Introduction In Mark chapter five were are introduced to three characters; a demon possessed man; the ruler of a synagogue and suffering woman. All will eventually wind up at the feet of Jesus. Three stories that includes themes of release; restoration and resurrection. This passage in Mark s Gospel reveals several important things. There are three things we will focus upon. 1. The passage gives us clues concerning Satan s purposes towards humanity. The Scriptures reveal that there are in fact supernatural powers; demonic spirits who have a deep desire to ruin and destroy human beings. 2. The passage exposes societies utter failure and inability to deal with the ongoing problem of human sin and satanic oppression. 3. Finally it demonstrates our Savior Jesus Christ s absolute control over every aspect of the universe. Some Christians have an unwise and unhealthy preoccupation with Satan and Demons. Some so called Christians have gone so far as to deny the Devil s very existence. C.S. Lewis famously wrote in his classic volume The Screw-tape Letters ; There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist and magician with the same delight. Satan s Dark Purposes Towards Human Beings (vv.1-5) Mark 5:1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. Mark 5:2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, The Bible teaches that Satan is a thief and a liar. Paul writes that it is Satan who instigates false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Satan perverts the Word of God (Gen. 3:1-4). Satan hinders the works of God s servants (1 Thess. 2:18). Satan blinds men to the truth (2 Cor.4:4). A careful Bible study reveals that Satan accuses Christians before God (Job 1:7-12; 2:3-6; Zech. 3:1-4; Rev. 12:10); Satan sets traps or snares (2 Tim.2:26;) tempts (Matt. 4:1; Eph. 6:11) and afflicts (Job 2:7; Luke 13:16); deceives; undermines the sanctity of the home and prompts both saints and sinners to transgress against the holiness of God (for examples see 1 Chron. 21:1; Matt. 16:22-23; John 13:2; Acts 5:3). Mark uses the term unclean spirit to describe the alien entity. 1
Mark 5:5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. How does one find oneself demon possessed? The pattern seems to be that demons get a foothold in the lives of people who cultivate sinful practices. Because the person has consistently and persistently yielded to Satan and to sin; the thief takes everything. The person loses everything--including the ability to possess their own faculties. The demon possessed person will often lose freedom, friends, family, self-control. Demon possessed people often lose their decency. The demon possessed person ran around the tombs naked! The demon possessed would often live like wild animals; screaming cutting themselves; and frightening the sane citizens. They lost their peace and their purpose for living. The miserable and terrifying conditions are like something from a horror movie. Kenneth Wuest translates this passage in graphic terms; And having come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had settled down and was making his home in the tombs; and no longer was anyone able to bind him, not even with manacles, because he had been bound securely with manacles and fetters and the manacles were snapped in two by him and the fetters crushed together and no one had sufficient strength to restrain him. And throughout the night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was continually screaming and shrieking, and was constantly lacerating himself all over with stones. We must never underestimate the destructive power of Satan. He is our enemy. He would destroy all of us if he could. Like a roaring lion he seeks to devour us and it is Satan at work in the lives of unbelievers making them the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:13). Society s Solutions (vv.3-4) Mark 5:3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, Mark 5:4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. Society And Science The solution that society and science offer is often ineffective. Illustration: Encounter with a demon possessed Cuban-Haitian refugee; San Bernardino Hospital. Society offers this solution; bind them; guard them; imprison them; medicate them. 2
While we confess that society does offer a limited amount of restraint and protection; society cannot permanently solve the problems of sin and Satan. Can a Christian be possessed? We don not have time to explore that question in detail. But the short answer is no. In order to answer that question we must examine what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be possessed. Paul wrote; If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). John records these words of Jesus: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24). If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed (John 8:31). We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he has been born of God and keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him (1 John 5:18). Sometimes our flesh can exercise such tremendous influence that it feels like we are indwelt by an alien presence. Paul wrote; For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Some people blame demons when their flesh is in fact the guilty party. Most of us would be shocked if we knew the depths of depravity and sin our flesh is capable of generating. As Turgenev said; I do not know that the heart of a bad man is like, but I know what the heart of a good man is like...terrible. Sometimes we need to he honest with ourselves about just how bad we can be. It reminds me of the story of the little girl who had a terrible fight with her brother. When her mother came in and pulled her off her little brother she said to her daughter; Why did you let the devil put it in your heart to pull your brothers hair and kick him in the shins? The little girl thought for a moment and said, Well, maybe the devil put it into my head to pull my brother s hair, but kicking his shins was my own idea. Symptoms Of Possession In his book Occult, Bondage And Deliverance by Kurt Koch he lists eight distinct symptoms of possession described in Mark s passage. Mark 5:2 Mark 5:3 The demoniac had an unclean spirit. The possessed person is in-dwelt by another by an unclean spirit. The possessed man exhibited unusual powers of physical strength. No one could bind him any more. 3
Mark 5:4 The third characteristic were paroxysms (fits of uncontrollable rage). He had broken chains in pieces. Mark 5:6,7 Mark 5:7 Mark 5:7 Mark 5:9 Mark 5:13 The fourth sign is one of personality disintegration; the splitting and then manifestation of foreign personalities. The demoniac runs to Jesus for help; but cries out in fear. The fifth sign is that of resistance; opposition to the Christian faith and spiritual things. The demoniac tells Jesus to leave him alone. One will often encounter resistance when dealing with true cases of demonic possession. The sixth symptom is hyperaesthesia; an excessive sensibility. The Gadarene had clairvoyant powers (supernatural powers). He knew immediately who Jesus really was. The seventh sign is seen in the variation or alteration of voice. A legion of demons spoke out of the possessed person. The eighth characteristic is occult transference. The demons left the man and entered into the swine. Not all demonization is so gross and compelling. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 tells us; And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Demonized men and women can appear utterly conventional. The Servant s Power Over Satan Is Total (vv.8-13) Mark 5:8 For He said to him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit! Mark 5:9 Then He asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion; for we are many. Mark 5:10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Mark 5:11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. Mark 5:12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, Send us to the swine, that we may enter them. 4
Mark 5:13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. The power of Jesus is invincible, Jesus dismisses the demons with a simple word. Jesus blows away evil. Jesus has complete healing power. Jesus restores the image of a man profoundly disfigured by sin. Mark 5:15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. What a complete transformation. Luke s Gospel includes; Then they (the people who fed the pigs or tended the pigs) went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid (see Luke 8:35). The former demon possessed man is rational and at peace. This sudden and dramatic transformation would have been impossible apart from the power of God. Perhaps you can relate. Perhaps not. Have you ever descended so low into a life-style of sin that you believed there was no way out of your situation? Have you ever cried out to God concerning those dark areas of your life that are controlled by sin? Do you ever wonder if there is any way for the fear to go away and the pain to go away and the controlling addictions to go away? Do you doubt whether or not you can be made whole? With the word of Jesus and the power of Jesus and the forgiveness of Jesus restoration is not far away! Are you willing to let Jesus help you? Jesus is in the business of restoration! Do you feel like your life is out of control? Conclusion How did the neighbors react? Did they come out rejoicing because a broken, wounded, hounded, man was delivered? Hardly. They were completely bummed out. They were afraid and they asked Jesus to leave. Note: There are three prayers in this passage of Scripture. The demons pray to be sent into the herd of swine. The citizens pray and ask Jesus to leave the territory. Why? Because the encounter of Jesus with the demoniac left a lucrative pig business go sow belly up! All the pig futures were floating in the lake! The pigs were in hog heaven (OK I ll stop). 5
What were the neighbors fears? Part of their fear was commercial and economic. They valued the pigs more than they valued the man! For some pigs will always be more important than people; they will choose swine over the precious souls of human beings. Rabbi, begone! Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. Our ways are not as thine. Thou lovest men, we swine. Oh, Get thee hence, omnipotence, and take this fool of thine! His soul? What care we for his soul? What good to us that thou hast made him whole, Since we have lost our swine? How truly modern. What do we value most? The delivered man stood very different from his neighbors. And now the last prayer. The prayer of the demon possessed man! The man who had been possessed begged to go with him. 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. Our story concludes with a desire denied...a duty described...a disciple determined... The former demon possessed man apparently publishes a pamphlet distributes it in the region of the Decapolis. Don t you think it remarkable that Jesus would answer the plea of the demons; listen and accept the counsel of the citizens of the region who begged Him to leave their territory; yet refuse the love and pleadings of a man he has just delivered? That is because Jesus has neither refused the man s love or the man s discipleship. Jesus is simply instructing the man to go home first. Just because Jesus doesn t call you or use you on your own terms, does not mean that does not want to use you. The delivered man gets an opportunity to share his testimony and become one of the first disciples to the Gentiles! And isn t it true? Christian living begins in the home! Jesus takes care of our past failures. He deals with our present sin and current bondage. Jesus gives a future hope for all who desire to be used by Him! Don t make the same mistake that the delivered man s neighbors--the Gadarenes--made. 6
They pleaded with Jesus to depart! When you ask Jesus to leave you alone; he may do so for a season. But remember Jesus loves you. Jesus will seek you out again and again. But remember for those of you who may not know Jesus; there will come a point, there will come a time, God will draw a line; I do not know when that time is or where that line is drawn; but God s Holy Spirit will no longer strive with wicked and rebellious people. Just remember; whatever your dealing with; a miserable past; a messed up present; Jesus would love to speak the Word. Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you... 7