A quick overview of the gospel accounts

This miracle confronts us with the idea of demon-possession which is so common in the gospels. The ancient world believed unquestioningly and intensely in evil spirits. The air was so full of these spirits that it was not even possible to insert into it the point of a needle without coming against one. Some said that there were seven and a half million of them; there were ten thousand of them on a man’s right hand and ten thousand on his left; and all were waiting to work men harm. They lived in unclean places such a s tombs, and places where no cleansing water was to be found. They lived in the deserts where their howling could be heard. (We still speak of a howling desert.)

They were specially dangerous to the lonely traveler, to the woman in childbirth, to the newly married bride and bridegroom, to children who were out after dark, and to voyagers by night. They were specially dangerous in the midday heat, and between sunset and sunrise. The male demons were called shedim, and the female lilin after Lilith. The female demons had long hair, and were specially dangerous to children; that was why children had their guardian angels (cp. Matthew 18:10).

As to the origin of the demons different views were held. Some held that they had been there since the beginning of the world. Some held that they were the spirits of wicked, malignant people, who had died, and who even after their death still carried on their evil work. Most commonly of all they were connected with the strange old story in Genesis  6:1-8. That story tells how the sinning angels came to earth and seduced mortal women. The demons were held to be the descendants of the children produced by that evil union.

To these demons all illness was ascribed. They were held to be responsible, not only for diseases like epilepsy and mental illness, but also for physical illness. The Egyptians held that the body had thirty-six different parts, and that every one could be occupied by a demon. One of their favorite ways of gaining an entry into a man’s body was to lurk beside him while he ate, and so to settle on his food.

It may seem fantastic to us; but the ancient peoples believed implicitly in demons. If a man gained the idea that he was possessed by a demon, he would easily go on to produce all the symptoms of demon-possession. He could genuinely convince himself that there was a demon inside him. To this day anyone can think himself into having a pain or into the idea that he is ill; that could happen even more easily in days when there was much of what we would call superstition, and when men’s knowledge was much more primitive than it is now. Even if there are no such things as demons, a man could be cured only by the assumption that for him at least the demons were the realest of all things.

When Jesus came to the other side of the lake, he was confronted by two demon-possessed men, who dwelt in the tombs, for the tombs were the natural place for the demons to inhabit. These men were so fierce that they were a danger to passers-by, and the prudent traveler would give them a very wide berth indeed.

W.M. Thomson in The Land and the Book tells us that he himself, in the nineteenth century, saw men who were exactly like these two demon-possessed men in the tombs at Gadara:

“There are some very similar cases at the present day—furious and dangerous maniacs, who wander about the mountains and sleep in caves and tombs. In their worst paroxysms they are quite unmanageable, and prodigiously strong….And it is one of the most common traits of this madness that the victims refuse to wear clothes. I have often seen them absolutely naked in the crowded streets of Beirut and Sidon. There are also cases in which they run wildly about the country and frighten the whole neighborhood.”

Apart from anything else, Jesus showed a most unusual courage in stopping to speak to these two men at all.

If we really want the details of this story we have to go to Mark. Mark’s narrative (Mark 5:1-19) is much longer, and what Matthew gives us is only a summary. This is a miracle story which has caused much discussion, and the discussion has centered round the destruction of the herd of pigs. Many have found it strange and have considered it heartless that Jesus should destroy a herd of animals like this. But it is almost certain that Jesus did not in fact deliberately destroy the pigs.

We must try to visualize what happened. The men were shouting and shrieking (Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28). We must remember that they were completely convinced that they were occupied by demons. Now it was normal and orthodox belief, shared by everyone, that when the Messiah and the time of judgment came, the demons would be destroyed. That is what the men meant when they asked Jesus why he had come to torture them before the proper time. They were so convinced that they were possessed by demons that nothing could have rid them of that conviction other than visible demonstration that the demons had gone out of them.

Something had to be done which to them would be unanswerable proof. Almost certainly what happened was that their shouting and shrieking alarmed the herd of pigs; and in their terror the pigs took to flight and plunged into the lake. Water was fatal to demons. Thereupon Jesus seized the chance which had come to him. “Look,” he said, “Look at these swine; they are gone into the depths of the lake and your demons are gone with them for ever.” Jesus knew that in no other way could he ver convince these two men that they were in fact cured. If that be so, Jesus did not deliberately destroy the herd of swine. He used their stampede to help two poor sufferers believe in their cure.

Even if Jesus did deliberately work the destruction of this herd of pigs, it could surely never be held against him. there is such a thing as being over-fastidious. T. R. Glover spoke of people who think they are being religious when in fact they are being fastidious.

We could never compare the value of a herd of swine with the value of a man’s immortal soul. It is unlikely that we refuse to eat bacon for breakfast or pork for dinner. Our sympathy with pigs does not extend far enough to prevent our eating them; are we then to complain if Jesus restored sanity to two men’’ minds at the cost of a herd of pigs? this is not to say that we encourage or even condone cruelty to animals. It is simply to say that we must preserve a sense of proportion in life.

The supreme tragedy of this story lies in its conclusion. Those who were herding the pigs ran back to the town and told what had happened; and the result was that the people of the town besought Jesus to leave their territory at once.

Here is human selfishness at its worst. It did not matter to these people that two men had been given back their reason; all that mattered to them was that their pigs had perished. It is so often the case that people in effect say, “I don’t care what happens to anyone else, if my profits and my comfort and my ease are preserved.” We may be amazed at the callousness of these people of Gadara, but we must have a care that we too do not resent any helping of others which reduces our own privileges.

This is a powerful and tender narrative. Jesus has just subdued the natural forces of the storm. He now subdues the spiritual forces of darkness.

 ^{[MK 5:]1}They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^NIV-6-43 [which is across the lake from Galilee^LK] ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil^NIV-6-44 spirit [two demon-possessed men^MT] came from the tombs to meet him. [For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but^LK] ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. ⁴For he had often been chained hand and foot [and kept under guard^LK], but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet [and had been driven by the demon into solitary places^LK]. No one was strong enough to subdue him. [They were so violent that no one could pass that way.^MT] ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

If we piece together the synoptic narratives, we discover that Jesus probably left Capernaum between six and seven p.m. (cf. Mk 4:35). Because of the storm, it likely took three to four hours to go across the lake (less than five miles). Thus, it is now probably sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight. The action takes place under a starlit sky with an audience of hired hands who watch the swine.

This land is opposite Galilee, in Gentile territory, on the east bank of the lake. This holds special importance to Luke as he outlines the Gospel going to the Gentiles. Matthew labels it as Gadara rather than Gerasa. Gadara was a well-known city some sixteen miles away and seven miles back from the lake. Thus, this portion of the lake was in Gadarene territory. About half a mile from the lake was a small city named Gerasa. This is probably where Jesus landed for it is the only place on the lake where the cliff is close enough to the water for the pigs to rush down and drown. Strictly speaking, it is incorrect to speak of the area as “Gerasene.” The similarities in names likely caused the confusion with the transcribers.

This area has a narrow bank, met abruptly by high limestone cliffs full of caves. Archaeologists have found tombs twenty feet square with side recesses for bodies. These were used to bury the dead. Poor indigents sometimes used the caves as shelters as well as tombs. This is not uncommon even today.

Matthew says that two demon possessed men met Jesus. Luke and Mark only concentrate on the more prominent of the two—the one who did the speaking. He comes running up to Jesus and falls at his feet. Here we have a classic description of a demoniac (Liefeld, p. 913): (1) Nakedness—disregard for personal dignity, (2) social isolation, (3) retreat to simple shelter (i.e., caves), (4) recognition of Jesus’ deity, (5) demonic control of speech, (6) shouting, (7) extraordinary strength—tearing chains apart is impressive power. Besides all this he was not only homicidal but almost suicidal (Mt 8:28; Mk 5:5). He was the talk and terror of the town.

Mk 5:6-10 with Lk 8:28, 31, Mt 8:29 ⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God [I beg you^LK] that you won’t torture me! [before the appointed time^MT]” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

⁹Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area [into the Abyss^LK].

This idiomatic expression, “What do you want with me” (lit. “What to me and to you”), can be understood in a number of ways: “What do we have in common?” or “What business do you have with me?” or “Why are you interrupting my life?” He is essentially asking Jesus what is the meaning and/or significance of this encounter.

The second part of this demoniac’s address, “Son of the Most High God” sounds odd coming from a demon. It is as kosher as a dill pickle. In the OT “Most High God” is an orthodox title for Jehovah (Gen 14:18-22; Num 24:16; Isa 14:14; Dan 3:26; 4:2). So why is it coming from a demon? It may be that the demon is trying to invoke the name of God before Jesus invokes the name of the demon. You see, the current practice of exorcism was to conjure up the names of powerful people and “gods” in order to overpower the demon and send him away. Whoever had the most impressive resume of names supposedly won.

This fellow had a long list of names backing him. But only one is given—Legion. This term refers to a unit of the Roman army generally consisting of 6,000 men. It is not necessary, however, to take this as a literal number. Jewish rhetoric often referred to multiple demon possession as “legion.” Nonetheless, the fellow is in bad shape. He is filled with a slug of evil spirits.

The demons have Jesus way outnumbered. Still, they are petrified of him. They know he has the authority and sufficient power to punish them. They are well aware, in fact, of their impending imprisonment in the Abyss at the judgment (cf. Mt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). They beg the Master not to sentence them prematurely.

The word “Abyss” originally meant “bottomless.” In general it refers to the realm of the dead. It has various specific meanings ranging from primeval chaos to the prison of evil beings (cf. Rom 10:7; Rev 9:1-3; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-3). Matthew adds the note (8:29), “before the appointed time.” Eventually Satan and all his cohorts will be punished and locked up (Rev 20:1-3, 10). They are not asking to be delivered. They know this is not possible. They are asking, however, to have their full time to wreak havoc on the earth.

Mk 5:11-13 with Mt 8:30-31 [³⁰Some distance from them^MT] ¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, “[If you drive us out^MT] Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³He gave them permission, and the evil 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.

There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. If the number of a legion and the pigs were exact, that would make three demons to one pig. No wonder they committed suicide. But doesn’t that make Jesus guilty of destroying private property? Not at all. Jesus only permitted it, he did not cause it. Let’s not blame God for Satan’s work. Besides, pigs were unclean animals to the Jews. We can hardly expect Jesus to honor a herd of pigs. The bottom line is that Jesus considers the soul of one man more valuable than 2,000 pigs. And that can scarcely be criticized.

Why do the demons ask to enter the pigs and then immediately destroy their hosts? Perhaps the demons know that Jesus will be blamed for the destruction of the herd. Thus, they are trying to cause trouble for Jesus. At the same time, demons are naturally destructive. They are doing nothing essentially different to the pigs than they did to the man. It is simply not true that Satan (and his cohorts) take care of their own. They typically destroy whatever they can get their hands on.

Mk 5:14-17 with Mt 8:34, Lk 8:37 ¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵[Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus.^MT] When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there [at Jesus’ feet^LK], dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region [because they were overcome with fear^LK].

It must be close to midnight. As the shepherds (or pig herders) report this incident, they are waking up the owner(s) of the flock. An emergency town meeting is called in the middle of the night.

For the first time in who knows how long, this demoniac is liberated. The townspeople gather on the shore of the lake in the wee hours of the morning. There they find the ex-demoniac sitting, sane, and dressed, perhaps even in Jesus’ own tunic. When they see this they are afraid. But what frightens them? They knew the power of the demoniac; they couldn’t control him even with chains. But Jesus had. That kind of power was beyond them. They also know their major cash crop was just destroyed. They need a scapegoat. Jesus is available. Instead of submitting to his power, they expel him out of fear.

This is a community decision (cf. “all the people”). It is easier to ask Jesus to leave than to figure out the complexity of the situation and where they stand. Peter had asked Jesus to leave after the great catch of fish (Lk 5:8). But there was one big difference. Peter did it because he caught a glimpse of Christ’s holiness and his own sinfulness. These people did it because they caught a glimpse of Jesus’ power and wanted to protect themselves from it. Jesus stayed and worked with Peter. But because of the Gerasene unbelief, Jesus leaves them as they requested. He is a gentleman. He won’t foist himself upon you.

Mk 5:18-20 ¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹Jesus did not let him, but [sent him away [and]^LK] said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^NIV-6-45 how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

The ex-demoniac begs to go with Jesus. The imperfect verb indicates that he continues to beseech Christ. Why does he want to go? Obviously, he loves Jesus and appreciates what he has done. And he knows that if he stays close to Jesus the demons will not come back. But beyond his love for Jesus, he will always be the ex-demoniac (like an ex-con), to these Gadarenes. He will always have the scars on his body as a reminder to the community of who he was. And the town will associate him with the loss of 2,000 pigs. He wants a fresh start and a new identity. According to Jesus, however, it is more important that he witnesses in his community with his old identity.

Jesus sends him home to his family. The content of his message is simple. He is to tell two things: (a) “How much God has done for you” and (b) “How he has had mercy on you.” We often make evangelism far too complex. Here we have an ex-demoniac with merely one evening of “Bible College” education. He simply goes home and tells his story. The results are phenomenal. He not only goes throughout the whole town but through the entire Decapolis, a group of ten Greek cities.

But that is not the end of the story. The next time Jesus returns to that area, he has a wonderful reception and feeds 4,000. No doubt, it is largely due to the testimony of this one man.

This dramatic incident is most revealing. It shows what Satan does for a man: robs him of sanity and self-control; fills him with fears; robs him of the joys of home and friends; and (if possible) condemns him to an eternity of judgment. It also reveals what society does for a man in need: restrains him, isolates him, threatens him, but society is unable to change him. See, then, what Jesus Christ can do for a man whose whole life—within and without—is bondage and battle. What Jesus did for these two demoniacs, He will do for anyone else who needs Him.

 Christ came to them, and even braved a storm to do it. This is the grace of God! He delivered them by the power of His Word. He restored them to sanity, society, and service. The account in Mark 5:1-21 shows that one of the men asked to become a disciple of the Lord. But, instead of granting his request, Jesus sent him home to be a witness. Christian service must begin at home.

There are three prayers in this event: (1) the demons besought Jesus to send them into the swine; (2) the citizens besought Him to leave; and (3) the one man besought Him to let him follow (see Mark 5:18-20). Jesus answered the prayers of the demons and the citizens, but not the prayer of the healed man!

We can construct a “statement of faith” from the words of the demons. (Demons do have faith; see James 2:19.) They believed in the existence of God and the deity of Christ, as well as the reality of future judgment. They also believed in prayer. They knew Christ had the power to send them into the swine.

The fact that the demons destroyed 2,000 pigs is nothing compared with the fact that Jesus delivered two men from the powers of Satan. God owns everything (Ps. 50:10-11) and can do with it as He pleases. Jesus values men more than pigs or sheep (Matt. 12:12). He brought peace to these men’s lives and to the community where, for a long time, they had been causing trouble.

Verse-by-Verse study

Jesus Casts Out Demons: Saving Men, 8:28-34

Matthew adds to the convincing evidence of Jesus’ messiahship and divinity by showing His power over the supernatural as well as over disease, deformity, and the natural world. For Jesus to redeem the earth and reverse the curse, He would have to have total power over Satan and his demon hosts. In order to rescue fallen humanity He would have to be able to overpower the evil forces that hold men in physical, mental, and spiritual bondage. Throughout the gospel record, therefore, we repeatedly find accounts of Jesus’ ability to cast out demons from those under their evil control. He exercised His power instantaneously, authoritatively, and with total success—often by the use of but a single word, as in the present instance.

In the wilderness temptations Jesus demonstrated His power to resist Satan; now He demonstrates His power to overcome and completely subdue Satan. In His dealing with the kingdom of darkness He not only would not bend to Satan but made Satan bend to Him. As the apostle John tells us, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (John 3:8). The Lord became a Man and came into the world in order to destroy the works of Satan. When He comes again to establish His kingdom He will incarcerate Satan for a thousand years, at the end of which, after a brief freedom, he and his evil co-workers will be cast into the lake of fire, where “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:2, 7-10). By casting out demons during His earthly ministry, Jesus gave dramatic, powerful, and repeated evidence of His power over Satan. As He explained to a multitude near Jerusalem, “If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” Luke 11:20.

When the disciples tried to cast out demons they found out how extremely difficult it is. Although Jesus had given them “power and authority over all the demons” (Luke 9:1), they discovered that casting out demons was not as easy for them as for Him (Matt. 17:16, 19). Many Jews of New Testament times were involved in exorcism by means of various formulas and rituals, with no real success. That is why Jesus’ total success was so surprising. “What is this? A new teaching with authority!” exclaimed the incredulous Jews at Capernaum. “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him” (Mark 1:27). Because Jesus cast out demons with such ease, some of the people concluded that He must therefore be in collusion with the devil, and they declared, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons” (Luke 11:15). When the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast an evil spirit out of a man by the power of “Jesus whom Paul preaches,… the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” Acts 19:13-16.

In the account of the two demon-possessed men, Matthew first describes the possession by the demons, then the power of Christ over the demons, and finally the perspective of the people in regard to Jesus.

Jesus was doing two things in this experience.

1. Jesus was demonstrating His power to deliver men from the darkest forces imaginable—men possessed by “devils” (demons, evil spirits). He wanted the world to know that He had now combatted and conquered the forces of evil.
2. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephes. 6:12).
3. On the cross Christ “spoiled principalities and powers”; Christ “made a show of them openly, triumphing over them” (Col. 2:15; cp. Hebrews 2:14-15). What this means is…

• that the depth of evil was openly seen by taking the life of God’s Son.
• that by suffering death on the cross God’s Son openly showed just how evil the principalities and powers are.

But contrary to what they expected, while He was on the cross Christ bore the sins of the whole world, “triumphing over” the forces of evil.

1. He was “raised from the dead, and placed at [God’s] own right hand…far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come” (Ephes. 1:20-21).
2. He now proclaims the most glorious hope for man.

                             “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18).

                             “[He] is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10).

 Why does He not just take over now? Why has He not assumed His sovereign reign over the universe yet?

                             “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9; cp. these verses 3:3-4, 8-18).

 

2. Jesus was demonstrating that He searches for men everywhere. He wants all men to be saved, even those who are the most wild and mean. And He wants everyone to know that He is out to save all, even the worst of men. Therefore, He set out to save two men who were as possessed with devils as could be. We may avoid the wildest and meanest and have little to do with those in bad conditions, but Christ longs to save them.

 

1. Jesus went where no other men would go (v.28-31).
2. Jesus saved those whom no other men could reach (v.32).
3. Jesus was rejected again by covetous men (v.33-34).

 

DEEPER STUDY

(8:28-34) Evil Spirits—Demons—Satan: the Bible teaches that there are beings in the spiritual world who are evil just as there are men in this world who are evil. The Bible calls these beings “evil spirits.” Note that the very word evil is used in their name which describes exactly what their nature and mission are. “Evil spirits” apparently have a leader called the evil one. He is sometimes called by other names describing the terrible work he is out to do in defiance of God.

Some deny a force of evil in an unseen world, whereas the person who accepts the Bible as the authoritative Word of God accepts what the Bible teaches about their presence.

Those who deny evil spirits feel that a civilized and scientific society knows better; it is just too intelligent to accept evil beings in an unseen world who have the power to possess, obsess, and oppress men. Three primary reasons lead to this conclusion.

1. The existence of evil spirits in an unseen world cannot be scientifically proven.
2. The behavior of what is called evil spirits seems to exist more and to be more marked in unscientific societies that tend to stress evil spirits.
3. The behavior of those possessed is thought to be nothing more than mental illness.

There are huge problems with the denial of an evil spirit behind the seen world. The denial just leaves so much unanswered.

1. How can mental illness explain such behavior as is witnessed so often upon the scene of human history? Consider Hitler and other mass murderers and the many other inhuman atrocities committed against people. Realistically, several facts militate against all inhuman behavior being assigned to mental illness.
2. There is the fact that so many who did so much evil were nurtured in the arms of a mother or someone else who did care. Mental illness points out deviations from healthy rearing. But realistically the deviations can come nowhere close to matching the terrible atrocities. And the deviation from normal behavior does not always vary that much until the terrible atrocity is committed.
3. A human being who is mentally ill cannot move among sound people for too long without being found out. True mental illness cannot fake that much and that often. Its behavior deviates often enough that others know that a person is acting extremely abnormal. A mentally ill person can be detected and reached out to by caring people.
4. A person who is mentally ill cannot move among a large number of sound leaders and convince them all to commit atrocity after atrocity. Realistically, there has to be more than mental illness behind inhuman behavior that is deceiving (blinding) and so terribly destructive.
5. The claim that demon-like behavior exists more in unindustrialized societies has two faults.
6. Such a claim is disputable, although probably true. But the point is this: a scientific society that is dominated by unbelief is bound to ascribe abnormal behavior to whatever it feels causes the defect. Therefore…abnormal behavior is always ascribed to mental illness. severe abnormal behavior is marked up as unexplainable or due to a complete diverse (split) personality.

However, claiming that something is unexplainable or coming up with a new name does not do away with reality, the truth of what actually exists. (There is not that much difference between the psychological belief in two complete personalities within a body and Scriptural belief which also says that two persons can possess a body—the man himself and an evil spirit.)

1. The Bible claims that the evil spirits of the unseen world are highly intelligent and deceptive.

• When a man thinks he “walks in light” (is enlightened or scientific), the Bible says the evil one fashions himself into an angel of light and uses strategies of light. Therefore, men would naturally call abnormal behavior by some natural or humanistic term as mental illness (2 Cor. 11:14-15; Ephes. 6:11).
• When a person believes in evil spirits and opens his life to such spirits, the evil one uses the strategies of what men call dark spirits.

In their accounts of this incident, Mark (5:2) and Luke (8:27) mention only one demon-possessed man but do not state that only one was present. For their particular purposes they chose to focus on the more dominant of the two men. Demon-possessed simply means to be demonized, to be under the control of a demonic spirit, without regard to the kind or degree of control. Although its accounts of demonized people reflect many different conditions and degrees of control, Scripture does not clearly distinguish between being possessed, obsessed, or oppressed by demons.

Demonization may be defined as a condition in which one or more demons inhabits and gains control over a human being. Demons can attack men spiritually, mentally, and physically. In the spiritual realm they promote false religions, demon worship, the occult, and innumerable kinds of immorality, including murder (Rev. 9:20-21; 18:23-24). In the intellectual and psychological realm they promote such things as false doctrines; insanity and masochism, as in this demon-possessed man, who gashed himself with stones (Mark 5:5); and inability to speak and suicidal mania (See Mark 9:17-22).

Demon domination was a common affliction in New Testament times, even among God’s chosen people, the Jews. In the apostolic church, the gift of miracles, or powers, was the ability to cast out demons. It is interesting, however, that we read of no account of demon possession in the city of Jerusalem. Throughout history, including modern times, that particular aspect of Satan’s activity seems to appear more commonly in rural and unsophisticated areas than in sophisticated urban society. It is also more common where animistic religion and its accompanying fear and worship of evil spirits are strong. In more advanced societies, a person who is seriously deranged by demons is likely to be considered insane and placed in a mental institution, and it seems certain that many people who are diagnosed as mentally ill are actually demonized.

It is significant that Jesus never blamed a person for being either diseased or demon controlled. He recognized them as victims of powers beyond their own control and as in need of deliverance, not exhortation or condemnation.

As we see with these two men who were demon-possessed, the personality and voice of a demon can at will, and sometimes continuously, eclipse the personality and voice of the occupied person. When Jesus asked one of the men, “What is your name?” the demon responded through the man’s mouth, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many” Mark 5:9.

These men lived in burial chambers that were commonly hewn out of rock hillsides or cliffs on the outskirts of a town or city, and as they saw Jesus approaching they met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. It is possible they were Jews, for whom touching a dead body was the greatest ceremonial defilement. If so, their being forced by the demons to live in a cemetery was an additional humiliation and torment.

They were so exceedingly violent that no one coud pass by that road. We learn from the other gospel accounts that at least one of the men wore no clothes and that he had such great strength that no chain could keep him bound. He was often driven into the desert by the demons and spent much of his time ranting and raving, “crying out and gashing himself with stones” Mark 5:4-5; Luke 8:27-29.

What do we have to do with You meant, “What are You doing here and why are You bothering us?” By addressing Jesus as Son of God the demons showed that they immediately recognized who He was. Mark reports that one of the men “ran up and bowed down before Him” (5:6). The word from which “bowed down” comes  is usually translated “worship,” because it represents the most common Near Eastern act of adoration and reverence. The term carries the idea of profound awe and respect. Demons hate and loathe
everything about God, yet they are powerless to do anything but bow down before Him when in His presence—just as one day at His name every knee will “bow of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth” Phil. 2:10.

Demons are fallen angels, and before they joined Satan in his rebellion against God they knew intimately each member of the Trinity. Though they had never before seen Him in human form, they instantly recognized Jesus as the second Person of the Godhead. As spirits, they recognized His spirit. They knew intuitively that they were standing in the presence of the Son of God, the “Son of the Most High God,” as Mark (5:7) and Luke (8:28) report As we learn from another encounter of Jesus with demons, they also “knew Him to be the Christ,” that is, the Messiah (Luke 4:41).

They knew Jesus was their divine antagonist and that He had full power and authority to destroy them at will. By their question, Have You come here to torment us before the time? they acknowledged that they knew there was a divinely appointed time, not yet come, when He would indeed judge them and punish them with eternal damnation. Their eschatology, like the rest of their theology, was factually correct. As James tells us, “the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). They shudder because their belief is that of recognition but not acceptance, and they fully realize the consequence of rejecting God.

In light of their knowledge about His divine power and plan it seems strange that Satan and his fallen hosts bothered to tempt and attack Jesus. But the supreme deceivers are also supremely self-deceived, and in their evil delusions they somehow hoped to frustrate Christ in His humanity. By inducing Him to sin, perhaps they could drag Him down to the lake of fire with them when judgment came. Perhaps they thought He was somehow less powerful and righteous on earth than they knew Him to have been in heaven. In any case, it is the nature of Satan and of those who belong to him to oppose God, no matter what the consequences or prospect for success.

The demons understood much more about Jesus’ identity and about the divine plan of redemption and judgment than did the twelve disciples at that time. It was much later that Peter confessed before Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” a truth he came to know only by divine revelation (Matt. 16:16-17). The demons knew they were not destined for judgment until after the Millennium and they consequently wondered why Christ now had dealings with them. It was much too early for their scheduled time of torment, and yet they sensed that Jesus was about to interrupt and destroy their present evil work.

In desperation the demons looked around for a way of escape, and they spotted a herd of many swine feeding in a pasture. The great size of the herd, which numbered 2,000 animals (Mark 5:13), indicates that the number of demons was also large (see also Mark 5:9). If You are going to cast us out was not a statement of uncertainty or mere possibility. The idea is, “In light of the fact that You are about to cast us out,…” Knowing Jesus’ compassion for men and His divine plan to destroy the works of the devil, the demons knew He would not let them continue to inhabit and torment the two men.

The request of the demons seems bizarre, and we are not told why they asked to be sent into the heard of swine. Perhaps they thought the Lord had changed His timetable for judgment and would otherwise immediately throw them into the great abyss. Even inhabiting pigs would be immeasurably better than that because swine were the most unclean of all unclean animals to the Jews. Perhaps the demons thought Jesus would not care if the demons took control of them or, by inhabiting and then destroying the pigs, perhaps they could cause the pigs’ owners and others in the area to turn against Jesus. Perhaps Jesus would be killed for killing the pigs. Whatever the reason for the demons’ request, it was predicated on the clear understanding that Jesus would not allow them to remain where they were.

The Power of Christ

And He said to them, “Begone!” And they came out, and went into the swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. (8:32)

When the disciples cast out demons even with God’s commissioning and empowering, it often required considerable time and persistence as well as prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21; Mark 9:29). But Jesus cast the entire legion of demons out of the two men with but a word: Begone! He gave permission to the demons (see Luke 8:32) in the form of a command which they were powerless to disobey, and immediately they came out, and went into the swine.

Again we can only wonder at the demons’ reason for doing what they did. Whether they directed the whole herd to rush down the steep bank into the sea where they perished in the waters, or whether that was simply the animals’ frenzied response to being inhabited by the evil spirits, it seems likely the demons knew the outcome in advance. But we do not know why they did what they did or what happened to them after the pigs drowned.

As fallen angels, demons are extremely powerful beings (see 2 Kings 19:35; Ps. 103:20; 2 Pet. 2:11). When an angel was sent with a message for the prophet Daniel, he was delayed by a demon (called “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”) for three weeks, and the Lord had to send the archangel Michael to his aid (Dan. 10:13). It is therefore hardly surprising that Paul warns us that even as God’s own children we cannot withstand the attacks of demons apart from the Lord’s armor, especially the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16).

Demons have superior intelligence (Ezek. 28:3-4), superior strength (Mark 5:4; Acts 19:16), superior supernatural powers to perform “signs and false wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9), and the superior experience of having existed long before the creation of the world, first as holy angels and then as fallen. They not only have great knowledge of God’s nature and power but also great knowledge of man’s nature and weaknesses. As spirit beings they are not limited by time, space, or form. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to bruise Satan’s head and it will only be by the Lord’s power that he will be bound and cast into the abyss and eventually into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:3, 10). It required tremendous power to cast out so many demons as Jesus did in the country of the Gadarenes, yet He did it in an instant.

Many people wonder why Jesus would allow so many animals, even unclean pigs, to be destroyed just to cater to the bizarre request of a bunch of demons. But animals were created for man’s use and consumption, and those pigs were destined for slaughter anyway. Their being drowned brought considerable financial loss, but if the owners were Jews—as they may well have been—they had no business raising pigs in the first place. But the souls of the two possessed men were of infinitely greater value than the two thousand animals, and Jesus did not hesitate to permit such a relatively small sacrifice to be made on the men’s behalf.

The primary lesson of this passage, however, does not have to do with the right to raise or eat pigs or with the relative value of pigs and human beings. The Lord’s supreme purpose in casting out the demons and Matthew’s purpose in reporting it were to demonstrate Jesus’ authority and power over Satan and his forces. The fact that the demons went into the swine and the swine reacted in the frenzy they did was dramatic and convincing evidence that they had left the two men. Their fierceness and violence was transferred to the pigs and there could be no doubt in the minds of observers as to what had happened.

The Perspective of the People

And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city, and reported everything, including the incident of the demoniacs. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their region. (8:33-34)

When the herdsmen saw what happened to their pigs, they ran away. The fact that they reported everything, including the incident of the demoniacs, indicates they realized the connection between the two demon-possessed men and what had happened to the animals. The pigs’ mass suicide proved that Jesus had indeed cast the demons out of the men. Further evidence, which the herdsmen and the others discovered when they returned to the scene, was that one of the men—and presumably the other as well—was clothed and sat in his right mind at Jesus’ feet (Luke 8:35).

The townspeople, probably including the owners of the pigs, were so amazed by the report that the whole city came out to meet Jesus. That they came specifically to meet Jesus shows that He was the focus of attention. He was of greater concern to them than either the pigs or the two previously possessed men. Contrary to the suggestion of many interpreters through the centuries, there is no indication in the text that the response of the people was due to their materialistic concern over the loss of so many pigs. Though they were possibly present, the owners of the pigs are not mentioned in any of the three gospel accounts. The issue was not the demons, the pigs, or the two men, but Jesus.

The people of the city (probably Gerasa) did not even give Him the reluctant reverence shown by the demons. They did not seem the least interested in finding out who He was or why He had come to their area. They wanted nothing to do with Him, and entreated Him to depart from their region. They had at first simply come out “to see what it was that had happened,” but when “they came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the ‘legion’ … they became frightened” (Mark 5:14-15). They were not angry or resentful but scared.

When unholy men come face-to-face with the holy God, they are terrified. Again we are reminded that when Isaiah “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted,” he exclaimed, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:1, 5). After Peter witnessed Jesus’ miraculous provision of fish that nearly swamped two fishing boats, “he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord’” (Luke 5:8). When the storm came on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were afraid, but when they saw Jesus still the storm they were even more afraid (Mark 4:38-41). They were more afraid of Jesus than the storm, because they realized that God Himself was in the boat with them. The sinner who knows he faces God can only see his sin, and the result is fear.

We are not told exactly what the people from the city thought of Jesus. We only know that they had a glimpse of the supernatural and it caused them to panic. They saw One who could control demons, who could control animals, and who could restore shattered minds to sanity—and they wanted nothing to do with Him.

Here we find the first opposition to Jesus recorded in the gospels. The people did not ridicule or persecute Jesus; they simply asked Him to leave them alone. Perhaps they resented His righteousness exposing their sin, His power exposing their weakness, or His compassion exposing their hardness of heart. Perhaps they could not tolerate Jesus because of His perfection. But unlike the scribes and Pharisees, these people showed no interest at all in who Jesus was or in His teaching or work. They seemed totally indifferent to His person and ministry. They did not care if He was the Messiah. They did not seem to care whether His powers were good or whether He was from God. They did not care anything about Him, except that He would go away. Their rejection of Jesus was in the form of great indifference, the same indifference to God shown by most men throughout history—the indifference that wants to let God alone and to be left alone by God. The Lord was an intrusion with whom they did not want to be bothered.

In great contrast to the attitude of those people, one of the men who had been demon-possessed begged Jesus “that he might accompany Him” (Mark 5:18). He was so grateful to Jesus for deliverance and so drawn to Him in love and adoration that he could not bear to be separated from Him. But Jesus had other plans for the man, 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.’” (v. 19) Jesus sent the man back to his own people—quite probably the very people who had asked Jesus to leave—to testify to them of the Lord’s love and mercy. The man was to be an evangelist and missionary to his own people, living testimony that the One whom they had rejected nevertheless loved and sought to redeem them. Even to those who entreat Him to depart, Jesus extends His grace.

Jesus, Mission: Jesus went where no other men would go.

1. Jesus went among the evil possessed. These two men were as possessed with evil as any have ever been. (Cp. Mark and Luke to have a complete picture of their plight.) They were so possessed and acted so insane that no man would dare reach out with a helping hand. In fact, no man dared go near them. Yet God cares for all and cares equally. He cared for these as much as He cared for any. And He wants His people to care and to reach out to all no matter how bad their condition. Christ was to demonstrate such care for all succeeding generations, so He went where no men dared to go. He went among those who were the epitomy of men possessed with devils.
2. Jesus went among the dead. Note two things.
3. These men lived among the tombs, in the grave yard.
4. These men represented the living dead—all men without Christ are “dead in their sins.” The difference between the two possessed men and all others is that they were the picture of the worst of the living dead. They show just how far away some can slide from God and from their families and friends. They can be so possessed with evil that they are completely cut off from both God and man, living as though among the dead (cp. Ephes. 2:1-3; Ephes. 5:14; Col. 2:13).

Note two things.

1)   Where the depth of evil can lead: “among the dead.”

2)   How far a person can go in giving himself over to evil or devils: he can literally ruin his life. We all know some who have given themselves over to evil so much that they have fallen into the pits. They have become so cut off from others that they live as “among the dead.”

3) Jesus went among the fierce. Some men are dangerous; they are so given over to evil that they are a threat to everyone. The two possessed men were “exceeding fierce.” They threatened any who passed by.

Why were the two possessed men fierce? Why do men become fierce and dangerous?

1)   Some give themselves over to evil step by step. They grow more and more evil. They walk so long in pride and envy, selfishness and lust that they rebel against giving of themselves. They react with malice and revenge against any who wish equal treatment. Sensual stimulation and material things—wealth, recognition, and power—and things within the world become the ambition of their lives, and they focus their attention accordingly. They walk so long therein that they become obsessed and possessed; they react with anger against any position or relationship that does not grant their desire.

2)   Some become so self-centered and selfish, walking so long therein, that they react violently if they do not receive the attention and recognition they desire or get what they want. They behave so selfishly that they become “possessed with devils.”

3)   Some give themselves over to evil so much that they become possessed with evil. They are capable of acting and reacting so coldly that everyone becomes nothing but pawns to do their bidding. If anyone expresses a different position, they become an immediate threat.

4)   Some are ignored, neglected, rejected, and abused so much that they withdraw and become subject to being possessed with the negative reactions of evil: self-centeredness, self-pity, anger, hostility, malice, bitterness, revenge, and on and on.

When the heart is not filled with God, it is filled with self and evil, and it sometimes becomes angry and fierce against people and positions. There is no exception; everyone without God experiences some anger and fierceness during their journey without God. Some go so far as to become possessed with an evil spirit of fierceness.

4. Jesus went among the defiant. Men rebel against God; rebellion in God’s eyes is defiance, that is, rejection of Him and His will. These men rebelled and were as defiant as men can be. Note three facts.
5. They protested Jesus’ presence: “cried out” in defiance against His presence. How many of us protest and have times that we do not want His presence?
6. They recognized Him as the Son of God. They recognized something that many today refuse to acknowledge.
7. They acknowledged a day of torment, of judgment yet to come. They did something many try to deny.

Note several important lessons.

1)   It is not the knowledge that God exists that makes a person a child of God. It is love: love of God and love of man. The person who truly reaches out for God and for man is born of God.

2)   Evil spirits have nothing to do with Christ. Christ did not come to save fallen angels, but fallen men. Christ went to a graveyard to save these two men. He will go anyplace to save anyone. How much more should we be willing to go anyplace to reach fallen men?

3)   Some men react against Jesus Christ just as these evil spirits did.

1. a) They can call Jesus Christ the Son of God and have nothing to do with Him.
2. b) They can acknowledge a day of torment and still have nothing to do with Him.
3. c) They can reject Him, protest His presence, oppose His right to control their lives, rebel against His interference, even hate Him and feel animosity toward Him.

4)   Some men may be nagged with the question: Do we have anything to do with God? Man is the concern of God, and the fact that a person may be nagged with the question is a good sign. Such a man can find God and find deliverance if he will diligently seek God.

5. Jesus goes among the malicious, the devourers, the destroyers. The evil spirits are said to be the ones speaking here. They recognized Jesus’ sovereignty. Note how the evil spirits thought and worked.
6. They were indwelling and hurting these men physically, mentally, and spiritually.
7. They wished (if exorcised from human bodies) to hurt other men by damaging and destroying their property.
8. They wished (if exorcised) to keep other men from Christ by destroying their property and having them blame God for the devastation and loss.

Jesus Christ went where no man would go. He went to those who were malicious and would devour and destroy. And because He went, He was able to deliver two men.

(8:32) Salvation—Spiritual Cleansing: Jesus saved those whom no other men could reach.

1. There is the power of His Word. The devil’s power may be great, but the Word of Christ is omnipotent (all-powerful).
2. There is the result of His Word. The men were saved and the evil spirits were cast out of the men. Christ has the power to deliver and save. All He has to do is say, “Go,” and whatever evil dwells in a man is gone. The man is delivered from all evil—its presence, guilt, and consequences. The man is “saved to the utmost” (Hebrews 7:25).

Some may seem hopeless to us. They may rage, rebel, and defy God; but Christ can and will reach them. We just need to go to them in the name of our Lord, for He has the power to deliver and save. This is the very purpose of this experience. It is a demonstration of His power to save men who are gripped by the depths of darkness.

The power of Christ is able and all sufficient, sufficient enough to meet any need. The evil spirits were two of the worst ever described, yet they were expelled and the men were delivered.

DEEPER STUDY

(8:32) Evil Spirit: a question needs to be asked about the swine that were killed (Matthew 8:30-32). There were about two thousand of them (Mark 5:13). Why were they killed? As this is discussed, it should be noted that Christ did not kill them. He, of course, knew they would be killed; but the evil spirits were the ones who drove them wildly over the cliff. Why did Christ allow the owners to suffer such a great loss?

There are several possible answers.

1. It was a visible sign that the two possessed men were truly saved and freed from the evil spirits. Everyone knew beyond question that the two were possessed. Only a dramatic act could give unquestionable proof.
2. It was to convince those who did not believe in evil spirits that there are most definitely evil spirits who do possess bodies. (Unbelievers such as the Sadducees and other liberal thinkers of the day needed to see the truth.)
3. It was to teach obedience and holiness. It was against the law for a Jew to own and eat swine (Leviticus 11:7; cp. Isaiah 65:3-4; Isaiah 66:17). If the owners were Jews (and they probably were), they were sinning against the law. Jesus was thereby teaching that His presence demanded holiness and obedience to the law.
4. It was to teach the value of a human soul. The two possessed men were of far more value than any amount of material wealth, and even more so if the wealth was gained by illegal means.
5. It was to attract the attention and open the door for the evangelization of the surrounding district. No doubt the news of the Messiah’s presence and power would spread and stir people to open their hearts and receive the message of the healed demoniacs (Luke 8:38-40).
6. It was to drive home Jesus’ holiness and to arouse the people to acknowledge it; thereby the seeking and honest heart would be open for salvation (Luke 8:38-40).
7. It was to awaken covetous men to the fact that they were gripped by greed. They were doomed unless they forsook their material possessions and turned to the Messiah (Matthew 19:16-26). This could have been the best way and the only chance for them to be awakened to their need and to the power of Christ to deliver them.
8. It was to show and reveal the true nature of evil spirits.

(8:33-34) Covetousness—Jesus Christ, Response—Rejection: Jesus was rejected again by no other than covetous men.

2. The covetous heard of the Lord’s presence and behavior. The herd-keepers ran into the city to report what had happened. Note: the whole city went out to meet Him and all reacted against the loss of the wealth. Nothing was acknowledged of the good done.
3. There was good in that a great deliverance had taken place. Two hopeless men had been healed and delivered.
4. There was good in the truth about the swine. Whatever was behind the destruction of the swine, it was for the good of all involved.
5. The covetous felt nothing in common with Christ. “When they saw Him,” they saw only a man standing there who had destroyed their property. They were blind to the glorious work and deliverance of the two possessed men. Salvation was not on their mind—business was. Their thoughts were engulfed in their material loss, not in heaven’s gain.

When the covetous see the Lord, they experience an immediate response: they feel nothing in common with Christ and His demand for self-denial.

The Lord’s attitude and demands toward material possessions are stringent. A covetous man is forced either to repent, that is turn from all material seeking, or to outrightly reject Christ (Matthew 19:16-22).

3. The covetous rejected and expelled Christ. The covetous did not come to be saved by the Messiah, but to expel Him. They expelled Him who had the power to expel all the evil forces that had gripped their lives and that was leading them down the road to material destruction.