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.
We are in a series looking at who Jesus is. We’ve said that Jesus is more than just a good teacher. We’ve looked at how Scripture reveals Him as the Messiah and the Son of God, and we’ve asked the question that Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”
But today I want to ask another question. Do you believe in evil? More specifically, do you believe in evil spirits?
Most people would probably say they believe in evil. You don’t have to look very far to see it. We see it in violence, in hatred, in wars between nations, in broken relationships, cruelty, addictions, and people destroying their own lives for things that ultimately make no sense.
Even in a culture that often denies belief in God, the idea of evil is still very much alive. In fact, while going to church or listening to sermons might not be the most popular thing in our culture today, people are clearly fascinated by the spiritual realm of darkness. Some of the most popular shows and movies explore supernatural evil—stories of demons, dark forces, and spiritual battles. Shows like Stranger Things, Supernatural, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars are all built around the idea that there are powers beyond the physical world that influence our lives.
And even outside of entertainment, listen to the language people use every day.
People say things like:
- “That place has darkness (dark energy).
- “He’s fighting his demons.”
- “That person is straight up evil.”
Now, people might mean those things metaphorically, but the language reveals something deeper. Even in a secular age, many people still instinctively believe that evil is more than just bad behavior.
So if evil really exists—if there are forces of darkness in the world—then we have to ask an even more important question: What hope do you have against it? Can evil be overcome, and if so then by who and how?
Our passage today answers those questions by showing us something remarkable about Jesus. It shows us that when Jesus steps into the darkest places of the world, evil does not stand a chance.
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Jesus is Unintimidated by Evil
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.
This passage begins the account of Jesus going to the other side of the sea of Galilee. He has mainly been on the west/northwest side near Capernaum, which is where the disciples lived and where he began his ministry. That was a place with a great deal of Jewish influence. There would have been synagogues, people wearing Jewish garments, and rhythms of life and work that centered on their faith.
Jesus goes to the other side of the pond and life is different. It is a Gentile region. There is less influence of Judaism. It is more pagan. That is evident by the farming of pigs. Pigs were unclean animals to Jewish people. They would not eat them and would not farm them.
Jesus gets out of the boat near a cemetery. I don’t do that. I’m scared. Rule number one for my canoeing adventures, and also near the top of my list for my life goal of never being in a horror movie, is never get out of the boat near a graveyard. Jesus ignores this. He goes to a foreign region where the culture is much different. He goes into the dark and uncomfortable. Seems like trouble and it is. But it is a place to display your power as well.
Immediately a man with an unclean spirit meets him. It is as if Jesus knew what he was coming for. And as if the man knew Jesus. There was no delay. And it might appear that this man knew Jesus was coming.
This shows the reality of evil. The Bible doesn’t hide from it, rather it acknowledges evil and the presence of evil spirits. Don’t be ignorant of it. Satan prowls like a lion looking for someone to devour. The demonic is real. The spirits are opposed to God. In Scripture evil is not from another dimension or from another rival to God.
Called an unclean spirit, that reminds of the Old Testament and how people became unclean by sinning and going against God’s commands. These are contrary to the Holy spirit that sanctifies us, cleanses us and brings us into the knowledge of God. Diminishing the influence of the unclean spirits is by increasing the influence of God’s spirit in our lives.
But this also shows Jesus' heart to go to the broken and hurting. He is not looking for his own comfort. Ministry is messy. If you are going to be used of God you will find yourself among people whose practices are not like yours, who have hurt and even demons haunting them. Jesus went into the darkness to rescue his people.
He comes for one that many would assume is too far gone.
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The Intent of Evil to Destroy
This account also shows the intent of evil. Scripture says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He pretends to be a source of revelation and life when in reality all he brings is death. He is a fake. A phony, a scam artist. The greatest evils are the ones that hide behind a veneer of truth and then twist into something else. It can often sound good but here we see its true end.
Evil makes you into something other than what God desires.
- We are created for community but this man is alone.
- Created with dignity as an image of God but he is destroying himself.
- Created to sing praise, but he is crying among tombs.
- Created to bless others but people are living in fear of him.
- Created for fellowship with God, but the presence of God trouble him.
- Created to find healing in God, but he is seeking it on his own.
5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
This man has been crying out day and night. It's been going on a while. He has been crying out day and night. He was known by all and they feared him. No one would let him into their home. He is bloodied, crying out, no telling what his air looked like, what his body smelled like, and condition of clothes.
He is cutting himself. Years ago I used to do a weekly Bible study at a detox center. I would frequently read this passage and talk through it. I once asked a group why the man was cutting himself. One young man said he wants to feel on the outside what he feels on the inside. He wants others to see externally what he feels internally. He is crying for help, to be seen, to be known, to be loved. Reading the word with people is powerful. Dont always have to have theological terms to go deep. Sometimes go deeper in knowing the world, the self. Powerful.
He is alone and isolated. Evil will twist one’s thinking. I have never seen a demon, and we don't see these things in Alpharetta/cumming/Johns Creek, but have seen dark spiritual forces at work in people in ways very much like this.
People haunted by regrets, fixated on worst case scenarios, overwhelmed by fears that are irrational, unable to get over things done to them, experienced adversity and cant get over it. Their thoughts control them, take them away from others, away from church, away from God.
Lies. You don't belong here. You are not like others. You need to prove yourself. These things have happened or been done to them and they cant get over, these things feel insurmountable. But Jesus will demonstrate he is greater.
Anger, resentment, unforgiveness.
Many of the things that used to be called demonic oppression are now called mental illness. We have completely removed the spiritual dimension from such problems.
This portrays those who fit in the category of the spiritual but not religious. You hear this a lot today. It basically means someone believes in God but does not allow outward conformity to get in the way. It is a vague platitude that means one has the good virtue of believing in God but open to all kinds of ways to worship. James would say even the demons believe in God and shudder with fear (James 2:19). That describes this man. This man believes in God even knows Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. But he is not serving him. He turned away from God and his life was ruined by it.
It says he came and worshipped Jesus. The word means to bow down to someone. His bowing is probably out of fear rather than true submission. They have seen Jesus and are afraid, they don't want to serve him but they also don't want to be destroyed. It is worship of convenience rather than conviction.
Their intent is to destroy. This mans life is being ruined. In Scripture we at times see evil spirits restrained by God. When the demons leave the man and enter into the pigs it seems all restraint is cast off. They immediately plunge into the water and drown. That is what their aim is. That is the aim of Satan.
Surprisingly, this guy knows who Jesus is.
Satan is looking to destroy but Jesus interferes.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
What have you to do with me? Why are you bothering me? Leave me alone. He is playing the victim. Just let me be here all by my lonesome. What have you to do with me? Satan has taken something that belongs to Jesus. Jesus is coming for it. Yes, Jesus is coming on a mission. He is to set free, and he is to show evil for what it is. Satan wishes to destroy this man. You messed with something and someone Jesus cares about. Dont destroy the work of God and be upset when you are confronted by Jesus.
Jesus is intolerant of the demons. He doesnt look at his condition and then say, “Well, if that is the life you want to live then go ahead.” Dont be indifferent to evil. People may call you intolerant and you can say yes absolutely! Judgment is what leads to restoration, to repentance, to healing and to freedom.
These demons have been tormenting this man. Jesus ha come to set him free.
It shows the value of human life. The demons are subject to Jesus. Don't turn from the living God to things that are not God. It's not uncommon to see.
He is suffering and being destroyed and the best he can do is cut himself and cry out in pain, and the best the people can do is chain and bind him. That doesn't alter his condition. The efforts of man are useless. All they can do is attempt to stifle– they have no power to heal.
**“Satan wants to destroy your life. Jesus came to restore it.”
3. Jesus Restores what Satan Seeks to Destroy.
This man has been through the ringer.
No person could bind the man with chains,
but Jesus freed him with a word.
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.
This passage is kind of like the heavy weight boxing match or the superbowl. The demon says his name is Legion for they are many. A legion was a group of Roman soldiers of about 5,000-6,000. He is not possessed by a single demon but his name implies a legion of demons.
They are powerfully in control over him so that he has super human strength. They cannot bind him even with a chain! Jesus casts the demons out with a word. Very different than other teachers.
To put this in perspective, Acts 19 speaks of itinerant Jewish exorcists, they travel around doing this, but they are Jewish which seems to imply they were not followers of Christ. Seven sons of the high priest engage in this, use the name of Jesus like a ritual, and the one demons turns on the seven so that they run away naked and bleeding.
14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
If you run away naked and bleeding then you lost that fight. I realize we have people from a lot of cultures here, and yet this is something everyone gets. Chinese, you run home naked and bleeding, you lost that fight. India, same thing. Africa. Everyone gets it.
That was seven to one and they lost. Here it is one to 5,000 and the one prevails.
Jesus is greater than the worst evil. He has power over it. He has power to bind what no chain can bind, and he can heal what no medicine can heal.
The man is restored to his right mind. Sophorsune. Wise thinking.
to be moderate, sober-minded, sensible, sane, to instill a sense of moderation– not bipolar. restore someone to his senses, having good judgment, decency, self-control, mastery of the passions; moderate, sensible
This is remarkable because earlier he was:
- Naked
- Violent
- Isolated
- Tormented
Now he is:
- Restored
- Calm
- Dignified
- Ready to follow Jesus
This man is ravished in mind and body. Not all mental illness is demonic, but that does not mean it is not a part of it. We are becoming a more and more secular society and while that happens we are becoming a more and more systemically mentally ill society. I have no doubt there is correlation in those. Much of our mental illness is due to spiritual deception. Our thoughts, beliefs, rhythms of life are contrary to God’s word. This is why we need to disciple people not just on Christian doctrine but on Christian practice.
Jesus is the true answer. I think many Christians have had their confidence in Christ taken away by professional psychology and counseling. I'm hearing from more and more people who say things like they took my money, gave me medicine and I only got worse.
There is power in the name of Jesus. Power in praying for people. Power in bringing your life into conformity with God’s will. Power in Jesus to restore.
Ryan White
Jesus loves the broken. Satan tells us we are hopeless but the good news tells us something else. Jesus died for our sins. He suffered to the point of shedding his blood and he did not compromise with Satan. Tempted many times but remained with his Father. He was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He also rose from the grave. There is no sin to great for him. There is no plan of Satan greater than Jesus redemption. There is no bondage that Jesus cannot set us free from.
But we have to come out of the world. We have to come out of the tombs and out of the isolation and entrust ourselves to this doctor of the soul. This man is now a follower of Christ. He wants to go with Jesus. Jesus says no to that assignment and gives him his own assignment.
“The demons bowed before Jesus because they feared Him.
The man followed Jesus because he loved Him.”
Most of the others in this region do not follow Jesus. They beg Jesus to leave, just as the demons begged Jesus not to destroy them. Their pigs were destroyed and they want nothing to do with Jesus.
The first missionary to this gentile region is not a Jewish scribe or priest, but a former gentile demoniac who was destroyed by his peoples practices.
**Your misery will become your ministry.
**From Torment to Testimony”
God takes graves and makes them into gardens. Places dead people reside become places that produce life.
The man is restored in his purpose in life. We are created to glorify God. Jesus Commissions.
Called to make disciples. How do you do that? Obviously there are doctrines. There are beliefs and passages to teach, tell. But he has given you a story. No one can debate that.
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.”
He commands him to go tell all that God has done for him. He has done from wondering the hillside and tombs by himself and crying out in pain to going to his hometown to tell all that God has done for him.
He doesn’t tell him to go get training. Training is important. Too often people train but never do. Read but never speak. Plan but never act. Prepare and pray, but never go the other side of the pond.
Jesus has healed him and that is enough. He has a story of the power of God. Tell others what God has done for you. How do you start to make disciples. Before you start to explain the Trinity just start by sharing how Jesus has set you free. Start by telling of God’s mercy in your life.
We are to share what God has done for us.
We are to seek to see people saved by Jesus. We proclaim who he is. His is the name that every knee will bow to. He is the one that will sling Satan into the lake of fire. We are to take confidence in the power of Jesus to save, the power of his spirit to heal and restore. Pray for people. Put you hand on them and pray. Share the gospel with others. Get them reading the word.
his is what we are called to do. Most neglected aspect of the Christian faith today. We are to make a confession before others. We are to share the gospel. How do you do that? By telling others what he has done for you. I was blind and now I see. I was demon possessed now I’m set free in Christ. I was in isolation, depression, anger, but now I’m in community, have hope, and joy and peace. I thought I was ruined but now I’m restored.
It’s not if but how God has worked in your life. If you are a Christian God reached into a cold dead heart and brought life. God came to a person straying on a path to destruction and spoke into his darkness. There is a story of God’s work. There is a story of God’s word bringing realness to you.
Who have you told what Jesus has done for you? Tell your kids. Tell your neighbors. Tell the people you care most about what you have struggled with recently and how you found hope in Christ.
*A silent witness is no witness at all.*
Lets encourage and push each other on this. Talk to your friends and small group about who you want to know Christ. Make a commitment to share and ask them to pray for you. Group meet up talk through testimony and how to share.
Conclusion. Trust in Christ. Follow him. Submit to him. Seek what he calls you to do. Often times life is imbalance because idols are ruling.
We overcome evil by turning to Christ. Trusting in him and following him and his ways. It is the height of evil and stupidity to go against God. When we bring our hearts, minds, and lives into conforimity to his will everything changes. We are renewed and restored.
Discussion Questions
- What are some of the ways this man is troubled? Do you know anyone today that has similar struggles?
- How does Jesus demonstrate his power over evil? What does he do?
- How does this man experience transformation? How is his relationship to Jesus different in the end?
- How has God demonstrated his mercy in your life? How can you share that with others this week?
