CHRIST LIBERATES THE DEMONIZED GADARENE Mark 5
The seeking Savior crossed the Sea of Galilee, searching for this demon-crazed man. He alone would pursue a rescue path for this slave. ‘I am come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly. ‘
Our beloved Lord stepped from the Galilean boat immediately the demon-crazed man appeared, demonstrating our Lord’s omniscience. How distressing for the holy One to face created man driven by his demonic hell-bound hosts. Christ was willing to face such counter-culture to procure the release of one individual. So today! No human or natural forces could counter the oppression of the evil forces, for demonic forces empowered him, shattering all physical restraints which man had imposed. Scripture described this person ‘with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains. Further explanation of the severity of his possession was ‘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 any one tame him.‘
‘And always , night and day, (notice the night precedes day) for night attracted him in his evil pursuits) in the mountains and tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.’ v5
He mutilated his body, lacerating himself with sharp granite, shedding blood uselessly, like the prophets in Elijah’s similar encounter with evil forces. Was this a counter to our Lord’s later offering His holy blood as an offering for our sins? This crazed man depended on inbuilt healing processes, initiated by the ONE who confronted him, even our beloved Lord. Often in medicine I reminded patients how the Lord healed them after surgery or drug treatment. Not the physician.
Oh, how attractive is the Lord of glory: how pure and holy and welcome is the beloved son of the Highest. His Presence in the sick room or counseling releases the calm and comfort which only He can shower on us. ‘When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him‘. The term ‘worship’ tells of this man’s total reverence for the Lord Jesus, his kissing the hand of the Lord; his bowing on his knees before the Lord. How did he recognize the eternal authority of the Son of God? When we face the eternal Son we acknowledge His eternal power and authority. We delight to present the Lord Jesus so that rebel sinners can bow worshipfully at His feet.
Unexpectedly, this tormented man screamed, with a loud voce, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” As believers, we seldom address the Lord with appropriate , majestic language. Here a demonized man shames us. He recognized the oneness of the Son with the eternal Father, elevated above all in heaven and earth. I implore you by God (notice his early dependence on the eternal One ) that you do not torment me.; v7 The authoritative Christ had spoken. He had once created the heavens and the earth, now ’ said to him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’ How could this driving out of demon personalities torment or torture this poor wretch? The Greek equivalent shows how a metal was rubbed against silver or gold, leaving a mark of its authenticity. He implored the Christ not to reveal his personal, wretched depravity, contrasting with the metallic gold and silver of the Lord. He was worthless slag. Hence the torment.
Road rage illustrates the person who has been energized by the demon ruler to violently confront and endanger life. I stood alongside the owner of a luxury car, whose luster had been marred by a scratch. His reddened complexion, vile language, and distorted face indicated he could have a stroke in his fury: visually, his blood pressure surged. One superficial scar on his idolized vehicle released passion, where demonic power controlled.
Untamed sexual lust is energized by demon activity; both in men and women. Satan conspires bringing two such together under lust-impelled motive.
No eternal enrichment, as in godly oneness, comes from such a scarred relationship.
Pornography is energized by demon-possessed persons, twisting their true sexual response , especially in God- ordained marriage.
Binge drinking to achieve an alcoholic state, regardless of consequences, is demon-driven,
Our pastor reminded us that negative, destructive criticism may be demon-inspired, disfiguring the image of that other person: reputation-slaughter, without shedding blood.
Commandingly, then he asked him, ‘what is your name’? He disclosed his identity ‘My name is legion.’ Oh, what a revelation ; for in Augustus’ reign, that comprised 6826 soldiers, with 6,100 footmen and 726 horsemen. Recall how the Lord of glory hanging on Calvary could have called on his Father to send legions of angels- not those devoted to Satan’s slavery. Our Lord said in Matthew 26:53, ‘Do you not think that I cannot now pray to My Father and He will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels?‘ In excess of 82,000 He bore the weight and shame of our sin alone. Christ’s majesty appears in His command that they vacate their home in this poor wretch, originally made in the image of the Lord. Get out’, He demanded. ‘My name is legion; for we are many.‘ ‘And he begged Him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country. Never a moment of doubt, probing His sovereignty. Many road ragers, lust-driven, alcoholic-intoxicants, pornographic enslaved, malicious destroyers through language wait to hear the sovereign Lord clear the decks for holy activity? Do unresponsive believers in the calm, subdued atmosphere of our worship services wait for the omnipotent Lord to command their release.
Christ, as Sovereign, ruled in the driving out of hidden fallen angels and liberating of one distressed man, breaking the devilish hold of thousands of the enemy forces.
‘Now he begged Him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country. Now a herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. And all the demons pleaded with him (what a cacophony of sound -similar to a rock concert, that gripped our city). ‘Send us to the swine that we may enter them.’ At once (no delay for a moment of time) Jesus gave them permission. Undisputed authority! Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine* there were about two thousand (several demons per pig), and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.’ The Son of God commanded their exit from the man and ruled they invade the herd of swine. Multiply the value of each swine by the number of pigs to estimate the financial loss. Keep the eternal value of a liberated life clearly focused.
What drove the keepers of the herd to enquire re the meaning of the entire miraculous deliverance? Did loss of employment contribute? Genuine Jews are commanded not to be keepers of swine. Did Christ’s miraculous deliverance, liberating the formerly possessed one, the expulsion of hordes of demons from the poor creature, drive the locals to press out to see the characters? Were the families and community shocked? ‘Now those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. The surprise of their lives awaited them: the release from sin or bondage to the devil is the greatest change man can observe.
They approached Jesus, the source of all creation, sustainer of life and healing, ruling in every realm exclusively. He is the solution to every personal, family, communal and national difficulty. Stunned, they would not believe their eyes at first glance. Someone had achieved in this man what they considered impossible. That is proof of new birth for only the Lord Jesus can regenerate each believer. Sitting replaced his uncontrolled activity, clothing covered his nakedness with multiple wounds; his insanity had given way to rightful thinking and controlled behavior. Oh, how we long to see this change in the lives of many. They were terrified and overawed in the presence of the God-man, Christ Jesus the Lord. We have lost this sense of the majestic, exultant Redeemer. We should seek to re-establish it. ‘Then they came to Jesus and saw the one that had been demon-possessed and had the demons, sitting, and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ’
Our great Creator now on a redeeming mission was urged to leave the district, having rescued one man who lived in an unbroken hell and was destined for an eternity in the everlasting fires.
No reason was offered for this ingratitude and senseless rejection of the Lord of glory. Were they overwhelmed with the presence of the transcendent , eternal One? In His humanity, our dear Lord must have grieved at His repudiation and snub.
‘Then they began to plead with Him to depart from that region,’
A lover longs for the company of his beloved. The once demoniac was a new man in Christ Jesus, longing for His company. Did he yearn for training from the great Teacher; or a missionary longing grip this dear man? He used the Greek term ‘parakleet’ related to the ’parakletos’, the one called alongside to help, the meaningful description of the Holy Spirit.
How long since you and I told the Lord Jesus we longed to be with Him and be content in His royal company? The swine keepers craved for His disappearance with the same urgency as the delivered man longed for His presence. ‘When he got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed, begged Him that He might be with Him.’
The Lord Jesus denied him his plea, but commissioned him as missionary to his own home group. The Lord gave a simple directive to this man: namely, a Christ-centered word of all the Lord of glory had achieved in him; adding the Lord was supremely tender-hearted to him. His shattering experience in the spirit world and liberating freeing were the only preparation for missionary calling. Is our preparation for serving the risen Lord too sophisticated? Three of our children are Bible college graduates, while my dear wife had studied the word at night school during my study of medicine. ‘The Lord did not permit him , but says to him, 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.’
He departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis (an area of ten cities), so his parish was not confined to his home territory, rather extended to the major cities in this area. A truly missionary calling! When he bared his chest and showed his scars, he authenticated his story of the wounding and self-inflicting under the influence of the demons. Now he was truly free- emancipated by the Lord of glory. ’He departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and the people marveled‘. V 20
Demon-possession is much more common in our western society than we have realized: it was generally acceptable for less-developed nations, and wrongly assumed to be rare in our developed nation. Christ has achieved the supreme victory in His death on Calvary and having conquered death and the grave, he arose in glorious triumph over all the unseen hosts. Command the multitude of evil to depart from your loved ones, your friends and from those imprisoned by them.
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