Spiritual Warfare
Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 3 of 7
Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
Jesus cast out demons in a man changing his life forever
Living in the cemetery, naked, exceedingly fierce
Totally unmanageable
Constantly crying and cutting himself with stones
Possessed by a legion of evil spirits, demons
Mark 5:15-16
15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Jesus commissioned the delivered man to be a missionary to his family and people
Mark 5:18-20
the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
History tells us there were churches there in the second century
Who knows maybe this man was the greatest evangelist
in the area since Jonah’s reveal in Nineveh.
Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 3 of 7
Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
In Matthew 8:28…
We see Jeus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee
where He had calmed the sea.
Jesus and His disciples landed in the region
of the Gerasenes, this was a Gentile region.
Jesus was met by two men,
demon possessed.
Matthew 8:28
Mark and Luke only mention one man
who was probably the spokesman.
They lived among the tombs.
Mark 5:3
Were naked.
Luke 8:27
Were exceedingly fierce.
Matthew 8:28
Totally unmanageable.
Mark 5:3-4
Constantly crying and cutting themselves with stones.
Mark 5:5
Possessed by a legion of evil spirits, demons.
Luke 8:29; Mark 5:9
The leader of these demons confronted Jesus.
This is the only extended conversation
between Jesus and demons.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" Mark 5:6-8
9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. Mark 5:9-10
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Mark 5:11-13
This is the first of two occasions
when Jesus performed a miracle
in a way that had destructive results…
The death of the pigs.
And the other…
The withering fig tree.
Matthew 21:19
There are three parts to this story.
The one is how Jesus dealt with the demons.
He did not have a long conversation
with the demons, but…
What was said helps us to see the demons.
They knew who Jesus was and the coming punishment.
Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28
They were many “Legion”.
Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30
They did not want to leave the region.
Mark 5:10; Luke 8:31
They sought to live in or among something living (pigs).
Matthew 8:30; Luke 8:32; Mark 5:12
The second part of the story is the man (men) delivered…
Sitting, not screaming
Dressed, not naked
Sitting with Jesus, not cursing
In right mind, not insane.
Mark 5:15; Luke 8:35
The third part of the story is the people of the region.
The people asked Jesus to leave.
The Gentiles were more concerned about their finances
and earthly living than the spiritual life
and being set free from bondage…
So they continued to live in fear.
Matthew 8:34; Mark 5:17; Luke 8:37
So what happened to the man
who was demon possessed?
The account in Matthew’s Gospel informs us
there were actually two demon-possessed men
on this occasion.
Matthew 8:28
One wonders what happened to the other man…
Was he also gloriously delivered?
Or, tragically, would he be like
the unrepentant thief on the cross?
Luke 24:39-43
Mark 5:18-20…
The man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed (Note Luke 8:38)
I am sure if we had cast the demons out of this man…
We would have put him in counseling
and not let him out of our sight for a long time.
But not Jesus...
He sent him right back to his family
and country, people where Jesus was rejected.
History tells us that there were churches
in this area in the second century…
Who knows maybe this man was the greatest evangelist
in the area since Jonah’s reveal in Nineveh.
Scripture Reading
Mark 5:1-20 NIV
5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man — and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
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