THE SERVANT COMES TO THE SINNER
MARK 5:1-20
LESSON 7
Memory Verse: v.15, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
Introduction:
Jesus traveled to “the other side;” the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, which Jesus visited comparatively seldom. It was about five miles across the lake.
“FRESH from asserting His mastery over winds and waves, the Lord was met by A MORE TERRIBLE ENEMY, the RAGE OF HUMAN NATURE ENSLAVED and impelled by the cruelty of hell. The place where He landed was a theatre NOT UNFIT for the TRAGEDY which it revealed. A mixed race was there, INDIFFERENT TO RELIGION.” —Expositor Bible Commentary.
This lesson reveals why Jesus traveled THROUGH A STORM to get to this place, (Mark 4:35-41). It was TO HELP this poor DEMON POSSESSED MAN where the people DID NOT WANT THE SAVIOR among them. This shows how Jesus loves the lowest of sinners.
I. THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN’S CONDITION. vs. 1-5
A. What the Devil did, vs. 1-3a.
1. He DWELT in the country of the Gadarenes, v. 1, LOCATED EAST of the Sea of Galilee and near the south end. Luke 8:26, “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.” [That is, on the opposite shore.]
2. The man CAME TO THE LORD as He was getting out of the boat, v. 2; Luke 8:27, “And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.”
3. He DWELT among the TOMBS, vs. 2-3.
NOTE: There are a lot of TOMBS HEWN OUT OF THE CLIFF. Now there are STONE COFFINS LITTERING THE VALLEY below. Vandals robbed the tombs later on. No doubt it was an ACTIVE BURYING PLACE in the days of Jesus. Since the tombs were hewn out ahead of time there would have been empty tombs for this man to dwell in.
4. The DEVIL FILLED HIM with UNCLEAN SPIRITS, v. 2.
NOTE: In the NT, these are persons, AFFLICTED WITH especially SEVERE diseases, either BODILY OR MENTALLY, (such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, epilepsy, melancholy, insanity, etc.) whose bodies IN THE OPINION OF THE JEWS, demons had entered, and so held possession of them as not only to afflict them with ills, but also to DETHRONE THE REASON and TAKE ITS PLACE themselves; accordingly the possessed were WONT [ACCUSTOMED] TO EXPRESS THE MIND and CONSCIOUSNESS of the demons dwelling in them; and their cure was thought to require the expulsion of the demon.
5. The devil is a THEIF, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Revelation 9:11, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”
6. The man had YIELDED TO the temptations of sin, and SATAN had literally TAKEN OVER HIS LIFE, 2 Timothy 2:26, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
7. Satan has GREAT POWER, 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
8. We were UNDER Satan’s POWER in the past, perhaps to a lesser degree than this man, Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you hath he QUICKENED, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past YE WALKED according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE: Among whom also WE ALL had our conversation IN TIMES PAST in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others.”
B. What Man COULD NOT DO, vs. 3b-5.
1. NO man could BIND him, v. 3b-4; See Mark 9:18-22.
2. The WEIRD BEHAVIOR that we see in the UNBELIEVABLE ACTS of men is the WORK of the devil, Jeremiah 17:9, “The HEART is DECEITFUL above all things, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can know it?”
NOTE: Mass murders, SEXUAL PERVERSION AGAINST CHILDREN, and other unbelievable acts today are the work of the devil.
3. Psychiatrists, counselors and the medical profession CANNOT SOLVE these problems. PRISONS CANNOT REFORM THEM.
4. ONLY GOD can CHANGE them THROUGH salvation, Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, WITH MEN this is IMPOSSIBLE; but with God ALL things are POSSIBLE.
a. There is NOTHING TOO HARD for the Lord, Genesis 18:14, Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return u”nto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
b. NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE for the Lord, Luke 1:37, “For with God NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.”
5. Men could NOT CHANGE him or RESTRAIN him, vs. 4-5; Matthew 8:28, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding FIERCE, so that NO MAN MIGHT PASS by that way.”
6. He CONTINUED in this HOPELESS condition, v. 5; John 8:44, “YE ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a MURDERER from the beginning, and ABODE NOT IN THE TRUTH, because there is NO TRUTH in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is A LIAR, and THE FATHER OF IT.”
7. He CUT and MUTILATED his on body as did the PROPHETS OF BAAL BEFORE ELIJAH, v. 5; 1 Kings. 18:28, “And they cried aloud, and CUT THEMSELVES after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.”
Note: This explains all the BODY PIERCING that we see in many people today. People with rings in the ear, tongue, eyebrows, nose, and private parts of their bodies, are all indications of the work of the devil today. When people start messing with DRUGS, they OPEN THE DOOR for SATANIC OPPRESSION and demon possession. Drugs play a big part in the worship of Satan.
II. THE MAN’S CONVERSION vv. 6-17
A. What the Lord COULD DO For Him, vs. 6-8.
1. The DEMON POSSESSED man ran and WORSHIPPED JESUS, v. 6.
NOTE: NOT with the SPONTANEOUS ALACRITY [cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness] which says to Jesus, “Draw me, we will run after thee,” but INWARDLY COMPELLED, with TERRIFIC RAPIDITY BEFORE THE JUDGE, to receive sentence of EXPULSION. —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.
2. The DEMONS RECOGNIZED Jesus and RESISTED Him, v. 7; James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE and TREMBLE.”
a. Unclean spirits ALWAYS RESIST Jesus.
b. They KNOW WHO HE IS and GREATLY FEAR Him, Mark 3:11, “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, THOU ART THE SON OF GOD.”
3. Jesus had COMMANDED the EVIL SPIRITS TO LEAVE the man, v. 8; Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
B. What the Lord COULD DO TO the Evil Spirits, vv. 9-13.
1. They confessed that they were MANY, v. 9. A LEGION consisted of 6,826 men in the Roman army.
2. They REQUESTED TO REMAIN in that COUNTRY, v. 10.
Note: This must have been a good country for evil spirits to dwell. There are certain regions of the world that seem to be given over to demon activity.
3. The evil spirits WANTED to be PUT in the herd of swine, vv. 11-12. Evil spirits greatly want a body in which to dwell.
a. SWINE were CONSIDERED TO BE UNCLEAN and they were FORBIDDEN TO JEWS, Leviticus 11:7, “And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.” Isaiah 65:4, “Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels.”
b. NOTHING is TOO ROTTEN or FILTHY for the devil.
c. This was GENTILE TERRITORY, which explains the swine.
4. The VIOLENT REACTION of the fearful SWINE, v. 13.
a. In their TERROR they RAN OFF A CLIFF into the sea.
b. To lose 2,000 swine was a GREAT economic LOSS.
c. We are NOT TOLD what happened to the evil spirits.
5. The evil spirits BELIEVED and TREMBLED, BUT they COULD NOT BE SAVED, James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
6. They ALSE BELIEVE in a COMING JUDGMENT, Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” “The time,” is the time of JUDGMENT that they KNEW WAS COMING.
C. What the PAGAN Swine OWNERS COULD DO, vs. 14:17.
1. The feeders REPORTED THE LOSS, since they did not want to be responsible for the great loss, v. 14a.
2. The owners and others CAME TO SEE what had happened, v. 14b.
3. They were NOT IMPRESSED with the CHANGED CONDITION of the man, v. 15; Matthew 8:34, “And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”
a. They SHOULD HAVE REJOICED in what they saw.
b. INSTEAD they were interested in THEIR OWN PROSPERITY. The world is NOT impressed when people are saved and changed today.
c. They were AFRAID OF THE MAN before, and they are AFRAID OF THE SUPERNATURAL that had CHANGED HIM, 1 Samuel 16:4, “And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town TREMBLED AT HIS COMING, and said, Comest thou peaceably?”
4. The event was EXPLAINED but they were NOT IMPRESSED, v. 16.
a. CHARISMATICS BELIEVE that healing, casting out demons, and speaking in tongues will cause people to believe and be saved today.
b. IT IS NOT SO, Luke 16:30-31, “And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.”
5. They wanted TO GET RID OF JESUS, v. 17.
NOTE: This is what is going on in the world today. They want to get Jesus and the bible OUT OF THE SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT, AND PUBLIC LIFE.
III. HIS COMMISSION vs. 15, 18-20
A. The Lord Calls Converted (Changed) Men, v. 15.
1. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus, Luke 8:35, “Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
a. He is now at peace, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
b. Sitting is the place of learning, Luke 10:39, “And she [Mary] had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”
2. He was clothed.
a. He was now clothed in the righteousness of God, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
b. He was also now modest; the work of the devil is nakedness and immodesty.
3. He was in his right mind.
a. This explains the difference in the man’s behavior. Sinful people are not in their RIGHT mind, but in the WRONG mind.
b. He now has the MIND OF CHRIST, 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
B. The Lord Calls Those Who Are Surrendered, vs. 18-20.
1. He earnestly wanted to be with Jesus, v. 18; People who are converted ought to want to be in the Church for He is there, Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
2. He heard the command and obeyed, vs. 19-20.
a. To your own folks [Greek-A. T. Robertson], Psalms 66:16, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”
b. To your friends, John 4:29, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
3. He became a mighty witness for the Lord.
CONCLUSION
1. Demons begged Him not to send them to the pit, v. 10.
2. Citizens begged Him to leave, v. 17.
3. The healed man begged to go with Jesus, v. 18.
Outline by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison
QUESTIONS
1. Who me the disciples when they got off the ship?
2. What did the man do when he saw Jesus?
3. What was the name of the unclean spirit?
4. What happened to the swine when the spirits entered them?
5. How did the man appear after the unclean spirits had left him?