JESUS' AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS (Mark 5:1-20)
INTRODUCTION:
As we have made our way through the first four chapters of Mark Jesus has clearly demonstrated that He is exactly who He claimed to be, the promised Messiah, the Son of God. In our last message this was illustrated for us as Jesus stilled the storm with just a simple command, a power that only the Creator of the universe possesses. His claims were also authenticated by the miracles He performed, healing the sick and diseased, cleansing lepers, restoring body parts, and the authority He displayed in casting out demons, freeing people from bondage to Satan through his servants, the evil fallen angels who had followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
As we enter into chapter five this morning, we come to an encounter with demons that is the most dramatic that we have yet seen. Jesus again uses His sovereign authority as the Son of God to confront and cast out these demons. We are going to look first at the devastation of demons, then the dominance of Jesus over the demons, and finally the dread of those who live in that area. Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Mark 5:1-20. I am going to attempt to get through this whole passage. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
Mark 5:1-20,
“They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 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. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, ‘What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!’ For He had been saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ And He was asking him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said to Him, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, ‘Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.’ 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. Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the ‘legion’; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 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.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.” (Mark 5:1–20, NASB95)[1]
THE DEVASTATION OF DEMONS (Mark 5:1-7)
After an exhausting and exhilarating night on the Sea of Galilee for Jesus’ disciples, as morning dawns their boats arrive at the shore on the other side of the lake. When they had set out in the boats from Capernaum the evening before, they had expected a nice nighttime trip across the lake to the southeastern side. Instead, they were engulfed in the most unforgettable storm they had ever experienced. But it was not the force and fierceness of the wind or the magnitude of the waves crashing over the side of the boat threatening to sink it that made their harrowing journey so memorable. In the midst of that raging storm, Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still!” And the storm that had caused them to fear that they were perishing, vanished at Jesus’ words. That storm that had filled their hearts with fear, did not even compare to the fear produced by the knowledge that the omnipotent Creator God was in the boat with them. So awe-struck and terror-stricken by what they had seen and experienced they asked themselves a question to which they already knew the answer, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41b, NASB95)[2]
No doubt the disciples were still processing all of this when they beached their boats the next morning on the other side of the sea. They had arrived in the country or the region of the Geresenes. According to Luke, this area was mainly populated by Gentiles and was opposite Galilee, running along the eastern shore of the lake. Both Mark and Luke called it the country of the Geresenes, Matthew referred to it as the country of the Gadarenes. Both designations are correct. Mark and Luke were referring to a small village of Gersa, now known as Kursi, while Matthew was referring to the larger town of Gadara situated to the southeast of Gersa more inland. Somewhere between these two regions the boats landed that morning.
The disciples likely thought that they had traveled to this remote, mostly Gentile area for some relief from the crowds and a chance to rest. Jesus knew why they were here; He had a divine appointment to keep. Mark writes, “When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,” (Mark 5:2, NASB95)[3] No sooner had they pulled the boats ashore and were getting out of them when a raging lunatic came racing down the slope to meet them at the edge of the lake. In the parallel passage in Matthew 8 he writes that there were actually two such men that ran down to meet them. Mark and Luke mention only the one and focus on him because he is the main spokesman for the two and the one who interacts with Jesus.
The man is described as having an unclean spirit which simply put means that he was demon-possessed. To be demon-possessed means that you are indwelt and thus controlled and tormented by evil, fallen angels. We have already seen Jesus cast out these demons liberating those who were in bondage to them. Most often demons work in society by promoting error, lies, false religion, and apostasy. Demon possession is an extreme form of bondage when an individual is indwelt by one or more demons who control their mind, their body, and their voice. When Scripture speaks of the power and devastation caused by fallen angels, it does so to demonstrate the infinitely greater power of God. This is clearly seen in the ministry of Jesus, where the emphasis is on Christ’s absolute power over the evil spirits.
Mark then describes for us this demon-possessed man by first telling us that the man had his dwelling among the tombs. In ancient times, burial chambers were often caves or places carved out of a hillside. Jews usually avoided lingering near tombs for fear of becoming ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. Here in this Gentile region, this man, most likely a Gentile, was more comfortable among the dead than among the living. Luke adds that the demon-possessed man had not put on any clothing for a long time. This just illustrates how much this man suffered at the hands of the demons who possessed him, constantly being exposed to the natural elements. Can you imagine the shock and alarm of the disciples as they were getting out of the boat and saw this naked Gentile madman and his equally alarming friend rushing down the slope to the seashore to meet them.
Mark goes on to tell us that this man was recognized as a threat and the local authorities had tried to repeatedly restrain him, but it had been unsuccessful. Not even shackles and chains could hold him. The demons gave him supernatural strength and he would tear apart the chains and break any shackles in pieces. Not only this, he would spend his days and nights raging among the tombs and the mountains screaming and cutting himself with stones. Mattew 8:28 notes that he and his companion had become so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. From their hillside perch among the tombs, they watched as Jesus and His disciples approached the shore in their boats. Likely thinking they had new victims they began their descent down to the shore. Can you imagine the shock and alarm as this man comes into view, here was a poor, naked man covered in a mass of bleeding lacerations, scabs, infections, and scar tissue, in a constant fog of pain and confusion. If he had lucid moments, he surely realized how repulsive and unloved and unwelcome he was. What utter misery for any human being.
But waiting on the shore this time was the Son of God. Recognizing Jesus from a distance, the demons who indwelt this man could sense the presence of the glorious King of the universe and they panicked. Luke tells us that the demons verbalized their fear through the voice of the tortured man who cried out or screamed in terror as he ran up and bowed down before him. This term “bowed down” means to worship. This was not motivated by repentance but out of the horrifying recognition of their heavenly Creator and sovereign. Compelled by sheer terror at this encounter with the Son of God these demons are completely subdued before the Judge of all the earth. What no human could tame, even through the use of chains and shackles, Jesus restrained with nothing more than His presence.
The demons addressed Jesus through the man’s voice. Mark writes, “…and shouting with a loud voice, he said, ‘What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!’ ” (Mark 5:7, NASB95)[4] Remember these fallen angels had served God from their creation until they had rebelled against Him with Satan, they knew exactly who Jesus was, the Son of the Most High God. This name “Most High God” is a wonderful and glorious title used throughout Scripture, it is used to help us understand God’s absolute sovereignty over all other powers. That Jesus is the Son of the Most High God means that He possesses that same authority and nature as His Father. These demons feared that this might be the end for them, that Jesus might send them into the bottomless pit where other fallen angels were held captive. They knew it was not yet the time that they would be cast into the lake of fire. They were aware of God’s end-times timetable and believing that appointed day was still future they blurted out, “What business do we have with each other?” Matthew adds that they asked if Jesus had come to torment them before the time. As they groveled at the feet of the Son of the Most High God, all they could do was plead for a little more time before being condemned to the pit. One of the demons cried out for them all, “I implore You by God do not torment me!” Though the time of final judgment for the fallen angels has not yet come, their reign of terror on earth will have its end. One day Satan and his fallen angels will be cast into the lake of fire, a place Jesus declared was prepared for the devil and his angels, and there they will suffer eternal torment for their rebellion.
THE DOMINANCE OF JESUS (Mark 5:8-16)
These demons were fully aware that they could not resist the Lord Jesus Christ. He was their Creator and He had absolute authority over them, whatever He commanded they had to obey. Jesus had been saying to him (the him refers to the fallen angel in verse 7 who had spoken on behalf of the entire demon host), “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:8b, NASB95)[5] As Jesus is commanding this demon to come out of the man, Jesus paused and asked the demon, “ ‘What is your name?’ And he said to Him, ‘My name is Legion for we are many.’ ”(Mark 5:9, NASB95)[6] This is not the man’s name, but the title taken by the demon forces that indwelt the man and tormented him. Legion is a military term used to identify a group of soldiers. At that time, a Roman legion consisted of up to 6000 soldiers. Imagine how many demons this man was possessed with, not necessarily 6000 but a vast number and that number may have included the demons possessing the second man as well. Jesus knew this before He asked for his name, but He asked for a reason and that was to demonstrate the extent of His power over the realm of Satan. He not only had the power to cast out a solitary demon but even an entire horde. It did not matter the number; they were under the control of His will and omnipotence.
After giving this name to Jesus, the spokesman for them continues and began to beg the Lord not to send them out of the country. Luke 8:31 says they were also begging to not be sent to the abyss. Jesus could have sent them wherever He chose. They wanted to stay in this Gentile region and continue their evil practices. Not far away on a mountainside a large herd of pigs were feeding. The evil spirits began to beg Jesus to send them into the pigs. This seems to be a strange request, but it reflects the desperation that these demons were faced with, they could not remain in the man because Jesus had told them to come out, but they had to have an alternative or He might send them to the abyss. If they could no longer torment this man, then they could wreak some havoc through these pigs. I am sure that they thought it would be temporary, until they could find other human victims.
Jesus did not have to grant them their request, He could have sent them immediately to the abyss. That Jesus chose not to send them to the abyss was not a sign of compassion nor of compromise toward these demons. Jesus had another purpose for them to fulfill so He gave them permission to enter the pigs. Even though Satan and his forces are very powerful they cannot go outside of what God commands or permits them to do. By permitting these demons to enter this herd of pigs Jesus was allowing them to put on display the true magnitude of their destructive and deadly force. By doing this, He highlighted the glorious superiority of His own power.
Mark records that with the permission granted these demons did not hesitate to relocate. He writes, “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.” (Mark 5:13, NASB95)[7] What took place here was undeniable proof that the demons had left the man. Not only did they leave the man but also demonstrated the damaging power of these demons on a massive scale. The fact that about 2000 pigs were affected suggests that an equivalent number were cast out of the man. But the greater demonstration was the extent of Jesus’ authority over them. The demons had no choice but to obey His sovereign command. The omnipotent authority of the Lord Jesus Christ was clearly displayed, and the demons immediately submitted to it.
Some people have wondered why Jesus would allow so many animals to be killed in such a dramatic fashion. In response to this there are several things that must be remembered. First, and most obviously, Jesus did not kill the pigs; the demons who entered them did. That God sovereignly permits Satan and his demons to act wickedly does not mean that God is responsible for their sinful actions. Second, the Lord’s focus was on rescuing this man and freeing from a lifetime of torment. The loss of the pigs represented a relatively small sacrifice in comparison to the human life that was recovered when the demons were expelled. Third, all of the pigs would have been eventually slaughtered anyway, since they were raised for food. Though this hastened their deaths, the drowning did not destroy the meat. Most certainly the pigs’ owners recovered as many of the pigs that they could from the water, then butchered them and sent them to market. Finally, to become fixated on what happened to the pigs is to fall far below the point of this event, which is that the demon forces were so numerous and violent that, within moments of their being cast out of the man, they were able to occupy and drown a multitude of otherwise impersonal beasts. The only power that could control them was the Lord Jesus, their Creator, and the Son of the Most High God.
Those who were tending the pigs were no doubt shocked when suddenly the herd stampeded down the hill and plunged into the lake. They saw it all happen and hurried into the city to clear their names, they reported it in the city and the country to anyone who would listen. Matthew says that they reported everything which indicates that they even realized the connection between the man’s deliverance and the herd’s reaction and death. This report alarmed the local residents who hurried down to the seashore to hear firsthand what had happened. Mark writes, “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the ‘legion’; and they became frightened.” (Mark 5:15, NASB95)[8] When they arrived were Jesus was the former demon-possessed lunatic was not raging violently and being the troublemaker that made him a threat and danger to come across his path. Instead, he was seated, clothed and in his right mind. The dramatic transformation that had taken place in this man’s life was apparent to everyone. Jesus most assuredly had shared the gospel with him, and he had not only been delivered from demons but also from sin. If the townspeople were at all concerned about the pigs, they failed to mention anything about them. Their focus was directed at Jesus and at the man who had been dramatically delivered from the demon horde.
THE DREAD OF THE PEOPLE (Mark 5:15-20)
You might imagine that seeing the total transformation of this form demon-possessed man that the people’s response might be one of relief, gratitude, and even worship. But in reality, the local citizens reacted with utter dread. Previously, they feared the demon-possessed man and tried to avoid him as he terrorized the countryside. But he was clearly no longer a threat, so what made them afraid? They became frightened as the eyewitnesses explained what they had seen and how it all happened and how the man was delivered of the demons and how they had gone into the pigs. The word translated “frightened” is a Greek word that refers to extreme fear or terror. In the same way that the disciples had been afraid of perishing in the sea, only to experience a far greater fear when they realized that they were in the presence of the Creator God. The same was true for the local residents, the fear of the man was gone; in its place was the terrifying dread that comes with the recognition of being in the presence of God, who has power over spiritual beings. Now that the man was clothed and in his right mind, they no longer feared him, but the man who had the power to deliver the former man, He was to be greatly feared because He possessed supernatural power.
Instead of producing a revival in that Gentile region, the response of the people was immediate rejection. Because of their fear, they began to implore Jesus to leave their region. In what could be viewed as a tragic twist, the demons had begged Jesus to let them stay in that country while the local people begged Jesus to leave. Their reaction revealed their lostness and depravity. They preferred the dangerous demons to that of the divine Deliverer. By rejecting Jesus these people illustrate for us the power of unbelief. The amazing miracle of deliverance that Jesus performed did not lead them to faith in Him, in fact, it had the opposite effect. No one could deny that He had displayed divine power. Nor could they deny that the former demon-possessed man had been delivered and transformed. Even with so much undeniable evidence, their hearts remained cold and impenetrable. Confronted with the presence of God the Son, and gripped with fear, they implored Him to leave their shores. Jesus had granted the request of the demons and again He yields to the wishes of the terrified local residents, by preparing to depart.
As they were beginning to get back in the boats and push them out into the water, the man who Jesus had delivered implored Jesus that he might go with him. Unlike the terrified, unbelieving locals, this man did not want to live another day without Jesus. He had been set free, he had been reborn, and he was willing to leave everything behind and follow Christ. But Jesus had other plans for this man, and instead of granting his request 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.” (Mark 5:19, NASB95)[9] Instead of taking him back to Capernaum with Him, Jesus commissioned him to be a missionary where he was. As Jesus had earlier the day before told the crowds, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?” (Mark 4:21, NASB95) This man dramatically transformed man who was known in all the region would radiate the transforming glory of the gospel simply by staying there and declaring what Christ had done for him.
It is understandable that he wanted to go with Jesus, but Mark tells us that this man did exactly what Jesus told him to do. “And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.” (Mark 5:20, NASB95)[10] Going through the predominant Gentile region east of Galilee, the former demon-possessed man spread the good news about Jesus far and wide. It is important to recognize his impact. When Jesus again visited the region around Decapolis, a massive crowd came to hear Him teach—this response began with this one man doing the missionary work that Jesus had sent him to do. The response to his message was that everyone was amazed. This word means to marvel or to admire with wonder. Maybe many, like the disciples, found themselves asking the question, “Who is this man, that even the demons obey Him?”
CONCLUSION:
As I close this morning I want to make two observations about this passage of Scripture. First, this historical event like the event of the storm on the Sea of Galilee is to highlight for us the divine authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God the Son incarnate, Jesus Christ rules over both the natural realm and the supernatural or spiritual realm. No angelic power is any match for Christ’s absolute authority as seen in today’s passage, not even a horde of demons could resist His authority but immediately obeyed His command. Second, this event teaches an important truth about the requirements necessary for being a faithful witness. The man whom Jesus rescued from the demonic horde had no formal theological training, yet he still had everything he needed to fulfill Jesus Christ’s commission for him. Having been delivered and transformed by the Lord Jesus, he was given the simple responsibility of relating the wonder of his salvation transformation to others. That same responsibility is shared by all who belong to the Lord Jesus. We are to report to others what great things the Lord has done for us, and how He had mercy on us. When we tell others how the Savior has delivered us from sin and brought us into His eternal kingdom through faith in Him, we will be fulfilling our God-given commission to the world.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.