Encountering Jesus

Intro- I love this book. My favorite thing about this book is that it shows me Jesus. When you meet Jesus, everything changes.

It is my understanding that the theme you have been working with this summer is “encountering Jesus” I love that theme. There is not greater moment in the life of an individual than when they encounter their savior. We are going to be looking at an example of one man who encountered Christ and when he did, everything changed.

We are looking at a time roughly 2,000 years ago. The world was different then.

People who had diseases were often cast outside of the city walls and were left there.

Demon possession was something that was taking place

in the first 2 verses of this text we encounter the demon possessed man. We learn something about him other than the fact that he had a demon…

He also made his home in the tombs.

Luke records that the demon possessed man had worn no clothes for a long time.

tells us that no one could bind him. When he was bound with chains he would snap them. And that night and day he continually screamed and cut himself with rocks.

keep in mind, the goal of demons was to destroy the one made in the image of God.

The demons saw Jesus in V.6 and the man fell down before the feet of Jesus. tells us that even the demons believe and tremble… We see that on full display. These demons knew who Jesus was and they were afraid.

We learn an incredible detail in V.9- When Jesus asked the demon his name, the demon(s) answered my name is Legion for we are many. The Roman legion at this time was the largest military unit, consisting of 6,000 soldiers.

We do not know for sure that he had 6,000 demons but what we do know is there were enough demons inside of this man that when he sent them out and into the pigs V.13 records that 2,000 pigs ran off the bank into the water and drowned.

Picture in your mind what it would have been like to be the landowner who just watched 2,000 of your pigs die because of this Jesus.

Some have wondered why Jesus allowed all the pigs to die. It might have been a symbolic cleansing since this was a Gentile region and they would have regularly eaten unclean meats that the Jews were forbidden to eat of

It might have been a foreshadowing of where Satan is said to be cast down into the lake of fire

Regardless of the purpose… those who owned the land, and the pigs were both furious and terrified. V.17 tells us that they begged Jesus to leave.

We have examined the setting and the event of what took place here in . Now, I want us to shift our focus to the man who encountered Jesus. There are some powerful observations that we can make from this text...

A radical change took place

We spoke earlier about what this man looked like before Jesus.

Naked, crazy, lived in the tombs, bleeding, continually hurting himself and screaming.

Following meeting Jesus, V.15 tells us that the man was clothed and in his right mind… Kinda like a Texas fan wearing OU clothing :)

The change was noticeable. It was drastic. Everything changed.

Can I ask you the question tonight, when you met Jesus, what changed in your life?

Did anyone around you notice a difference?

You may say, well, it was easier for people to see a difference in the life of this man because he was possessed by a demon

Don’t fool yourself… Before Jesus, Satan had a hold of your life as well. What changed?

Young man named Michael I met in San Angelo on a campaign… He literally found a Bible, was baptized and said, “I have to spend my life telling people what I almost never heard!”

The sad reality is many people want salvation but they don’t live like they know the Christ. They don’t want to be “radical” I want to give you some homework tonight… Go home, search the NT for one example, just one of someone who followed Jesus who wasn’t radical.

The point being, when you meet Jesus, everything changes. If you are someone who has grown up in the church and you have sort of had the same life your entire life, without ever displaying your faith in the choices that you make, the company that you keep, the language that you use, the way you spend your money, can I lovingly submit to you tonight that you may not know Jesus very well.

- Deny yourself

He longed to be with Jesus

Shifting our attention back to the demon possessed man, imagine being him. Being plagued with these demons and suffering the way he did, and then all of a sudden, it is all taken away… Wouldn’t you want to hang around that man?

V. 18 tells us that as Jesus was getting into the boat to leave, the man begged him to let him go with him.

The greek word used here for beg, παρακαλέω literally means to urge or to plead for earnestly.

Have you ever known people who act as if it is a burden to come to worship? - Might I lovingly submit, they don’t know Jesus very well. When you come to know Him, and what He has done, you can’t help but long to be with Him and His people.

No, I have never been possessed by a demon (if you were to have asked my mom when I was a child or my wife during football season they may think differently)… But I do know this. I have been separated from my God because of my sin, and my allowing Satan to have a foothold in my life.

Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

When you recognize, and fully understand that you are separated from your king because of your sin, and then Jesus takes it all away… How can you do anything but fall on your knees and long to be with him?

Not just where you want to be with his people in the assembly but to where you are fixated on being with him eternally.

He had a mission

We find it a little shocking at first glance that Jesus would heal this man who desperately needed Him, then when the man begged to follow Him (keeping in mind many refused to follow Him) Jesus would tell him no. But, He told him no because he had a different mission

His mission was to go home to his friends and preach, telling them what the Lord had done for him.

V.20 tells us that he went into all of Decapolis and preached. Decapolis was a region that contained 10 cities. This one man went into all of those cities and preached ( reveals that later Jesus had a great following in that area, likely a result of this man’s preaching)

Unfortunately here is where many Christians part ways with this man… Where he does something that many do not want to do. He went to where he lived, and told His friends about Jesus.

Often when we think of evangelism we think of radio broadcasts, internet or tv programs, missionaries over seas, etc… all of those things are great, but can I lovingly suggest to you, if we aren’t spending time in our home communities speaking to our friends, we have no business casting a wider net?

Just as this man who had just been healed was charged to preach where he was, we too need to preach where we are.

You have probably heard it explained before but in the great commission in When Jesus said “go” the imperative, the command wasn’t on the going… The command was to make disciples by teaching, and baptizing.. the “go” was passive meaning, “as you go”

If someone were to ask you tonight, who are you trying to lead to Christ? how would you answer? --- Can I lovingly submit to you tonight that if you are not actively trying to lead someone to Christ, you may not know Jesus as well as you should.

His name didn’t matter.

One last thing that I would like to point out about this man is that we do not know his name.

When we tell his story, we call him the demon possessed man. Some call him legion although V.9 tells us it was the demons within the man who gave that name.

This man radically changed his life.

He believed in Jesus, witnessed his power first hand

He begged to go with Christ

He was obedient to Christ

He preached to the masses about Christ

We don’t know his name.

There are far too many people in this world who want to make a name for themselves…

In the end, when all is said and done, We should want to be remembered as that person who was faithful to Christ, whether or not people know our name is irrelevant.

Conclusion- The observations about this man who encountered Christ, He made a radical change, have you? He longed to be with Jesus, do you? He was faithful to his mission, are you? People don’t know his name, but they know who Jesus is, are you adding to that legacy?