Mark 5 1 20 1 They went across

Mark 5: 1 -20 1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

Mark 5: 1 -20 4 For he had often been chained hand 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.

Mark 5: 1 -20 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? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

Mark 5: 1 -20 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Mark 5: 1 -20 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: 1 -20 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. ”

Mark 5: 1 -20 13 He gave them permission, and the impure 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: 1 -20 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.

Mark 5: 1 -20 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.

Mark 5: 1 -20 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demonpossessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

Mark 5: 1 -20 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.

Mark 5: 1 -20 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. ”

Mark 5: 1 -20 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.

The Bay Of Pigs Incident Mark 5: 1 -20 Larry Cline – Hardin Valley Church of Christ – 11/9/2014

The Context- What one word would the disciples have used so far in Mark to describe Jesus? It’s mentioned all through the gospel “FEAR”

The Contest Jesus didn’t come to prey on ignorance, He came to reveal truth. This man was not an unclean man he was a man with an unclean spirit.

Who or what are demons? “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. ’” (Matthew 25: 41) Just as God has heavenly hosts that are obedient to Him so satan has hellish hosts that are obedient to him.

What did demons do? When they possessed people they could give physical disabilities of sorts. A person could be deaf or dumb because they had a demon. (Mark 9: 25) They could give the power of divination. (girl in Acts 16). Always talked about as distinct personalities from the person they possessed.

Why? Why were there evil angels possessing human beings? I don’t know! Scripture never bothers to explain the origin or purpose of demon possession. The phenomenon is never mentioned in the Old Testament.

We may get a clue in Matthew 12: 28. “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ” Perhaps they were a sign to show that God’s rule was present in the ministry of Jesus.

If you had a demon there was nothing a doctor, person or whole congregation could do for you. It was a problem only Jesus could handle. Jesus never did an exorcism in a closet so that the sign could be seen making it clear that God’s rule was in Jesus and He had authority over satan.

With that in mind, might it have implications as to the duration of the phenomenon? The rest of the New Testament is silent concerning when demon possession would end. In Acts you only have four examples of possession and it is never mentioned in the rest of the New Testament.

There is confusion in some “Christian” circles today. . . there is no precedent for ever casting a demon out of a believer. It is totally incongruous that a Christian could have demons.

Christians need to avoid two extremes: 1. Seeing a demon behind every tree. 2. Treating the idea of demons with contempt.

Ephesians is written to Christians & talks of the cosmic war being waged: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6: 12)

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. (I Timothy 4: 1)

Where do the teachings that split the church and divide the church come from? Active today in deception not so much possession.

Mark doesn’t tell us everything we want to know about demons but he does tell us the one thing we have to know if we are going to be able to conquer the influence of the evil one. . . Jesus Christ must be your Lord if you are going to conquer satan’s influence!

Three Conversations: 1. Legion: (v 7) - ironic & hypocritical Demons acknowledged absolutely no kinship with Jesus. Notice they can’t read His mind, & wherever He sends them they have to go.

Why pigs? Idea of a sign. Assure the man he was released. Show Jesus had power over combined forces of hell. Show the nature of satan, (“destroyer”).

2. Conversation with the people of the town: It’s worth the fortune of a whole town to save the soul of one man. What’s their response? Joy?

It’s a frightening thing to worship a God you can’t control. Who in this story had the most trouble with demons?

3. Conversation with the man: Mark 5: 18 & 19 18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you. ”

Evangelism is two stories- The story of Jesus. The story of what Jesus has done for you.

To really meet Jesus means three things: 1. Deliverance becomes available. There is more than one way to be in chains.

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3: 8 b) who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. (Galatians 1: 4)

2. Allegiance becomes discernible. Whenever someone met Jesus in the gospel of Mark they either wanted to leave with Him or they wanted Him to leave.

2. Allegiance becomes discernible. Whenever someone met Jesus in the gospel of Mark they either wanted to leave with Him or they wanted Him to leave.

2. Allegiance becomes discernible. Whenever someone met Jesus in the gospel of Mark they either wanted to leave with Him or they wanted Him to leave.

John W. Stott once said, “You cannot put Jesus at the end of a telescope or a microscope and say, ‘how interesting’. Jesus Christ is not interesting. He is profoundly morally and spiritually disturbing and challenging. If He is God then He deserves our worship, and not just our patronage. ”

3. Silence becomes impossible

Have we met Jesus? We’ll find out when we go home.