From a Demoniac to a Disciple
Truth Taught- Jesus has great power to restore and take back what Satan has wrongfully claimed for his own.
Satan, who was once a very high-ranking angel had a fatal flaw. He was not content with the role and place he had in God’s divine plan. He wanted more. He wanted to be like God or more specifically, he wanted to be over God. God casts him out of heaven.
Isaiah 14:12–15 (ESV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
It wasn’t only Satan that fell but he took one third of all the angels with him…
Revelation 12:4 (ESV)
4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
There are tens of thousands of fallen angels on earth. The Bible refers to them as demons, unclean spirits etc.
What makes the account we are to look at so amazing is to know that there has never been anything to compare to God casting out Satan and his followers the angels until this episode in the life of our Lord. Never has Satan suffered such a great loss as he will in our text today. There is nothing to compare the power of Jesus to…He is moving God’s Kingdom forward and destroying Satan’s realm. Here is a massive defeat for the devil.
Another additional note to always remember is that when Jesus defeats the realm of evil there is a restoration that takes place. This man in our text today will be fully restored. One day we will be fully restored. The earth and all creation will one day be fully restored. So, Jesus does not just defeat the devil but renews all the devil has ruined.
When our Lord saves someone today, God is so confident that the final renewal will take place, He already counts it as such in His records. When we are given Christ righteousness we are counted as righteous even though it will only be at our glorification that we will actually be sinless. The Father is so sure of this He credits us with righteousness now as we come to trust Christ for salvation.
This is the most extreme encounter with the powers of supernatural wickedness anywhere in Scripture. There are no such accounts in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, this is far and away the most extreme, and the most extensive. Our Lord, throughout His ministry, vanquished demons. He did it regularly. He did it repeatedly. He did it often. But there was no such display as this one. This, to indicate that He is, in fact, the Messiah, that He is the Savior, that He is the Son of God.
That He is God in human flesh, who wields absolute, limitless power over the forces of hell, Satan and all his realm. Now, this is part of Mark’s proof. If you go back to his purpose – chapter 1, verse 1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” – Mark is writing the history of Jesus to prove He is the Son of God.
Remember the event that took place at the end of Chapter Four, Jesus spoke to the forces of evil and commanded them to be muzzled and the massive storm at sea was hushed. Now on this calm sea they arrive on the other side exactly where Jesus had planned to arrive.
Please Stand…
Mark 5:1–20 (ESV)
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength 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 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
1. Jesus is Famous Among Demons (5:1-5)
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
In the region known in the ancient world, as Gerasene very close to the shore there is an area of burial tombs. Most scholars believe this to be the modern town called Koursi. Here there are still to this day the remains of cavern tombs.
As their storm-tossed boat finally made it to shore to the relief of the disciples, no doubt, there took place another event unlike any they had ever seen. They had just witnessed the power of Jesus to calm a massive storm and were greatly afraid, saying, who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him? Now they will be confronted with another event where they might have said who is this that an army of demons obey Him?
We are not told why the demon possessed man came running down the shoreline to meet Jesus. The demons had control of his personality and his being. The demons knew who Jesus was and they knew already how He alone had calmed the storm? There is vast communication within the demonic realm and they know. Here, they understood there was no escaping Jesus, the Son of God. So, this is sort of a peaceful surrender on their part.
There was a professor/pastor who had experienced someone who was actually demon possessed in his Church.
His story went something like this…
Most people who say they are demon possessed are not. Here he told of a strange event that went similar to this biblical account.
He said there was an elderly man who was a deacon in his church who was guilty of attempts to overpower women. He said to look at this man you would think there was no way, he seemed so feeble and frail. The collective reports were that he possessed unnatural strength.
And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.
As the pastor spoke with this man’s family, they too said the same thing.
They also said that in a strange way it was like the man knew things that it was impossible for him to know.
2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
The demon possessed man had an unhealthy attraction to death and cemeteries. The family told of the account of the time when they believed the demon had entered him. He had made a deal with Satan if you will. His mother had just died and he was overwhelmed with grief to the point that he stayed at the cemetery day and night praying that she could be returned to him. At the end of one of his prayers, he looked up and saw a figure in the bushes waving him over. His family believed this was the demon.
2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
The pastor was warned by the man that if he told anyone about what the woman in the Church had told him that he would kill him and his family. I’m so thankful for the influence of this godly pastor in my life. He understood that this had to be told and that God would protect him.
The man was immediately removed from the Church.
I share this story because there is so much, we can learn and understand more clearly that what Jesus and His disciples experienced that day is not some fairy tale. It’s not fiction. It is a real-life encounter with the demonic realm. These things are real and they take place today.
I want to also remind everyone that a saved person cannot be demon possessed because we are already possessed with the Holy Spirit. God is far greater than any demon.
1 John 4:4 (ESV)
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
There are very subtle demonic influences all around us today, we must use care and caution in this world.
It’s important that we understand what the demon is out to accomplish or what his purpose is? The demonic world has an eternal anger against God and what God has done. They are angry that they were kicked out of heaven and they are angry that they will someday face eternal torment in the Lake of Fire.
They cannot get God back but what they can attempt to do is to overpower those made in God’s image. The purpose of demonic activity and possession is to distort and destroy the divine likeness of man according to the created order. This will become very clear when we get to the end of our text.
2. The Demon Speaks (5:6-8)
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
I want us to see here that the demon or as we are about to discover, demons shriek and cry out with a loud voice. The demons are in a defensive mode. They know the very appearance of Jesus means that things are not going to go well for them. They know the appearance of Jesus means Satan’s kingdom is going to crumble and judgement is coming to them. It means God’s Kingdom is moving forward and beginning to overpower the kingdom of this world.
The demons begin pleading with Jesus that their day of torment would not happen yet. Other accounts say, You have not come to torment us before the appointed time? They know the power and authority of Jesus.
3. Jesus Commands the Demon to Tell Him His Name (5:9-13)
9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
The demons who call themselves Legion are afraid of Jesus. The subject matter today causes fear in us but realize these demons have a great fear of Jesus because they know who He is. What is very noticeable here is that these demons know exactly who Jesus is. They are fully aware of His divine person and dignity. They also understand that because Jesus, the Son of God is now standing before them judgement is coming.
They answer Jesus with the name Legion. A Roman Legion was the largest unit in the Roman army, numbering some 5000-7000 fighting men. Other sources say 2,000 and up could be called a Legion. We cannot truly ascertain the exact number of demons that were tormenting this poor man but it was a multitude. Probably at least the number of the herd of pigs because all 2,000 or so pigs run down and fall into the sea and drown.
Here’s how evil works…these demons were fine tormenting this man. Night and day unrelentingly he was subject to them. They had overtaken his entire being so that he did their bidding. However now, they are concerned that it’s time for their torment for eternity. They don’t mind tormenting others but they do not want to be tormented.
We see the possession of the herd of pigs and how immediately, the entire herd rushed down and fell off the steep bank into the sea to be drowned. The demon’s purpose to destroy God’s creation and if Jesus had not come that same ending would no doubt have come to the possessed man.
4. The People Begged Jesus to Leave (5:14-17)
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.
The town’s people heard the account from the herdsmen and they come out to the sea in order to see for themselves. When they get there, behold there is Jesus just as described by the herdsmen, and then they see someone who looks familiar…the demon possessed man, no longer possessed sitting by Jesus. He has clothes on and is peaceful. A true miracle had just taken place in their midst. There was no denying the fact that Jesus is God’s Son and wields mighty power over the demonic realm.
Notice their response to Jesus…
17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.
Jesus had just issued a massive blow to Satan’s kingdom and had shown everyone why He had come. He is defeating the devil and all his forces and He is beginning to set up God’s Kingdom and yet there are those who do not desire to be part of the Kingdom of God…
He has all the power required to establish an everlasting Kingdom. And as part of that, He has demonstrated the power over Satan and all his hosts, and here, there is no parallel. His divine power vanquishes, by a command, thousands of demons. Remember now, it was said, first of all, of the Messiah, in Genesis 3:15, that He would crush the serpent’s head, so whoever this Messiah is, he has to wield mighty power over Satan and his hosts, and here it is on display again.
1 John 3:8 says, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” That’s the New Testament fulfillment statement of Genesis 3:15. Now, that would be the seed of the woman who will come and crush the serpent’s head, says the Old Testament, Genesis 3:15; the New Testament says, “The Son of Man has come for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” Destroy, luō, to undo, to remove, to annihilate, to obliterate, the works, ergon, action, effect, impact.
This is exactly what Jesus did here. Satan was out to destroy this man but Jesus destroyed the demons. They suffered great loss. The man was restored. Just as the entire earth will on day be restored like the Garden of Eden and Jesus will be sitting on the Davidic Throne ruling over all His massive Kingdom.
Rather than welcoming Jesus to their region they wanted Him gone.
5. The Man Who was Healed Begged Jesus That He Could Come with Him (5:18-20)
18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
We see the contrast here between the towns people begging Jesus to leave and the healed man begging Jesus to go with Him. One was out of fear the other out of devotion.
Jesus told the man no and the reason is, our Lord had a special job for him.
Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
Jesus wanted this man to tell all who had written him off as a worthless and a hopeless cause to understand that our Lord can defeat the demonic realm and restore all people and all things for His glory. As this man went back home his family and friends marveled at the power of Jesus. Not only power because even the demons and the town’s people believed Jesus had great power but that His power is a force for good and a force for restoration and healing.
This lone evangelist presented massive evidence of Jesus’ power to restore what Satan tried to overtake and claim for Himself. This world is not Satan’s he is the great usurper.
This lone evangelist did exactly what Jesus told him to do…he told everyone about the mercy of Jesus to restore…
Jesus can fully restore you today. Are you lost and under the power of the evil one? Jesus can save you. Come to Him by faith believing all the Bible teaches about Jesus and be transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to the wonderful Kingdom of God. Understand, this is done entirely by the power of God and no human works can be included. By grace we are saved through faith.
This man told everyone…
Matthew 4:25 (ESV)
25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
When Jesus told His disciples that day…Let’s go to the other side, they had no idea what Jesus was getting them into. He showed them that He has the power over the demonic realm to calm a demonic storm with just a Word. He showed them that He can cast out a Legion of Demons like His Father cast out a third of all angels from heaven. He can restore and defeat…oh and He can make a disciple out of a demoniac.
We serve a wonderful Savior who is doing so much all at once that it’s best to trust Him and thank Him and enjoy the adventure and watch what He will do next.
Resources Used
Mark by William Lane
Mark by J C Ryle
Words of grace
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