The Author Of Life

INTRO

Several months ago I was watching a trial where a man had been convicted of a crime and sentenced to the death penalty. I don’t know if you’ve ever witnessed a trial or a courtroom scene when someone get’s convicted guilty and sentenced to the death penalty, but it is an intense moment. As I watched this man’s face and the family’s reaction on both sides, you could see the extreme amount of hopelessness that this man was experiencing. There was nothing anyone could do for him, he couldn’t make any more defense, the judge had made the verdict and the man was sent to prison to await the day when he would be executed. There was NOTHING anyone could do for this man. When we think about hopelessness we can often think about prisoners, or murderers, or people who are on their deathbed, but the bible tells us that every single one us outside of Christ are in the same place, in bondage to sin, in bondage to Satan, and there is nothing we can do. This afternoon Mark leads us to the story where we meet a man who was possessed by over 2000 demons. If anyone was in bondage or hopeless it was this man. Mark shows us that Jesus alone can do, what no one else can do. Jesus alone is the author of life. Let’s stand for the reading of the word of God. Mark 5:1-5

Mark 5:1–5 CSB

They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—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. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第5章

他們到了海的那邊，進入格拉森人的地區。2 耶穌一下船，就有一個被污靈附著的人，從墓地裡迎面而來。3 那人經常住在墳墓中間，從來沒有人能綁住他，甚至用鎖鍊都不能。4 曾經有很多次，人用腳鐐和鎖鍊捆綁他，鎖鍊卻被他掙斷，腳鐐也被他弄碎，始終沒有人能制伏他。5 他晝夜在墳墓裡和山野間喊叫，又用石頭砍自己

SATAN DESTROYS

Mark finishes his last account with the disciples asking themselves this question: who is this? Who is this Jesus that we are following? Mark puts this account, to answer that question, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Most High God, the author of life. However, Mark shows us first that where Jesus comes to bring life, Satan destroys. Look at the description of this man(read verses).

It says that 1) He lived in the tombs 2)He had often been bound with shackles and chains(often) this mans life consisted of people coming and trying to bound him up! What a pitiful life 3) He was crying out and cutting himself with stones. Not only did this man have death surrounding him and inside of him, there was nothing anyone could do for him. Mark says in verse 3 that NO ONE was able to restrain him anymore, which meant people had tried, but they couldn’t why? Because he broke out of the chains and the shackles that had been put around him. Also, no one was strong enough to subdue him. That word “subdue” is the word that means to tame, it’s a word that people used when they talked about taming a wild animal. So here is a hopeless man, death on the outside, demons on the inside, treated like a wild animal, cut off from society and living in a graveyard. If that’s not bad enough, this man would also be considered unclean. Mark makes 4 references to unclean things in this story. 1)This man was most likely a Gentile, since this story took place in a gentile territory. 2)This man was possessed 3)He lived among the tombs 4) He also lived near a pig farm.

Mark gives us a vivid description of demon possession. Demon possession is something that if you are a westerner you probably don’t think very much about. We tend to not believe in the supernatural. But here in Taiwan, supernatural evil spirits which hurt and do harm are very real. C.S. Lewis says this about demons and the devil: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” Mark shows us that demon possession is real, and that demons follow in doing what their leader Satan does, destroy life. John 8:44

John 8:44 CSB

You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第8章

44 你們是出於你們的父魔鬼，喜歡按著你們的父的私慾行事。他從起初就是殺人的兇手，不守真理，因為他心裡沒有真理。他說謊是出於本性，因為他本來就是說謊者，也是說謊的人的父

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第5章

你們要謹守、警醒。你們的仇敵魔鬼，好像吼叫的獅子走來走去，尋找可以吞吃的人

Here we see 3 ways Satan is destroying this mans life:

Destroys

1.Personality(image of God) You’ll notice in this story that it is really hard to discern who is speaking, is it the demon or is the man. The bible says that God created you, and created each one of us with a specific personality(even if we don’t like it), but here it shows that what God had made, Satan seeks to destroy. It seems like this was bipolar. Literally out of his mind.

2.Physically. This is the most obvious one, but Satan only seeks our harm. He only wants to destroy us. He wants to destroy that which God had created in God’s image. Here you have this man physically cutting and harming himself. It says night and day this man was crying out, probably shrieking in pain and crying out for relief.

3.Relationally(out among the tombs) cut off from relationship finally Satan destroyed this man relationally. This man lived among the tombs. One rabbi taught: ‘Who is (deemed) an imbecile? He who goes out alone at night, and he who spends the night in a cemetery, and he that tears his garments’ That this man was considered by his family, by his friends, by everyone in that region to be a lunatic, crazy, and wild. This man was completely alone and hopeless.

We live in a culture here in Taiwan where this type of fear of death is very real. In Taiwan no one likes the number 4(四）because it sounds too close to the chinese word for death, so I’ve been in buildings where there is no 4th floor, I’ve been at restaurants where instead of saying we have 4 guests they say we have 3 + 1 guests. There is so much fear in our cultures about death. Mark gives us a description of conscience, constant, suffering that no has been able to stop or help. How many of us feel like we are in a similar situation. Maybe not demonized, but in a situation where there is constant suffering or trial that no one and nothing has been able to bring relief?

JESUS DELIVERS

Mark says that the man seeing Jesus from a far off ran towards Jesus and knelt down before Him. Where as before people couldn’t restrain or get near this man and wanted to be far away, now because of the power and presence of Jesus this demonized man comes running TO Jesus and kneels before Him. Mark makes it very clear, what no one else could do, just His presence His power causes this man to run and kneel at His feet. When we read this it’s very clear who has the superior authority here. It’s Jesus. This word “kneels” is a word that describes bowing to a higher deity, not really worship, but a sign of recognition that this person is of far greater power. It’s hard to make out clearly if it’s the man running to Jesus because of who Jesus is, or if it’s the demons running to Jesus because they DO NOT want Jesus there in their region.

David Platt tells about a woman in her mid 30’s out of control and we were there to preach the gospel. Got near the woman’s house, the woman darted out of her door and held a bottle in her hand which was insecticide she stood there and started shouting at me “this is your welcome to our villages” she took the bottle and started drinking it, her husband and kids ran out and yelled “no no no” but it was too late, she started convulsing, and in a matter of minutes she was dead. Satan hates the gospel and seeks to destroy. Mark is setting up this story for a major power encounter with Jesus. Remember this all a part of Mark’s purpose in showing that Jesus is the one who can bind up the strong man, that Jesus is stronger. There is a very real spiritual resistance that exists to Jesus and the Gospel of Jesus.

The demonized man then screams out in a loud voice, “what have you to do with me? Jesus Son of the Most High God.” There is the answer that Mark gives us from the disciples question of the last chapter. Who is this Jesus? He is Jesus Christ, the son of the most High God. I can imagine the disciples standing in this moment completely taken back by what they are seeing. Here is the Lord of life, the Creator of everything, confronting a servant of Satan, one who opposes God. The bible tells us that the demons believe and are in fear at who God is. Scripture never presents the relationship between God and Satan as a struggle. We struggle against Satan, but never the Lord Jesus. Sometimes we think that Satan and Jesus are stuck in an arm wrestling match, and it’s unclear who is gonna win, and so we better do as much as we can to help Jesus out, but look at the text here, this is a man who didn’t just have one, but thousands of demons inside of him and this demon is BEGGING and pleading with Jesus. Mark uses the word beg 5 times in this chapter, 3 of them being from the demoniac. These demons are begging Jesus not to torment them. What are they referring to?

Mark tells us that Jesus commanded the demons to come out, to which they responded with this plea. Many people believed that the demons used Jesus’ name to try and gain authority over Him. That was a tactic used at that time. If you knew the name of a certain deity you would have power over it. But not with Jesus.

Don’t torment me. The bible speaks about the judgment of Satan and His demons, Revelation 20:10

Revelation 20:10 CSB

The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第20章

那迷惑他們的魔鬼，被拋在硫磺的火湖裡，就是獸和假先知所在的地方。他們必晝夜受痛苦，直到永永遠遠。

1 John 3:8 CSB

The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第3章

犯罪的是出於魔鬼，因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。因此，　神的兒子顯現了，是要除滅魔鬼的作為

The demons know that this is their end so they are pleading with Jesus not to send them to that torment. However, here is a question that arises as we read this story. Why does the unclean spirit not come out at Jesus’ initial command, and why does Jesus ask for the name of the demons? Does Jesus need to know the name of the demon in order to cast it out? NO! This isn’t the pattern in Scripture. So I ask you, why the delay, and why the name, and also why the pigs?

Think about the culture of this region. Probably Gentile, pagan, think about His disciples, scared, in some unbelief, then think about this man, ridiculed and separated from His community. Jesus allows for the delay and asks for the name because HE wants everyone to know, He wants everyone to be clear, HE wants there to be no doubt as to what has happened here. As Jesus asks the name of the demon the demon cries out “Legion”. Now everyone knows it’s not just one demon but a legion of demons that He is casting out. That it is a legion of demons that are kneeling, groveling, and pleading with Him. What Mark is showing us, is that not only do we need to trust in the power of Jesus but also the timing or method of Jesus. That Jesus allows the demon not to come out, wasn’t because the lack of the glory of Jesus, but so that Jesus would get more glory as people saw that He was casting out a legion of demons. Be sure of this Christian, that God’s timing in your life isn’t because a lack of love, or a lack of power, but it because He wants us to see, He wants to be sure, He wants us to understand in greater measure who He is and what He can do. Trust in the timing of our Savior.

That’s why Jesus allows them to go to the pigs as well. To demonstrate that the demons have indeed left this man, it is a clear and public sign that Jesus the Son of the Most High God has defeated this unclean spirit that has terrorized this region and this man.

WHAT NO ONE ELSE COULD DO, WHAT EVERYONE ELSE TRIED TO DO, WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS FAILED JESUS HAS SUCCEEDED AND IS VICTORIOUS! ISN’T THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL? Where Adam failed, where King David failed, where every person who has ever lived has failed, where you have failed, where I fail every day, Jesus has been victorious. And because of our failure you and I like this man are held in bondage to sin and Satan, stuck, living as a spiritually dead person, with no one to save us. Jesus is out deliverer. Where does Jesus show us His victory over the devil? The cross. Colossians 2:13-15 says

Colossians 2:13–15 CSB

And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第2章

你們因著過犯和肉體未受割禮，原是死的，然而　神赦免了我們的一切過犯，使你們與基督一同活過來，14 塗抹了那寫在規條上反對我們、與我們為敵的字句，並且把這字句從我們中間拿去，釘在十字架上。15 他既然靠著十字架勝過了一切執政掌權的，廢除了他們的權勢，就在凱旋的行列中，把他們公開示眾。

On the cross Jesus won. Many people have the question, doesn’t God care about evil? Doesn’t God care about justice? Friends, God cares so much about destroying evil, God cares so much about justice, that He crucified His Son on the cross. Jesus put Himself on the cross, so that He would take the justice that WE deserve, and in doing so defeat Satan and evil. In Buddhism, evil is necessary to bring balance, in Daoism evil is irrelevant, but in the Gospel through the cross, EVIL IS DEFEATED. Satan hates the cross. Satan hates the fact that in what he thought was his moment of victory was the moment of his defeat and the sure decisive victory of Jesus.

So demonized man just runs to Jesus and gets delivered. Notice he doesn’t go and try and clean himself up first, he doesn’t say, oh man that’s jesus, I better put some clothes on, wipe this blood off, he runs in his mess in his sin in his chaos and throws himself at the feet of Jesus. Church, we don’t clean ourselves up then come to Jesus, we come to Jesus to be made clean.

Is there any sin too great for Jesus? Is there any mistake or wrong that is too hard for Jesus to set you free from? Is my anger too much for Jesus? Is porn to hard for Jesus to deliver us from? Depression? Lust? Mark is showing the church he is writing to, he is showing you, me, and anyone who reads this account, that if 2000 demons were no match for the power of Jesus than neither is your sin. Jesus is a great Savior! Your spouse is no your deliverer, your job isn’t your savior, your kids, the only One is strong enough to deliver us is Jesus Christ the Son of the Most Hight God.

Colossians 1:13–14 CSB

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

13 他救我們脫離了黑暗的權勢，把我們遷入他愛子的國裡。14 我們在愛子裡蒙了救贖，罪得赦免

The one you are looking for to bring you deliverance, the one who can set you free I declare to you that it is Jesus. Jesus is our deliverer.

JESUS RESTORES

We have seen that Satan destroys, but Jesus delivers, but not only does Jesus deliver, Jesus restores.

Mark 5:18–20 CSB

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. 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.” So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第5章

耶穌上船的時候，那被鬼附過的人來求他，要和他在一起。19 耶穌不許，卻對他說：「你回家到你的親屬那裡去，把主為你作了多麼大的事，並他怎樣憐憫你，都告訴他們。」20 那人就走了，開始在低加波利傳講耶穌為他所作的大事，眾人都希奇。

The people beg Jesus to leave, but what about the man? He begs Jesus, to be with Jesus. But Jesus says no. Why? He wants this man to go back and be a witness of what just happened. But could you imagine if Jesus came back years later and saw this same man, and instead of this man going around and telling people about what Jesus had done, he was telling everyone, “oh man did you see what I did? I defeated those demons, I wrestled Satan, and defeated him.” That would be ridiculous. The message of this man’s life, the message that he is sent to proclaim is not what he has done through his own effort, but what Jesus Christ has done through His mercy. This is the message of the Gospel. Redemption is the work of Christ, not us. That is the message that this man proclaims.

It is the same for you and me as well. We saw earlier how Jesus publicly displays His victory on the cross, but do you know how God continues to display His power and victory? Through us, the church. Ephesians 3:10-11

Ephesians 3:10–11 CSB

This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第3章

為了要使天上執政的和掌權的，現在藉著教會都可以知道　神各樣的智慧。11 這都是照著　神在我們主基督耶穌裡所成就的永恆的旨意。12 我們因信基督，就在他裡面坦然無懼，滿有把握地進到　神面前。13 因此，我懇求你們，不要因著我為你們所受的苦難而沮喪，這原是你們的光榮。

What? why on earth would God use people like this demoniac who had such a horrible past? Won’t his past be an obstacle to preaching the Gospel? It’s just the opposite. God’s redemption of sinful broken people display the greatness of His power His grace and His mercy. My past is used by God to display the great love of God, the power of God. The Gospel doesn’t call us to belittle our sin, or pretend we don’t have a past, but to be honest about where we are, to confess the depth of our sin, so we can see the depth of the mercy of God.

Spurgeon says to “think lightly of sin, is to think lightly of the Savior.”

God wants to use your story. Revelation 12:11

Revelation 12:11 CSB

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.

Story of blind man who got healed by eye doctor.

However, I’m sure as he went to house to house or talked to people, people would be like, yeah you’re that demonized man, you’re that cutter, you’re that insane man! That’s what Satan does, He accuses us, but this man would respond, No, not anymore, the LORD HAS HAD MERCY ON ME AND MADE ME HIS. Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 CSB

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,

聖經新譯本（繁體•神字版） 第8章

所以現在，那些在耶穌基督裡的人就不被定罪了

The bible says “no” condemnation. That word in the Greek means: none. Not sometimes no condemnation, not only when you do well and perform well, it means if you are in Christ, if you have repented of your sin and trusted in Christ, every accusation, every debt that stood against us is canceled and there is NO condemnation for you. The very thing that Satan has against us, that we are sinners and have broken God’s law, God has defeated that by breaking His Son on the cross. Every hold that Satan had on this man, Jesus broke it by His power. For those of us who are in Christ, Jesus through the cross, has silenced the accusation of the enemy.

CONCLUSION

What? Trust in the power of the cross as the only way to redeem, ransom, and restore us and give us new life. Debt has been cancelled we should walk in the newness of life.

Where? In our worst moments and our best. On our days where the voice and whispers of the enemy are so great(ILLUSTRATION(spouse), we run to the cross, and on our best days when we are walking obediently, we dare not forget that it is only because of the cross of Jesus. Not only for ourselves, but for each other in our community, how do we push each other to the Gospel? Also as we preach the gospel to Taiwan. It is clear the power of Satan is only defeated through the power of the work of Jesus. We trust in the power of the cross to destroy ideologies, myths, legends, and set people free.

Why? Because the cross has done what no one else could do, the cross is stronger than satan, stronger than our sin, and sufficient for our past, for our present, and our future.

How?

1.First begins on how you talk to yourself: how often do you preach the gospel to yourself “Satan doesn’t control us with fang marks on the flesh, but with lies in the heart.” T. Keller

2.How you speak to those around you; do we remind each other of the gospel?

3.Finally how often are we sharing the hope of the cross the power of the cross with people who don't know Jesus? Listening for where they are bound and where they are suffering, and giving them not just sympathy but the cross.(practical?)

So church, where do you need deliverance? Where do you and I need to run to the author of life, and apply the work of the cross to our hearts? Let us not only hold onto the cross for ourselves, but let’s be a church where we go and proclaim “all that the Lord has done and how He has had mercy on us.”