The Preface:
Living on the ocean gives us the advantage sometimes of seeing a storm coming. We can watch it roll in and close the windows before it gets here. It’s easy to recognize a physical storm and be prepared for it. But, what about the storms you encountered in your heart? The storms that often overwhelm your emotions and hinder you from making good decisions? What can you do to be prepared for those kind of storms?
The Passage: Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:28-34
The Process:
- What had just happened prior to this passage? (Mark 4:35-41) What had the disciples witnessed, and what was their conclusion? (Mark 4:39, 41)
- After weathering the storm on the sea, what were they confronted with once arriving “on the other side?” (Mark 5:2-5; Matt 8:28)
- How many demons did this man have living in him? (Mark 5:9)
- How did these demons respond when confronted by Jesus? (Mark 5:7-13)
- How did the “herdsmen” respond after witnessing what Jesus did? (Mark 5:14-17)
- How did the formerly possessed man respond? (Mark 5:18-20)
The Purpose:
What was God doing? Why did He have this written down?
Having left the religious leaders and the whole scene there in Capernaum, Jesus had told his disciples that he wanted to go to the other side of the sea. (Mark 4:35) Jesus didn’t tell his disciples why, he simply said, “Let’s go across to the other side.”
Along the way they had encountered the storm of their lives. They had experienced terrifying fear. But, Jesus had calmed the wind and the waves with just 3 words, “Peace! Be still.” (Mark 4:39) One moment they feared for their lives, and the next, they stood in awe, having been delivered by One who was stronger than the waves. The reality of what they witnessed and the conclusion put great fear into them. It would be something they would never forget! Jesus had given them His greatest illustration. Not just a mysterious story with a private interpretation, but a real live illustration, showing them where their faith needs to be! Little did they know that Jesus was leading them into yet another storm, a storm of a different kind.
The moment they got off the boat they were confronted by a terror of a man. Matthew actually said there were 2 men. (Matt 8:28). But, Mark and Luke focus on the prominent of the 2. Matthew also says that these men were, “so fierce that no one could pass that way.” (Matt 8:28) This was another kind of storm. Why had Jesus brought them here? The disciples took Jesus with them thinking He was tired and needed a break to rest and recoup after all that had happened.
Jesus was acting once again as the Instrument of His Father. As we have seen many times, here is yet another example that there was nothing in His life that was not the activity of the Father in and through the Son. As Jesus approaches the man, the legion of demons fall at Jesus feet, and are completely submissive to Him. The beg for mercy and even ask permission for where to go when Jesus casts them out! Jesus brings peace to a storm tossed soul!
Moments ago, this man had been a terror. Everyone knew who this guy was and what he was like. Many had tried to subdue him. The people of the town were probably embarrassed to be known for the place of the crazed demon possessed man. The stories of this guy were probably well known and widely publicized. So, when the herdsmen witnessed what happened and went into the city and in the country, telling the story, people came from all over to see what had happened.
As they came, what they saw astonished them. This man, who no one could tame, no one could bind (Mark 5:3), this man who had broke chains apart and shred shackles into pieces (Mark 5:4), was now, clothed, in his right mind, and just sitting at the feet of Jesus! (Luke 8:35) How many had been a part of trying to bind him? How many of the towns people had encountered this man? Matthew 8:28 said he was “so fierce that no one could pass that way.” of these people had gone that way, and were either confronted by him, or were forced to take a detour to avoid him? And now, here he is, just quietly sitting at the feet of Jesus! Wow! What a display of shear authority!
As they witnessed the change in this man, and knew the authority and power it represented, instead of believing and turning to Jesus, they were seized with fear (Matt 8:37) and began to beg Jesus to depart their region! But for the man who had been delivered, Jesus sends him back to his home to become a missionary to his own people, proclaiming God’s mercy and the incredible works of God!
The Plan:
As I ask these questions of myself, I encourage you to ask them too.
- What can I learn from this? What is God saying to me and my life from this passage?
- God brings peace to storm tossed souls simply by being present.
- 6000 demons fall at Jesus feet, and were rendered completely powerless in Jesus’ presence.
- The herdsmen responded in fear and rejection, the man who was delivered responded in worship.
- He went away and proclaimed how much Jesus has done for him, and Jesus’ great mercy on him.
- What do I need become more aware of?
- What is the “storm” that I need Jesus to bring peace to in my life?
- How does God want me to be his instrument of peace to storm tossed souls?
- Jesus should be enough to overcome any and every temptation! If I hear/think anything other than that, it’s a lie and I need to take that thought captive and put it up against Jesus and the 6000 (legion) demons who fell at His feet.
- What mercy have I experienced from God of which He wants me to proclaim to my sphere of influence?
- How does God want me to engage with this? What does He want me to do because of what He is saying here?
- When facing anxiety and worry, I need to remember God is with me and take refuge in His presence to calm the storm and find peace in my heart.
- This gives me a new weapon in my arsenal against temptation! There is nothing I am tempted with that has more power than the 6000 demons Jesus encountered. And they cowered at his feet. I need to take every temptation and believe Jesus in me has the power to overcome!
- I need to continue to work at “Being present” and “Conveying the Good” to my orientee families. (Being present: showing acceptance, attunement, identification, validation) Conveying the Good: providing comfort / encouragement, affirmation, hope, celebration – People Fuel by John Townsend) I need to develop some questions that draw these things out?
The Power; Implement and Integrate
The power to change is in the implementation and integration of what God is saying to us. We can talk all we want, make lots of plans, but until we do something about it, and develop habits that integrate those truths, we will never change. What is the one thing I need to do as a result of this study today?
My commitment:
- Apply the 6000 demon rule to temptations and anxieties I face this week.
- Develop some questions to ask that will communicate “Being Present” and that will “Convey the Good” to my students.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.
Having left the religious leaders and the whole scene there in Capernaum, Jesus had told his disciples that he wanted to go to the other side of the sea. (Mark 4:35) Jesus didn’t tell his disciples why, he simply said, “Let’s go across to the other side.”
Along the way they had encountered the storm of their lives. They had experienced terrifying fear. But, Jesus had calmed the wind and the waves with just 3 words, “Peace! Be still.” (Mark 4:39) One moment they feared for their lives, and the next, they stood in awe, having been delivered by One who was stronger than the waves. The reality of what they witnessed and the conclusion put great fear into them. It would be something they would never forget! Jesus had given them His greatest illustration. Not just a mysterious story with a private interpretation, but a real live illustration, showing them where their faith needs to be! Little did they know that Jesus was leading them into yet another storm, a storm of a different kind.
Mark 5:2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
“The other side” was not just a physical description of where they went, it was also like we often said growing up, they went to “the other side of the tracks.” They had gone to the heathen side of the sea! This was “Gentile country.”
The moment they got off the boat they were confronted by a terror of a man. Matthew actually said there were 2 men. (Matt 8:28). But, Mark and Luke focus on the prominent of the 2. Matthew also says that these men were, “so fierce that no one could pass that way.” (Matt 8:28) This was another kind of storm. Why had Jesus brought them here? The disciples took Jesus with them thinking He was tired and needed a break to rest and recoup after all that had happened.
Jesus was acting once again as the Instrument of His Father. As we have seen many times, here is yet another example that there was nothing in His life that was not the activity of the Father in and through the Son. Let’s see what the Father is going to do through the Son.
Mark 5:3-5 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4for 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. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Fruchenbaum notes that this is the first time the Gospels have provided a detailed description of what it’s like to be possessed by demons. He also mentioned that this is “the most extreme degree of the demonized state described in Scripture.” Arnold Fruchenbaum. (n.d.). Yeshua, The Life of the Messiah.”
- He lived among the tombs
- No one could bind him
- He showed super human strength by breaking out of shackles and chains, “breaking the chains apart and the shackles into pieces.”
- He was self destructive, cutting himself with stones.
- Matthew also noted as we stated above that he was so fierce no one could pass that way. He was excessively aggressive (Matt 8:28).
This is the man that God the Father gave the Son an appointment with. God the Father, through the Son, intentionally went to meet this terror of a man, to bring peace to this storm tossed soul.
Mark 5:6-8 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7And 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.” 8For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
It’s hard to know exactly what took place here. Did Jesus step off the boat and immediately begin to tell the demons to “come out of the man?” I picture the scene in Lord of the Rings when Gandalf releases King Theodin from the grip of Saroman. Gandalf takes off his grey robe and reveals “Gandalf the White.” Then, as Gandalf the White, he walks through the palace court, yelling for Saroman to leave Theodin. Through Theodin, Saroman resists and yells back at Gandolf, but eventually releases Theodin and throws him to the ground. I’m not sure how this went down, but in the end, the demon possessed man finds himself at Jesus feet, begging for Jesus not to throw them in the Abyss. (Luke 8:31)
Mark 5:9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
A Roman Legion was a troop of 6,000 soldiers. Did this man have 6000 demons living in him? We don’t really know for sure. But, one thing we do know, it was a lot of demons! This shows for certain that Jesus was not under the power, or a servant of Satan, as the religious leaders claimed back in Matthew 22:24; Mark 3:22. On the contrary, this legion of demons had no power over Jesus, and it was Jesus who declared their doom. They couldn’t even decide for themselves where to go after Jesus cast them out. They had to ask Jesus permission.
Mark 5:10-13 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13So 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.
Luke 8:31 actually says, “They begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.” This is a bit of a stranger interaction. Why did Jesus not “send them out of the country” and instead, gave them permission to enter the pigs? He was demonstrating his power over demons. Allowing them to enter the pigs showed the destructive power of those demons, while at the same time demonstrating Jesus absolute authority over them. Pigs were unclean to Jews, so they would never own a pig. But, this was Gentile country, and those pigs did belong to someone.
Mark 5:14-17 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there (at his feet Luke 8:35) , clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.
Moments ago, this man had been a terror. Everyone knew who this guy was and what he was like. Many had tried to subdue him. The people of the town were probably embarrassed to be known for the place of the crazed demon possessed man. The stories of this guy were probably well known and widely publicized. So, when the herdsmen witnessed what happened and went into the city and in the country, telling the story, people came from all over to see what had happened.
As they came, what they saw astonished them. This man, who no one could tame, no one could bind (Mark 5:3), this man who had broke chains apart and shred shackles into pieces (Mark 5:4), was now, clothed, in his right mind, and just sitting at the feet of Jesus! (Luke 8:35) How many had been a part of trying to bind him? How many of the towns people had encountered this man? Matthew 8:28 said he was “so fierce that no one could pass that way.” of these people had gone that way, and were either confronted by him, or were forced to take a detour to avoid him? And now, here he is, just quietly sitting at the feet of Jesus! Wow! What a display of shear authority!
As they witnessed the change in this man, and knew the authority and power it represented, instead of believing and turning to Jesus, they were seized with fear (Matt 8:37) and began to beg Jesus to depart their region!
Mark 5:18-20 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19And 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.” 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
As Jesus is getting back into the boat to leave, the formerly demon possessed man comes to Jesus, begging Jesus to let him go with them, but Jesus didn’t let him. “What am I supposed to do now, if I can go with you?”
Jesus says, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Because of the Jewish nation’s rejection of Jesus, as we will see in the next section (Mark 5:43), when Jesus heals a Jews from now on, He will command them not to publicize what He does but, to this Gentile, He encourages Him to go and tell his friends and his family how much Jesus did for him.
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