Jesus - Saves

AdamsEve · Chief Honcho Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 1342

Recognizing Jesus

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Mark 5:1
Leaving Capernaum they went about five miles to the region of the Gerasenes.

Jesus had displayed his power over the forces of nature by stilling the winds and the waves.

Now he demonstrates his power over the forces of evil by casting out demons from a possessed man.

“ Across the lake ” means on the eastern side. That the population of this region was largely Gentile the area is called Decapolis ( v 20 )

The Decapolis was a league of ten originally free Greek cities located ( except Scy-thop-o-lis ) on the east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.

The presence of a large herd of pigs, animals considered unclean by Jews and unfit to eat ( Lev 11:7-8 ).

Mark 5:2
Satan is not omnipresent ( everywhere at once ) so he uses demons to carry out his work

From this verse it would appear that Jesus, on stepping out of the boat, was immediately confronted by the possessed man.

Verse 6 clarifies the situation. The man actually saw Jesus from a distance and came running to him. Since it was already evening ( 4:35 ) when they started across the lake, by the time they reached the other side it was probably dark.

Mark 5:3
Robbed of family and friends.

Mark 5:4
Society tried to bind him with chains, isolate him and guarded.

Affecting him mental and physical.

Luke 8:29
For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Mark 5:5
The possessed man lived in the tombs ( v 3 ). Often in Palestine people were buried in natural caves or in tombs cut out of the limestone rock.

These provided good shelter for anyone desiring to live in them. It was a natural place for a possessed man to dwell because of the popular belief that tombs were the favorite haunts of demons.

This afflicted man had probably been driven from ordinary society into the tombs. Efforts had been made to control him, but without success. Although bound “ hand and foot, ” he had broken the chains; and no one was strong enough to subdue him ( v 4 ).

Mark 5:6
NIV correctly translates “ fell on his knees in front of him ” rather than “ worshiped ” ( KJV ).

It was an act of homage rather than worship. The demon shows respect because he recognizes that he is confronted with one greatly superior to him.

The demon was not able to prevent the man from going to Jesus.

The man had hope that Jesus could do something for him.

Society could do nothing, only Jesus can help, even today we have His power to help us.

Mark 5:7
The evil spirit is doing the talking, through the man.

The evil spirit knows judgment is coming and is asking that this is not the time.

The tormentor now changes his role; he pleads immunity from torment. This may be a reference to eschatological punishment ( Mk 1:24: “ Have you come to destroy us? ” ).

In Mark 4:41 the disciples asked each other, “ Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him! ” but the demon knew the answer.

Mark 5:8

The demon addresses Jesus ( v 7 ) by shouting “ at the top of his voice. ” “ What do you want with me? ” was a way of saying, “ What have we in common? ”

The demon recognizes that he is in the presence of one who threatens his very existence.

In addressing Jesus the demon uses his personal name.

James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

Mark 5:9
To Jesus’ inquiry about his name, the demoniac replied, “ Legion. ”

Roman legion consisted of six thousand men.

So fully did they possess the man that he seemed to be unable to act apart from them.

Mark 5:10

Both the singular and the plural occur here: “ He begged ... not to send them. ”

The demons are speaking through the lips of the man.

What they request is that they not be sent “ out of the area. ”

Luke 8:31
And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

( Rev 20:1-3 ), the place of confinement before judgment.

Mark 5:11-12
The demons ask to be sent into the pigs so Jesus just complied with the request.

You need to be careful in your request, if you tell Jesus not to bother you; He might just do that. Then where will you be / go?

Did the demons ask to be sent into the pigs knowing it would cause antagonism with the town people?

It makes no difference whether they inhabit people or pigs because they can make people into pigs by getting them to trade their God given nature for animal behavior.

Mark 5:13
A large herd of swine ( v 11 ) in the Decapolis. This region, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, was largely Gentile.

What caused the stampede of the pigs ( v 13 ) was the entrance of the demons into them.

Demons are emissaries of Satan, the Destroyer. But why did Jesus, having exorcised the demons, allow them to enter the pigs, an act that ultimately resulted in the destruction of the entire herd?

A tentative answer is that Jesus wanted to give tangible evidence to the man and to the people that the demons had actually left him and that their purpose had been to destroy even as they destroyed the pigs.

If the “ legion “ of demons destroyed 2000 pigs just think of the torment the man suffered.

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Mark 5:17
Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

The people thought more of the lost pigs than the saving of a man.

Mark 5:18-19
He was healed so completely he wanted to go with Jesus, just by the Word. By Jesus we can also be healed that completely that we also want to go with Jesus.

We are not called to defend God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, we are called to witness just as this man who Jesus healed.

Jesus had come to the east side of the lake by boat ( 5:2 ).

Now he was about to return the same way.

The man who had been possessed wanted to go with him ( v 18 ), no one had ever showed him such love and compassion.

The Lord did not allow it. Instead he return home to his family to bear testimony to what Jesus in his mercy had done for him ( v 19 ).

The command “ Tell them how much the Lord has done for you ” is in contrast to Jesus’ instructions to the cleansed leper in 1:44 “ See that you don’t tell this to anyone. ”

The demoniac; Jesus was in Gentile territory where there would be little danger that popular messianic ideas about him might be circulated.

It was in Jewish territory that this possibility was always present.

Or perhaps this man could be trusted to convey to others the truth about Jesus, to be His witness.

Mark 5:20
The man obeyed without argument and began to bear testimony of what “ Jesus had done for him. ”

In this lesson Jesus said “ go ”, “ no “, Jesus can say no and that can mean more than a “ yes “. He is saying to change your course and as you do He is saying “ yes “.

Yes; your prayers are being answered and when He says “ no “ He says that to the ones He loves. We may not like it but...

Hebrews 12:6
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “ If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. “

Recap

People in Jesus time knew the difference between demon possession and mental illness, do we recognize the difference today?

Have you had someone who died and you took it so hard that all you could think of — if I had been with them more often, or if I had been there, things might have been different. You could have even encouraged medical help, but have you though of “ looking for Jesus “ or “ recognizing Jesus “

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Are you chained to something? Turn to Jesus, He can help and you will see your blessings despite of the circumstances.

Does sin cause people to harm themselves today?

Is there internal conflict that helps to come to Jesus?

Can we love the unlovable, reach the unreachable or touch the untouchable?

We can be the love of God in their time of greatest need.

Does this demonic pig suicide have anything to do with human suicide today?

What happened to the “ legion “ of demons?

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven I Pray we think more of people that anything else. Lord we know people are created in Your likeness and nothing else is. ( Jesus died to provide salvation for people and nothing else ) Lord I pray we do not come to You or Jesus only for what we can get from You, I pray we come foe the love of You and look to eternity rather than worldly. Thank You Lord.

TGIF

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Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”