The Lord’s Compassion
Mark 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 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.
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
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. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
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. 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.
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. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
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. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage in Mark, we find another of the amazing miracles of Jesus. Jesus is God and He is showing Himself to the disciples and the world. We find here a clear example of the compassion of the Lord for the sinner.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus?
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. That means that we must begin with the correct Person to put our faith in. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you commit each day to believe God and His promises? Will you confess your sins and choose to grow in relationship to Him? If you have not yet, will you believe in Him for salvation? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do what He says He will!
Have you ever seen anyone in need of help but been unable to do something about it?
I can think of people that I have seen on the side of the road that are changing a tire or have broken down. Oftentimes, we see people like that on a day that we are on the way somewhere or in a hurry to get home. Maybe it is raining or snowing and we feel that is unsafe to stop on the highway. I have felt that often. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to pray for them.
I remember one time that I did stop, we were able to give the Gospel as well as help the man in need. Melody and I were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in August of 2024. We were driving back to our vacation condo when we saw a man who was stuck in a gully in a minivan. I am still not exactly sure how he ended up down there. I told Melody that, since we were on vacation and had time to help, let’s stop.
It turned out that we could not get the van out of the mud. As we drove Wayne back to his apartment, we were able to give him the gospel. I don’t feel that he accepted Christ that day but we have prayed since then for him to get saved.
The man in our passage this morning is also in a desperate situation. Sin and evil control his life as they do every person without a personal choice for Jesus. Yet, even in this fallen condition, we find a light in the darkness. Jesus, the Lord of the sea, is about to show Himself to be the Lord of the skies as well.
Declaration
Declaration
Jesus is the solution for the sinfulness of man. This man shows the impact of the Fall and the change of deliverance by Jesus Christ. Today, we have an opportunity and a mandate to tell the good news that the kingdom of God is victorious.
1. The Condition of the Sinner
1. The Condition of the Sinner
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 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. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
Mark begins telling us about this miracle with several background details to help us to see the Condition of the Sinner. This man, a sinner, is controlled by the evil that lurks within. Like all mankind, he is lost on his own because of his sin.
Jesus has now crossed over the Sea of Galilee to an area largely inhabited by Gentiles. They are known for their rejection of the laws of the Jews and the culture of the synagogues. This man maybe a Gentile or a Jew. Yet, Paul is clear in his epistle to the Romans that we all have a common problem of sin.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Beyond his sinful condition, this man is possessed by devils. Like many instances before in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is engaging here in a spiritual battle with the forces of the enemy. They are seeking to control the lives of men. Jesus is seeking to bring for the kingdom and rule of God, an unstoppable force.
We see in verses 2-5 the actions of this demon possessed man. He is living among the tombs. He has been bound with fetters and chains. People have tried to control him and help him to return to a calm state. Yet, nothing has worked.
He has broken the chains and runs back and forth between the mountains and tombs crying and cutting himself. We see in the Bible that the worship of idols was connected with cutting oneself. On Mount Carmel, Elijah watches as the prophets of Baal try desperately to get a response from their “god”.
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Think of the sad condition of this man. “And always, night and day” he is “crying”. This is the result of sin on the life of man and the common situation that we find in the world that is constantly looking for the perfection offered by the kingdom of God. The demonic influence had a characteristic result in the constant demolition of any attempts to contain the evil. The people had given up on him and their help had never caused anything to change before. Matthew tells us that they would not even travel by this area.
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Here is the condition of the sinner in its most extreme and visible example. No one can find peace when they try to find it on their own or even when others try to place it in their life. This man is without hope because of his condition and his fallen nature!
At the end of this sad tail, we see the action of the man is to run to the Master who has come across the sea and through a storm to change his life! Verse 6 shows him running to Jesus. From the fallen condition of this man, Jesus is going to address the sin and see what the man will do.
2. The Compassion of the Master
2. The Compassion of the Master
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. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 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. 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.
In verses 7-14, we see a conversation between the demon possessed man and Jesus. Even in the presence of such evil, Jesus shows the Compassion of the Master toward this needy man. Nothing but the intervention of God into the sinful world could change the eternal destiny of mankind.
Verse 7 begins the statements made by the demon.
He asks that Jesus would not torment him. This points to the coming judgment of God on all demons and those who have rejected Him. The demon is concerned that Jesus will torment him now.
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?
In response, Jesus has called the demons to come out of the man. This is what Jesus does when He encounters the devils in His ministry. He always wins the victory. As James reminds us,
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
The demon responds to Jesus’ question about his name. The demon is named Legion because there were many inside this man. What a horrible condition for this man! What a sad testimony to the sinfulness of man.
Jesus casts out the demons and sends them into the pigs that were kept nearby. The pigs run down the steep hill into the Sea of Galilee. The demonic influence continues to show destruction instead of construction in the lives it touches.
In a follow-up to the calming of a storm for the first time in history, Jesus casts out many demons at once. Together, Jesus is showing the world that He is the Lord of the natural and supernatural worlds. This man is a testimony to the compassion and victory of Jesus over the forces of the enemy as He had taught in chapter 3.
No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
The compassion of the Master is seen in His deliverance for this man who lived in a hopeless condition. He could not control himself, much less remove the evil he faced. Yet, Jesus traveled across the sea and through a storm to change his life. Jesus has done the same for each and every person who has ever lived!
3. The Character of Men
3. The Character of Men
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. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 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. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
After this amazing miracle, Mark shows us the reactions of those who were involved. The reaction that each person has for the Gospel shows us the Character of Men. When a person is changed by the power of God, there should be a wonder and worship by those who see and hear it! Mary, the mother of Jesus, ties together the greatness of God and the praise of His people.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name.
But instead of joy, we find fear. In verses 14-16, the people around are told the story of what has happened. The shepherds of the pigs run to the city to tell about the death of the animals. People come from the villages to see what has happened.
When they arrive, they see the man who has been changed. This man was a changed person who could be identified clearly with acting and reacting differently. Here, he is sitting, quiet and spending time with Jesus. Such should be the testimony of all that have accepted the salvation of God and have been delivered by Him!
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The man is now able to show for the image of God clearly. Before, the evil and demon possession distorted the image. Now it is clear that something has changed in his life from sin to salvation.
Those who come respond in fear. It seems they ask Jesus to leave because they don’t want to see the power of God. The people’s response shows their fallen condition. They are content with what they have instead of the amazing power of God to change a life. How many people are still like that today!
Toward these needy people, Jesus is going to send a missionary. This seems to be the first He sends in the Gospel of Mark. The man asks to join Jesus as the Master enters the boat to travel back to the other side. Instead, Jesus sends him to tell the good news.
In verse 19, Jesus tells him to go and tells his friends what “great things” the Lord has done for him. Also, tell them that the Lord “hath had compassion on thee." The message of the Gospel is a message of compassion by God on sinful mankind! God had compassion on this needy man. This is the case of God to all mankind. He saw us in our sin and He sent His only Son to die in our place. This substitutionary death brings change to a life and a newness to their spiritual walk. Spurgeon helps us to apply this commission ourselves,
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XXXVIII Christ’s Curate in Decapolis (No. 2,262)
I think that great sinners who have been saved are specially called upon to publish the good news, the gospel of the grace of God. If you have been valiant against the truth, be valiant for the truth
With great immediacy, the man obeys the command of Jesus in verses 19-20. God has done “great things” and this man makes sure that all hear about them. The people are faced with a visible example of the change that is a result of the work of God alone. They “did marvel.” The Psalmist is echoed here by the changed man!
Come and hear, all ye that fear God, And I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, And he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, Nor his mercy from me.
The response of a person to the Gospel shows the character of men. Those who saw the change, feared and rejected. This man went everywhere to tell the good news. How do we respond to this same good news. There is deliverance in Jesus alone and we each have this deliverance available today. What can be said of our character in our response?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus is the solution for the sinfulness of man. This man shows the impact of the Fall and the change of deliverance by Jesus Christ. Today, we have an opportunity and a mandate to tell the good news that the kingdom of God is victorious.
This man is surely representative of every person who is without salvation. Yet, he responds by coming to Jesus in verse 6. There is hope for all!
So where is our compassion today?
Jesus has compassion on those who are lost in sin. All people can accept the free gift of salvation. This is the invitation that Jesus has to each person in bondage to sin. Will you accept salvation today?
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Jesus changes lives. The good news is available to all. This man was careful to go and obey the mandate of Jesus to give the good news to all that he met. In chapter 7, Jesus will return to this area and perhaps some will be more receptive because of this man’s testimony. The illustration of a changed life is the greatest proof of the power of God to remove sin.
I can think of many people that I have met with testimonies of change lives. I enjoy preaching at the Good Samaritan Ministries mission each month. I have tried recently to speak and pray with at least one of the guys that are there. They have come to get help with a specific addition or challenge in their life. But, the emphasis of the program is on the greater need of their salvation through Jesus Christ.
That was the care that those who tried to chain this man could not provide. That was the hope that this man could not see until Jesus came and delivered him. That is the mandate that we have by Jesus, to bring the good news of hope to the world that is lost in their sin. Will you and will I have the compassion that the Lord showed to this needy man today?
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
