Mark 5
Notes
Transcript
Mark 5
Mark 5
Good morning church! Now it has been two weeks since we were in the Gospel of Mark together, so I just want to remind you where we left off. At the end of chapter 4 Jesus had been teaching large crowds in parables. He would then get with His guys, the 12 Disciples and break it down for them to help them understand. And then at the very end of the chapter He tells them lets go over to the other side. They get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee, there are other boats with them.
Jesus goes to sleep on a cushion, and then a storm, not just a storm, a great windstorm breaks out. The waves are breaking into the boat, the boat starts filling with water, they wake Jesus up in a panic, and He calms the storm. That freaks them out just about as much as the storm did, because who can do that except God. The boat is approaching the shore, and chapter 5 begins.
1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes.
Let’s pray...
Now just as a head’s up- Nicole and I have a friend that is supposed to be listening this morning as she drives back from guard duty down in Portland. She asked if I could stretch it out for the full 2.5 hour drive. So maybe keep praying. I’m not really prepared to go past chapter 12 or so.
Gadarenes. In modern day Israel if you are down toward the north end of the Sea of Galilee and look to the east on a mountain rise, that area is known as the Golan Heights. It is a disputed area. In 2019 the United States recognized it as being under Israeli sovereignty. Much of the rest of the world over there considers it Syrian land occupied by Israel. It is part of Biblical Israel and the land the God promised them, so you can argue all you want, in the end God is going to win.
In the first century bible times, this was gentile land, non-Jewish land. This area was part of the Roman Decapolis. The Greek word, we see the root deca, meaning ten in there, polis is city, so it was a collective of 10 cities, primarily gentile which explains the pigs we are going to read about.
SO they cross over to the other side into this gentile region, let’s pick it up in verse 2
2 And when He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,
3 who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;
4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 And constantly, night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones.
6 And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;
Now your bible might say worshiped Him. But you shouldn’t be confused by that, it didn’t look like what we’ve done here this morning, translated literally, it is he bowed before him. Laid himself out prostrate before Jesus.
I bring this up, because you’ve already seen Jesus challenging the legalistic religious guys in charge. When Pastor Joe taught a few weeks back, their beef was healing on the Sabbath. The week before that, they got all twisted up, because the disciples picked some heads grain while walking through a field on the Sabbath.
There is some repetition in this story that Mark is telling us here, that has to be leading up to something important. I mean the story is wild enough on it’s own, but notice what he is telling us. In verse 2 immediately a man from the tombs, vs 3 he is dwelling among the tombs, vs. 5 constantly, night and day, among the tombs...so lets break this down to keep it simple. What do you find in the tombs?
Dead bodies. Now relate that to Jewish Law. Is a dead body, clean or unclean? What happens to you if you touch a dead body under Jewish law, you become unclean.
If you were considered ceremonially unclean, you could not participate in corporate worship. You couldn’t touch anyone else or they would become unclean. The length of time you were unclean varied by offense, but touching a dead body, just once was a seven day period of uncleaness. And even after this period of separation you would still need cleansing and purification.
Usually that meant you would have to wash and then go to the priests and offer sacrifices, a sin offering and a burnt offering. I point all of that out to let you know that being demon possessed was a big part of this story, but there were other things that made it worse in some regards. This man could not have lived in a more unclean place if he had tried. So, just take a step back and get some perspective.
This guy is literally running around like a madman, because he is a madman. Naked, living in the graveyard with the dead bodies. Bleeding, screaming, cutting himself. He was probably all scabs and scars. Remember it said they didn’t even try to chain up up anymore, because whenever they did, he would just tare them apart and break the shackles. There is no way you do that without cutting flesh or breaking bones. Any of my law enforcement or corrections friends might remember the days of bath salts or money dust.
So this guy possessed by a demon runs from a distance when he sees Jesus, he bows at his feet, I prefer the translation bows or fell down before Him, because our text tells us this wasn’t a solemn moment, he is still screaming his head off! Verse 7
7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!”
Now remember Jesus was a Jew, not just a Jew, but a Jewish Rabbi. Remaining clean was not just a big deal to these guys, it was essential in order to continue to minister to others. The religious leaders would make great efforts to separate themselves from the common people. Wrapping their robes around them, avoiding walking through a crowd, in fear of touching someone that might in some why be unclean. They wouldn’t want to touch anyone.
So how would Jesus respond to this guy. Imagine if you were there, that would be the question in your mind. You might think you know, but you never knew with Jesus. Tradition seemed to be out the window with Him. Verse 8 is interesting because it tells us that what the guy was yelling in verse 7 was in reaction to something that Jesus was already doing. Check it out.
8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
Its a bit entertaining reading bible commentaries on this scene. Many go back an sight some ancient belief in exorcisms that you needed to use the full name of the demon in order to exert power or control over the demon. So they go back to verse 7 and say that was the demon calling Him Jesus, Son of the Most High as a shot across the bow. I don’t know, maybe that’s why my mom would shout out Brian Thomas Eggert, maybe she thought I was full of the devil?
I wish I knew what of this was the man, and what of it was the demon influencing and speaking out from the man. The plea to Jesus to not torment him, makes sense from either the man or the demons. Consider the life of complete torment he was living. Separated for any sanity. Controlled by the one who’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He was two for three with this man. When the demon does speak, in answer to the question, I believe Jesus asked of the man, not of the demon, he says my name is Legion for we are many.
A roman legion of soldiers would be up to 6,000 men. What kind of torture was that having that many voices in your head? I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus asked the demon’s name, because it didn’t matter, but this man did.
See it in these verses: He had been saying come out of the man, and He was asking him his name...also notice Jesus identified the uncleaness before even delivering him, come out you unclean spirit.
10 And he began pleading with Him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain.
12 And the demons pleaded with Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.”
13 And Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
Verse 11 says a large herd and then we read in 13 that it was about 2,000 swine that rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned. 2,000 pigs. I don’t know if any of you have ever raised pigs? Nicole and I lived for a season in Smithfield, VA, otherwise known as the ham capital of the World. Anyone know where ham comes from? Pigs. I’ll tell you, it doesn’t take you too long of living in Smithfield in the summer time to forever loose your appetite for pork.
Now, I’ve gone through rehab so I can from time to time enjoy some bacon, but all I have to do to cut myself off, is to remind myself of one of those smelly, dripping hog trucks that you’d get stuck behind far too often.
So why did Jesus give them what they wanted and send them into the pigs rather than straight to Hell? I can’t fully answer that. I know it was not yet time, because His time to defeat Satan once and for all was yet to come on the cross and in the resurrection. But I also think it was an immediate demonstration to all those present that the wages of sin is death, and that is what these demons desired to do to this man. Steal, kill, and destroy.
14 And their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.
Why did these guys run away instead of falling on their faces in worship?
They were the ones responsible for the pigs! Can you imagine this happening to you at work? Your job is to take care of 2,000 hogs. A storm comes up, a storm goes away, some guys row up in a boat. The crazy devil guys that lives among the bones in the tombs comes up, and rather than terrorize these guys, he bows down before one of them. The guy talks to him, he calms down, but then all the pigs run down into the sea and die. For real! Only there is no way that sounds real... so the people come to check it out, and this is what they see.
15 And they came to Jesus and observed the demon-possessed man sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the “legion”; and they became frightened.
The demon-possessed man was sitting down, the previous description of him, look at verse 5
5 And constantly, night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones.
and now he is just sitting there. With Jesus and the other guys that came over on the boat, and the others that saw it, that weren't the herdsmen. He’s got clothes on.
15 And they came to Jesus and observed the demon-possessed man sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the “legion”; and they became frightened.
And the guy that was completely out of his mind is now in his right mind, and the people become frightened. I totally get that...they know this guy, they have seen what they have seen, they are just waiting for another attack probably. But as they look at him, they see the man, not the legion that was within the man.
He has clothes on. How did that happen? Ever think of what it was like the moment after the pigs took off? What it was like for this guy? What he looked like? It says Jesus cast them out, but it doesn’t say He gave him a make over. What did he look like, smell like? How long and knotted had his hair become? The sores from cutting himself, were they scabbed, infected, I don’t want to get too gross here. But think about it for a minute. When was the last time he brushed his teeth? Did he still have many?
The realization that he had been set free, but was now naked, in front of Jesus and the spectators. Did they bathe him, tend to his wounds. Someone must have touched him. Gave him some clothing. Fed him. He man, sit. Are you hungry? Was he talking with them? We know he wasn’t crying out and gashing himself. Was it just by his look that people knew he was in his right mind, or also by the things he was saying? This was a bit more dramatic than the ultimate make-over, because the people weren’t oohing and ahhing, they became frightened.
Oh, don’t forget about the Jewish law, this guy was ceremonially not just unclean, but maybe was the recordholder! He was ceremonially filthy. He would have to undergo a time of waiting, and then visit the priests, offer sacrifice...oh, and everyone that touched him would be unclean. Only they weren’t, he wasn’t. Why, how?
He was made clean by Jesus. Jehovah M’Kaddesh (Mekaddesh) - The LORD who sanctifies. The One who set’s apart, makes Holy, makes clean.
This was Jesus then, this is Jesus now. He goes to you exactly were you are, and saves you in that place. Makes you clean. The bible says a brand new creation. Not a fresh detail on an old set of wheels. Not an upgrade. A new creation.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
This man, the Gerasenes most wanted, is a new creation! Do the people rejoice? The bible says they became frightened, look at verse 16.
16 And those who had seen it recounted to them how this had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine.
17 And they began to plead with Him to leave their region.
Heartbreaking. There are all kinds of speculations about why they would react that way. The economic impact of such a great loss? Maybe they were afraid they would only be able to eat turkey bacon for awhile? I get that. I don’t know exactly, but I’ll tell you what actually scares me about it? I think our own society, with the aid of social media, is exactly in this spot. Much of our nation could witness Jesus completely transform evil before their eyes. Could watch Him transform even their greatest enemy even, and the response would be, I don’t know what’s going on here, but we don’t want anything to do with it. Keep God out of our lives, we aren’t interested in your Jesus stuff.
Be prepared for it. Our President announced this past week that on May 17, 2026, at an event held on the National Mall in Washington D.C., they are inviting Americans to come and celebrate our country being 250 years old, but to also join together in prayer and rededicate our country as One Nation under God. People are loosing their minds over this. Just like they were here in our story.
Jesus gives them what they want...verse 18
18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was pleading with Him that he might accompany Him.
19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
Man you have story to tell, go tell it! The Lord has had mercy on you, go to your home, go to your people, and share with them these great things! The guy is grateful, his life has been changed, he just wants to hang out with Jesus, but that is not what being His disciple is about. I should say, that’s not all it’s about. Hanging out with Jesus is what makes us good disciples, remember back in chapter 1 Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you...”
Jesus completely left out the requirements of becoming a preacher. Maybe it’s my translation, but it doesn’t say you can’t come with me, but go and get a bachelors degree and follow that up with a 3 year Master’s of Divinity, and then we’ll talk. Jesus’ qualification for ministry, seems to be a life changed by Him.
Has God been merciful to you? Were you on a destination course with disaster, and Jesus showed up? Then you have a story to tell. Our Lord sent him out and he obeyed.
20 And he went away and began to preach in the Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was marveling.
So we have our first miracle in this chapter, where Jesus makes the unclean clean. Loving this man, caring for him, dressing him, and commissioning him to tell others. Now Mark moves on.
21 And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.
I don’t want to take a bunch of time, but I want you to take notice, that Jesus and His men were on this side, He said let’s go to that side, there was a storm, until there wasn’t, He commands the wind to be silent, to be still and it does. They have this encounter with this unclean, demon possessed man, not in his right mind, 2,000 pigs take a swine dive, ha, you thought I missed it...and then they come back.
So the trip was all about him, it was for the king of the unclean, that Jehovah M’Kaddesh (Mekaddesh) went to the other side. He didn’t avoid messy ministry like the pharisees.
Also, on that side, He heals a man and He says tell everybody...right? In the land of the Gentiles, where they didn’t want Him, go tell everyone you know, and then on this side, where He was so popular, he heals a guy with leprosy and says tell no one.
22 And one of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet
23 and pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come, that by coming, You may lay Your hands on her, so that she will be saved and live.”
24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
What a contrast here, a few verses back, we have a man that all would have considered unclean coming to Jesus and bowing at His feet and he we have Jairus, who everyone would have known. One of the synagogue officials, so in the eyes of his fellow man, he would have been considered Mr. Clean. You can put yourself in his place, and the desperation he must have been feeling. Parents you can relate. His daughter is sick, and he can’t do anything to change it.
Please, he begs Jesus, come, lay your hands on her, and make her well so that she will live.
Jesus goes off with him, there is this huge crowd of people, everyone is bumping into everyone else, they are pressing in on Jesus.
Try to imagine this. Thousands of people gathered where they didn’t normally gather. This is shortly before Jesus feeds the 5,000 men, plus the women and children. His popularity is soaring. Jairus sees Him coming in on the boat and grabs Him, please, You’ve got to come to my house.
But there is this crowd...
25 And a woman—who had a hemorrhage for twelve years
26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—
We hear of this woman, and our first thoughts are this poor woman. There is a painting in a Catholic chapel in Magdala that has a mural depicting this scene, I was going to show you a picture of it this morning, but I figured it’s easier to just show you when we go there. So this woman had an ongoing and persistent issue of blood for 12 years. She spent everything she had on doctors, it says she endured much at the hands of doctors, and it didn’t make her better, it made her worse.
Her life would not have been much different than the man in the tombs, because she was unclean. Out of fellowship, could not go up to the court of the women to worship, and she was out of reach of physical touch from everyone who loved her and whom she loved. The crowd here would not have felt sorrow for her, they would have been applaud. How could you go into a crowd? Why would you put yourself above everyone else and make us all unclean. Why would you risk making Jesus unclean? Look what happens...
27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His garment.
28 For she was saying, “If I just touch His garments, I will be saved from this.”
SO this wasn’t an accident. This was premeditated. And it was radical. I don’t just mean because she was healed from what others couldn’t heal her from. But she was unclean, she had an issue of blood and she intentionally touched Jesus. That mural I told you about is basically a picture of feet in the crowd. You see the sandals of Jesus, and others. The artist directs the light in the painting to draw attention to the helm of Jesus’ garment and you see a hand stretching out from the ground.
It’s kind of a famous place, it is a catholic chapel and people travel from all over the world both for healings and for exorcisms, to touch that spot looking to be set free. There was an attempted exorcism while we were just there. The problem with that chapel today, unlike the situation we are reading about this morning, is they are not reaching for Jesus. They aren’t seeking Him, they are traveling to a spot where they can go and touch some dried paint. It’s kind of sad.
But this woman, think about this, she wasn’t just violating tradition, she was actually breaking Mosaic Law. That will make you stop and do some theological summersaults! Only, I think her theology was right on. She was unclean and needed to be made clean. She had heard about Jesus and I believe somehow knew that He was the One to fulfill the Law.
29 And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she knew within her body that she had been healed of her affliction.
30 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and was saying, “Who touched My garments?”
I don’t know how many paid attention at this point, so how many thought something was wrong with Him. What do you mean who touched You, everybody is touching everybody! Except one in that crowd knew. She was probably in the middle of sneaking away when she heard His voice.
31 And His disciples were saying to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
32 And He was looking around to see the woman who had done this.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
Now I know as we hear this today, we think that if we were there, and we knew this miraculous thing happened, we would bust out with worship. Whether we could sing or not, we would be singing, maybe so excited that we would sing and clap, our joy would be uncontainable. Well maybe not, I shared three miracles of healing with you guys last week and it was a yawn fest out there.
We think we would be rejoicing because of our culture and our context, but this woman was fearful and trembling, because she grew up in a different culture and context. We just made it through Christmas and a whole bunch of holiday gathering. Imagine growing up in a place where a gathering was happening, either at the synagogue, or in your home, and when you did that, it was always...where is Aunt Judy, or mom, your sister, or your cousin, and you got used to hearing, she couldn’t come this time, she’s unclean.
She couldn’t come in the house, or she had to stay over there. Oh, ok, and that was normal. What wasn’t normal was this. As she fell down before Him, and the demon possessed man had done, and as Jairus did just before her, she told Him the whole truth. I have been unclean for 12 years, I came into the crowd. What does she mean she came into the crowd unclean, I think she touched me...
And I reached out and touched You and my bleeding stopped! Hold up, I can’t hear, did she say bleeding?!? She is literally bowing before Him shaking.
34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Jesus had no problem with this at all. He came to make the unclean, clean. Mercy triumphs over judgement. So things are cool between her and Jesus, but I’m guessing the crowd is wigging out. I’m sure they have no idea what to make of Jesus as this point, but can you imagine the heart of Jairus? The leader of the Synagogue. He is being slowed down by what, by who? Well before he can speak a word of protest, a messenger arrives.
35 While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”
Don’t bother Jesus, she’s dead. Too late.
Jesus overhears and responds immediately...
36 But Jesus, overhearing what had been spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
Don’t worry about it, I got this. Would you still be afraid? I can’t imagine what is going through this guy’s head. Don’t forget he’s the ruler of the Synagogue. He is the upholder of the law. Jesus is running behind because of this unclean lady who was bleeding and He touched her. Jairus couldn’t get Him the day before when she wasn’t as close to death, because He was across the sea with the guy in the tombs.
What were his thoughts did he worry about what other people were thinking. Was Jesus Himself clean at this moment as he was bringing Him to his daughter. Did he even care, he was a dad also?
37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38 And they came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly crying and wailing.
39 And entering in, He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and crying? The child has not died, but is asleep.”
40 And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was.
These guys were professional mourners who became mockers, but Jesus has no room or place for those without faith, so He puts them out.
41 And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”).
Can a Jew touch the hand of a child that is dead? Jesus touches her and with that touch He begins speaking to ears that can hear.
42 And immediately the little girl stood up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.
43 And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that some food should be given to her to eat.
How do you think you would do with that? My child was sick and died, Jesus touched her and made her alive. Sure, I’ll keep that under wraps. I think that would just about be impossible. You know, the church at large sometimes offers classes on evangelism, or how to share your faith. My encouragement to you is to live your faith. Follow Jesus, be a disciple, lay down your life and He will be doing things through your life that you won’t be able to shut up about.
I was a judge for the history fair this week at Penobscot Christian School and I saw a Pastor I haven’t seen in a while. He had heard about my knee and said, you seem to be getting along pretty good. Man, it was on. Don’t leave until I get to tell you the full story, to give God glory.
Two quick things, and my apologies to my friend for cutting it so short. First, if there is anything inside of you that keeps you from ministering to someone you view as unclean, you didn’t get that from Jesus. He paid the price for all sin, so there is not a sinner that is out of reach. Just tell your story. Jesus had mercy upon Me and wants to do the same for you.
Then I just want to point out the end of this verse, that I left off. And He said that some food should be given to her to eat. Think of the day He has had, or the week really. Consider all of the heavy lifting He has done just in the past hour or so of His life. AND He says, oh, get the kid a snack, she was dead, she’s probably hungry. He care about all of your needs.
Let’s pray...Jesus, thank you for being beyond our understanding, but also for understanding all about us. Caring about the big and the small. Teach us to love like you do. To not worry about what other people think and learn to minister to all in need, not just inside of our comfort zone. Thank you for loving us first. In your Name we pray, amen.
Grace and Peace
Quickly church, I don’t want to minimize this by the brevity of it, but we do want to recognize a work of the Lord among us. Can I get Ched Anderson and the elders to come up front please. We want to recognize the work that the Lord has done in Ched, giving him a heart to serve this church, which is you, the people that gather here. We believe that God has called and recognized Ched as a Deacon in this body. So we want to acknowledge that, lay hands on him, asking God to bless Him and Cindy, as well as their ministry here among us.
Lord.....amen.
Church, put him to work!
