When Jesus Showed Up
Mark 5:1-20
This morning I want to talk to you about an incredible event that happened in Jesus' ministry while He walked this earth. There is no doubt that Jesus performed many miracles while He was here. And I am sure that if we had a way of interviewing people from His day, each person that experienced a miracle would say that the One that He performed on them or in them or for them would have been the greatest that He ever did. But there is one that has always amazed me as I read it - the story of the Gadarene demoniac. And what amazes me is that for two millennia this man that was healed is always mentioned by his former state - but thank God he experienced a deliverance that was nothing short of miraculous.
You may ask what this story has to do with the year 2008. "Preacher, is there anyone in this room that is demon possessed?" I can't answer that, but I can say that if there is anyone in this room that does not have a relationship with Christ, the devil has their eyes blinded and they have believed a lie from him rather than the truth from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do believe that there are some here that have believed the lie that there is just no way that Jesus can change their life. Too much has happened; too much time has passed for there to really be a change. Friend, I have some great news for you - you are not too far gone, nor is it too late for Jesus Christ to make a change in your life. And this account that we will read this morning will give evidence of that. Some are here wondering if there could ever be a change in life - and the answer is a resounding yes. Some of you here live with someone or know someone that is living a very rough life and you have honestly wondered if they are beyond the hope of the cross. Can Jesus reach them? Oh dear friend, I'm here to tell you that my Jesus is able.
Mark 5:1-20
5:1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
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,
5:3 who had [his] dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,
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.
5:5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
5:6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
5:7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me."
5:8 For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"
5:9 Then He asked him, "What [is] your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name [is] Legion; for we are many."
5:10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
5:11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
5:12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."
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.
5:14 So 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.
5:15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one [who had been] demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
5:16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him [who had been] demon-possessed, and about the swine.
5:17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
5:18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
5:19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said 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."
5:20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
5:21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.
5:22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet
5:23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."
5:24 So [Jesus] went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
I want you to see,
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A man society could not reform vv 1-5
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His desperate condition.
He had an unclean spirit - demon possessed with many demons. Demonic possession is still very real today.
His residence was in the graveyard. Some may not live in the graveyard, but what they put into their mind is nothing but evil and death.
He had phenomenal strength - not even chains could keep him bound. This is still very real. Some that get strung out on drugs have been known to have an incredible strength where it takes multiple men to hold them down, and then that doesn't always work.
He was wild - so wild that he ran around naked. Can you imagine getting a glimpse of this man? How unsettling it must have been to see this man even from a distance acting the way that he did. Is there any correlation to the pornography and scantily clad industry of today?
He could not sleep. He was so messed up that day or night he could never sleep.
He would cry out day and night. The inner turmoil would vent itself at times through the cries of this man.
He cut himself. He had this thought that if he hurt himself by cutting he would be relieved - but the feeling would come back after a few moments and the vicious cycle would start all over again.
I want you to understand a point from this man's desperate condition. The chaos within this man was evident by the calculated chaos without. And the same is still true today.
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But this was society's way of dealing with this man. Perhaps someone had suggested that he be sent out to an area where not many people would be - like a graveyard. Perhaps others suggested that he be chained up so that he could not hurt himself or others - but to no avail. And eventually, society gave up on him. What a desperate condition this man was in - and there was nothing that society could do to help him. He was a hopeless case, and literally put out for dead.
I want you to understand that society's way of dealing with spiritual issues really hasn't changed. Isn't it amazing the number of "disorders" there are today? It's like it's society's way of covering over a major issue that may very well be spiritual in nature. Am I saying that every "disorder" is spiritual at its basis? No, but I'll guarantee you that many diagnoses skirt the real issue and attempt to say that spiritual problems are okay and are someone else's fault.
Friend, I want you to understand that what Jesus said in another place is absolutely true and we see a picture of it here. Jesus said that the thief has come to steal, kill and destroy. Imagine what this demoniac had lost. As we'll see in a few moments, this was a man that may very well have been a husband and father - yet he allowed the enemy to set up camp within his body and he was wreaking destruction. His family had been stolen from him. This man's desire for living had been killed. And this man's future had been destroyed. Friend, the devil still desires that for you. "Live it up" may be what you think he says to you - but he's out to destroy your life.
Sir, I cannot stress to you enough the imperative to not allow the devil to take a foothold in your life. He'll make it a stranglehold and you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Some of you here this morning are toying with sin and you have so convinced yourself that you have it under control. Some of you feel that you have the pornography under control - and it has you in a deadly grasp. Others feel that you can quit that substance - alcohol, drugs, nicotine, whatever - anytime you want, but the truth of the matter is that you're hooked. And there are some here that are addicted to peer pressure. As long as you have the best and coolest friends, you've got it made. The devil will make these a stranglehold in an instant! Just ask this man. Between Satan and the society, this man was placed in the position that many would have labeled "hopeless."
But thank God that is not the end of the story! We also see,
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The Messiah the man could not resist vv 6-13
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Jesus went to this region for one man - and He went through a storm to get there. Friend, if you ever feel like you're insignificant and not worth much whatsoever, just remember what Jesus was willing to do for this man that frankly no one thought would ever be changed. God deeply loves you. I know that you've probably heard it so many times, but I want to share with you again that if you were the only one on this earth, Jesus still would have come and died for you. Why? You mean that much to Him! This is a beautiful picture of Jesus coming to seek and to save that which was lost! But we see that as Jesus came,
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The man worshiped, the demons were tormented. It's interesting that the Scripture tells us that the man worshiped. Here was a man that was possessed, but he didn't like it - and there was a battle that was taking place within him. But the man comes to worship, and as he comes, we see the torment of the demons as they are before Jesus. I want you to see an incredible statement that the demons make here - they make a confession! Jesus is Son of the Most High God! There are many religious people that don't believe that today! Yet, these demons make that very confession. They confess as well that Jesus has power over them, even to send them into the abyss right now! And yet many religious people question and even doubt that Jesus has any authority like that whatsoever. Isn't that amazing? James is right, the demons believe that there is a God and they tremble! They know better than to deny there is a God!
If you think Christianity is just a game of getting as much knowledge about Christ as is possible, think again. It's not even an attempt to show respect. Rather, it is a total commitment to Christ as the One that is truly Lord over everything. And we see it in that,
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The demons obeyed Jesus, and also showed their desire for the man - to destroy him as they did the swine. I want you to think about this. "The drowning of the 2,000 swine was a vivid object lesson to this Christ-rejecting crowd that, to Satan, a pig is as good as a man! In fact, Satan will make a man into a pig! The Lord was warning the citizens against the powers of sin and Satan. It was a dramatic sermon before their very eyes: "The wages of sin is death!"1
To say that it's no big deal what you see, where you go, what you do, or who you hang out with is to confess that you really don't understand what is at stake. Somewhere along the way this man never fully understood the consequences of his decisions and there but for the intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ, this man was hopelessly doomed. But Jesus intervened and this man received the deliverance that he desperately needed.
Oh the love of our gracious Lord. I'm still moved and amazed that the Lord Jesus would go to a Gentile region for one man, but again it's only a picture of what Jesus would do and did for you and me. He went to the cross for you, sir; for you, ma'am! And this man could not resist the love of our Lord. Will you? You may ask, "What's at stake?" I want you to see this next point,
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A meaning no one could refute vv 14-20
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The man's demeanor was completely different v 15. I want to say to you again that when Jesus comes into a man, he's different. I want you to see how the demeanor of this man changed - and it was so evident to everyone. Notice the phrase in verse 15, he was "sitting, clothed, and in his right mind." Formerly he was running around and could find no peace or comfort. But now he was sitting. Formerly he was naked and unsettled, but now he was clothed. Formerly he was crying out and screaming and clearly out of his mind, but now he is in his right mind. But the crowd could not understand it. Not only was his demeanor different, but also,
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The man's desire was completely different vv 18-20. This man that had experienced an obvious change now had some different desires.
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He wanted to go with Jesus. He wanted to stay with the One that had changed him! Why? Because of something else that Jesus might do for him? I don't think so. This man was just a grateful sinner that could not get over the love of his Lord for him and was grateful for the deliverance he had experienced. He had been changed and was extremely grateful.
Believer, do you still want to go with Jesus? When you get up in the morning, do you still desire to spend time with the One that saved you and changed you? Do you still long to do His will, or has that "Jesus stuff" worn off and now it's back to business as usual? He had a longing for Jesus, just to be with Him. But also notice,
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He went to tell everyone what had happened. Jesus would not let the man go back to the other side of the lake with him. "Jesus knew that the man's place was in his own home, with his loved ones, where he could bear witness to the Savior." Why was that? "Effective Christian living must begin at home where people know us the best. If we honor God there, then we can consider offering ourselves for service elsewhere. This man became one of the earliest missionaries to the Gentiles. Jesus had to leave, but the man remained and bore faithful witness to the grace and power of Jesus Christ."2 And Mark tells us that all the people marveled. Does that mean that everyone was excited for the man? No.
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Not everyone was grateful for the change in the man vv 14, 16, 17. Some pig farmers lost a whole herd of unclean animals. A community had their status quo rocked - and it's amazing how many like status quo, even when a transformation would change everything! But Mark also records that the people were afraid - so afraid that they asked Jesus to leave! You would think that a community would long for the One that made a change in the demoniac's life to come to town and do it again in others' lives, but Jesus was asked to leave!
If you are here and you're contemplating giving your heart to Jesus, I wish I could say that everyone, even your group of friends and family will be so excited for the decision you need to make to give your heart to Christ. But they won't. But you're going to have to make up your mind and heart - do you want to remain in the hopeless state you are in now, or are you ready for Christ to give you what you've been longing for all of your life?
But there was one grateful man that never got over what Jesus did for him. And I believe that there was one family that was so grateful to have a husband and father back at home.
I am amazed again at the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for me, and I am so glad that He changed my life. And He longs to do the same for you. Thank God for the change that He made in the life of a young lady by the name of Stevie this week as well!