also opening the door to the Gentiles. For now, Jesus’ disciples were Jews. However, Jesus had plans for this man. He wasn’t going to leave him to his own devices. Instead, Jesus made him the first Gentile evangelist! He sent him into Gentile territory to be a witness who spoke of the Lord’s deliverance and mercy. Could you think of a better witness to God’s power, authority, and saving grace than this man? The entire region would have known of his affliction. They were all annoyed because they could not pass through where he lived. At one point or another, they would have encountered his deplorable state, seen His self-inflicted wounds, and heard his persistent wailing. And now, this guy… this crazed demoniac was fully restored and singing the praises of the God of Israel as superior to any of the other Greek, Roman, or pagan gods they worshipped? That would have been incredible! No wonder the people were amazed!

🔥 Application: Everyone Begs—But Not Everyone Is Freed

In this passage, three groups encounter the same Jesus, wielding the same authority—yet they beg for very different outcomes.

The demons beg for mercy because they know Jesus has absolute authority over them.

The townspeople beg Jesus to leave because His power disrupts their comfort and threatens their sense of control.

The delivered man begs to stay with Jesus because freedom has awakened love, gratitude, and surrender.

Each group recognizes Jesus’ authority—but only one response leads to life.

The demons want relief without repentance.

The townspeople want peace without transformation.

The healed man wants Jesus Himself, no matter the cost.

The question is not if you will beg—the question is what you will ask for when His authority confronts your life.

• Will you beg Jesus to leave you alone, so you can keep your comfort, habits, and control?

• Will you beg Him to manage your pain, but not rule your heart?

• Or will you beg Him to have all of you, even if it means a new direction, a new mission, and a new identity?

Don’t beg Jesus to be distant. Don’t beg Him merely for relief. Beg Him for mercy, surrender, and transformation, because the same authority that terrifies demons and unsettles the world sets captives free.

➤ Reflect: When Jesus’ authority presses in on your life, are you begging Him to leave—or begging Him to lead?