¹ They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{a 2} When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil^b spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He 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.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but 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.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

This is the most dramatic exorcism story. Jesus’ later statement in 9:29 “This kind (of demon) can come out only by prayer,” indicates that there are differences between one demon and the next. The Gerasene demoniac was an extreme case involving social ostracization (v. 3), superhuman powers (vv. 3–4), howling and masochistic behavior (v. 5), and thousands of demons (vv. 9, 13). Jesus’ ability to control these demons was awe inspiring.

1. The reference to the Gerasenes creates a difficult geographical problem. One would presume Mark was speaking of the inhabitants of Gerasa, one of the cities of the Decapolis. The problem is that the exorcism clearly takes place at the edge of the lake and yet Gerasa was some thirty miles southeast of the lake. One possible solution is to accept one of the other readings found in the ancient witnesses to the text. In addition to “Gerasenes” there is ancient manuscript support for “Gadarenes” or “Gergesenes.”¹ “Gedarenes” (the best attested reading for Matthew) would point to Gedara, a city about five miles southeast of the lake which had a harbor on the lake. “Gergesenes” is the alternative supported by Origen in the third century.² Some scholars who accept this reading believe Gergesa should be associated with a small village on the northeastern shores of the lake now known as the ruins of Kursi.³ In any case the region Jesus entered was part of the Decapolis (the “Ten Cities”), a largely Gentile region east of the lake.

2–5. Mark describes the demon possessed man in some detail. He had superhuman strength so that he could not be restrained by shackles or chains. He lived with the dead (unclean according to the cleanliness laws) among the tombs in some region near the lake. He was forever howling and cutting (or “bruising” as in the ) himself with stones.

6–8. This pitiable man (who had never seen Jesus) recognized Jesus immediately, even at a distance. The demon knew Jesus’ identity as “Son of the Most High God.” When Jesus commanded him to come out he objected, calling on God’s name in an effort to implore Jesus not to torment him.

9. A legion was a military division, which in Jesus’ time numbered “about 6000 soldiers, usually with approximately an equal number of auxiliary troops.”⁴ The name Legion and the subsequent possession of two thousand pigs suggests that the demoniac was possessed by thousands of spirits.

10–13. Jesus only appears to aid the demons by permitting them to enter the pigs. The pigs rush into the lake and are drowned, leaving the demons without a host. Jews do not eat or raise pigs. But this lakeside scene was in the Decapolis, a predominately Gentile region.

14–17. The people of the town and countryside apparently knew about the demon-possessed man. They were surprised to find him sitting still, dressed, and clear-headed. The statement that they were afraid translates the same verb used of the disciples in 4:41. However, in this case it seems to have a negative connotation, since their fear led them to ask Jesus to leave. They were afraid for a man of such remarkable powers to remain among them.⁵

18–20. The actions of the former demoniac contrast sharply with those of the crowd. It seems surprising that Jesus would encourage him to tell about his experience, since he had strongly warned the leper of 1:40–45 not to tell anyone. Perhaps the distinction is to be sought in the region and the reaction of the people. In Galilee, Jesus could not even enter a town due to the immense crowds that followed him everywhere. But in the Decapolis his first miracle was greeted with rejection and with appeals for him to leave the region. Jesus did not need an ambassador to spread the word in Galilee, but the Decapolis was a different situation. The former demoniac’s story of God’s mercy through Jesus’ power evoked the same reaction that many in Galilee had had—they were amazed (cf. 1:27).

What Is Your Name?
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” Mark 5:1-20
    In the last message we looked at a storm on a lake, a story of circumstances that were out of control. We talked about the times when the events of our lives are chaotic and frightening. Jesus asked the disciples in the midst of the storm on the lake, “Why are you so afraid?” There are answers to the fear of the turmoil of storms.

The issue before us in this message is related but different. It concerns not external circumstances that are chaotic, but inward conditions that are frightening and terrible. The question the Lord will ask in the center of this story is, “What is your name?” It’s a question of identity, of untangling and bringing to light what is inside. We’ll return more than once to ask that question of ourselves as we read the passage.

Verse 35 tells us that it was late in the evening when Jesus and his friends set sail.  The Lake of Galilee is 13 miles long at its longest, and 8 miles wide at its widest.  At this particular part it was about 5 miles across.  they had made the journey and, on the way, they had encountered the storm, and now had reached land.  It was a part of the lake-side where there were many caves in the limestone rock, and many of these caves were used as tombs in which bodies were laid.  At the best of times it was an eerie place; as night fell it must have been grim indeed.

In Mark 5:1-20 it is still the same night as in 4:35-41. That day Jesus had had a teaching ministry all day long. At the end of the day he was very tired. He said, “Let us go over to the other side.” They got in the boat, probably at dusk or sometime late in the day, and the harrowing experience with the storm that I just mentioned. Now the storm and the journey are over. It is sometime in the middle of the night.

(Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39)

 ^{[MK 5:]1}They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^-6-43 [which is across the lake from Galilee^LK] ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil^-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.

Mark 5:6-10 with Luke 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].

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

The characteristics of demons other than the ones given in the outline above are said to be as follows:

1. They are spirits (Matthew 12:43-45).
2. They are Satan’s emissaries (Matthew 12:26-27).
3. They know their fate is to be eternal doom (Matthew 8:29; Luke 8:31).
4. They affect man’s health (Matthew 12:22; Matthew 17:15-18; Luke 13:16). Apparently, demon-possession is to be distinguished from mental illness.
5. They seduce men to a false religion of asceticism (1 Tim. 4:1-3).
6. They seduce men to depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1).
7. They are cast out of people (exorcism) in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:18).

Evil spirits are enemies of Christ and of man. As such, they oppress, possess, and obsess people.

• They delude the world and blind people to Christ (Ephes. 2:2).
• They attack theology (1 Tim. 4:1-3).
• They attack society (Rev. 9:3, 20-21).
• They attack individuals (Luke 8:29).
• They influence people to commit the sins of demon-worship, idolatry, sorcery, fornication, theft, murder, and much more (Rev. 9:20-21).

The believer’s defense is the Lord. The believer must pray and fast and take on the armor of God in order to stand against their power (Matthew 17:21; Ephes. 6:12f).

This passage is excellent for studying the character of evil spirits and the Lord’s power to deliver men from evil spirits.

The reference to demons here is not easy, of course, for modern, educated people. It is thought that civilization and education dispel the superstitious fears of the ancients, and that there are no such things as demons, only human fears that get called by these names. But the Bible is quite clear that there are in fact fallen angels in the world, evil personalities that are bent on destroying what God loves.

Some persons are extremely controlled by evil; others are just slightly controlled.

• Some men are said to be controlled by demons.
• Mary Magdalene is said to have been possessed by seven devils (Mark 16:9).
• Jesus referred to one devil being replaced by seven devils and the last state of the man being far worse (Luke 9:26).
• The man in the present passage is said to have been possessed by a Legion, that is, hordes of demons.

Jesus said of the devil and, by implication all the fallen angels, that he could be summed up as having two priorities or passions: murder and lies. “[The devil]…was a murderer from the beginning…he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Demons are finite in number, and God has placed limits on their capacity for destruction.

Further, the world, the flesh, and the devil, which the New Testament says is the array of problems that assail us, are related along a continuum. Rivalry with God and worship of self, with their attendant degradation and hypocrisy, are similar whether they’re encountered in demons, in the proud ideas and patterns of the world, or in our own flesh.

This terrible account of a tragic figure demonized by not just one evil personality but a legion of them is a worst-case scenario. But this most dramatic version of the lesson will have application to people who are not invaded by foreign personalities. It will also be applicable to the potential for sin that resides in us: our own rebellion against God, our own pride and love of self, our own inclination to do what’s wrong, to prefer unrighteousness.

THE EFFECT OF AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT

With that in mind, let’s look at the passage. Do your best to imagine the eeriest, most frightening sort of landscape. Jesus and the disciples landed their boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Gerasenes.

Jewish cemetaries were always located outside the city or town. This was necessary because Jewish law said that a person became temporarily defiled if a grave was touched. Some of the cemetaries were located around limestone hills or mountainous terrain. This enabled men to find caverns or else to hew out tombs in the limestone facing.

There were some caves and tombs, and in the moonlight there may have been evidence of the recent storm-branches and other debris. There were also these two thousand pigs moving around restlessly on the adjacent hillside, upset from the storm. Devout Jews to this day feel revulsion at the presence of pigs.

Out of the tombs there came a demon-possessed man.  It was a fitting place for him to be, for demons, so they believed in those days, dwelt in woods and gardens and vineyards and dirty places, in lonely and desolate spots and among the tombs.  It was in the night-time and before cock-crow that the demons were specially active.  To sleep alone in an empty house at night was dangerous; to greet any person in the dark was perilous, for he might be a demon.  To go out at night without a lantern or a torch was to court trouble.  It was a perilous place and a perilous hour, and the man was a dangerous man.

The man was uncontrollable, unrestrained, untamed, wild, mad, violent tempered, often possessing super-human strength. All human efforts to help him had failed. He could not be helped, nor controlled, nor tamed.

Matthew tells us there was at least one other man who lived in the tombs, and that travelers avoided the place because of their violent behavior.

God’s Servant, Jesus Christ, is the Master of every situation and the Conqueror of every enemy. If we trust Him and follow His orders, we need never be afraid. Victory is the major theme that binds this long section together. Mark recorded four miracles that Jesus performed, and each miracle announces even to us today the defeat of an enemy. We look at the second of the four miracles today.

We see in this scene three different forces at work: Satan, society, and the Saviour. These same three forces are still at work in our world, trying to control the lives of people.

First, we see what Satan can do to people.

Satan is a thief whose ultimate purpose is to destroy (John 10:10; and see Rev. 9:11). We are not told how the demons entered these men and took control.

Because of Satan, the thief, these two men lost everything! They lost their homes and the fellowship of their families and friends. They lost their decency as they ran around in the tombs naked. They lost their self-control and lived like wild animals, screaming, cutting themselves, and frightening the citizens. They lost their peace and their purpose for living, and they would have remained in that plight had Jesus not come through a storm to rescue them.

Never underestimate the destructive power of Satan. He is our enemy and would destroy all of us if he could. Like a roaring lion, he seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8-9). It is Satan who is at work in the lives of unbelievers, making them “children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:1-3). The two men in the Gerasene graveyard were no doubt extreme examples of what Satan can do to people, but what they reveal is enough to make us want to resist Satan and have nothing to do with him.

The second force at work on these men was society, but society was not able to accomplish very much.

The man was cut off from society. He did not live among the living; he lived among the dead. He represents the living dead; that is, all men without Christ are “dead in their sins” and are cut off from the society of God.

The disciples must have been confused and scared; “What in the world is going to happen now? What have we gotten ourselves into? This night has already been so terrible, how can things get even worse?”

Let’s consider what Mark tells us about the demonized man. What was his life like before this night? We’re told that he had an unclean spirit, or a demon. He was unfit for the company and approval of others, and not only that, but association with him was contaminating by his unclean status. He was isolated. There was at least one other demonized soul who lived there, but the very horror that made up their lives forbade them any kind of meaningful contact with each other. The people of the town had last approached this man with claims which he tore apart.

He could not stop himself from being violent to others and to himself. He hated who he was. He was tormented and self-destructive, slashing himself with stones and going about unclothed.

• We know what it’s like to rebel against God. We know what it’s like to feel unclean, unworthy of association with good people, to feel as if our life contaminates others.
• We know what it’s like to be isolated, to try to have relationships with other people and have them retreat from us.
• We know what it’s like to be out of control, to have habits and pressures and thoughts that make us want to do what we hate doing, and whatever chains we use to use to stop ourselves prove inadequate.
• We know what it’s like to be tormented and self-destructive. The Gerasene demoniac experienced in the extreme what all of us experience in some degree.

About all that society can do for problem people is to isolate them, put them under guard and, if necessary, bind them (Luke 8:29). Often these men had been chained, but the demons had given them strength to break the chains.

Even the attempts to tame these men had failed. With all of its wonderful scientific achievements, society still cannot cope with the problems caused by Satan and sin. While we thank God that society does offer a limited amount of restraint and protection, we must confess that society cannot permanently solve these problems and deliver Satan’s terrorized victims.

THE CONVOLUTED PATH TO FREEDOM

The heart of this passage is the conversation that began when this man saw from a distance that the boat was occupied by no ordinary captain. He began to rush toward the boat and its terrified occupants.

The order in which events are told is peculiar. Verses 6-7 say the man saw Jesus from a distance, ran and fell on his knees in front of him, and shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” Now that sounds like the first statement made, but notice verse 8 says, “For Jesus had [already] said to him, ‘Come out of this man, you evil spirit!’

We shall not even begin to understand this story unless we see how serious a case of demon-possession this man was.  It is clear that Jesus made more than one attempt to heal him.  Verse 8 tells us that Jesus had begun by using his usual method-an authoritative order to the demon to come out.  On this occasion that was not successful.  Next, he demanded what the demon’s name was.  It was always supposed in those days that, if a demon’s name could be discovered, it gave a certain power over it.  An ancient magical formula says, “I adjure thee, every demonic spirit, Say whatsoever thou art.”  The belief was that if the name was known the demon’s power was broken.  In this case even that did not prove enough.

Mark didn’t record the events in the order in which they occurred. And he wrote it that way deliberately, I’m convinced, because freedom from interior rebellion often comes in tangled fits and starts.

Jesus saw the man running down the hill looking and sounding terrible. The first thing Jesus said was, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” Jesus was not unfamiliar with addressing demonized people.

In Mark 1 he rebuked an unclean spirit and the spirit departed. I think the Lord assumed here that he had spoken a command and that the command had been obeyed. In that case the statement in verse 7 would have been the words of a desperate man. “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!”

These sentences spoken together are the doctrine of hell. To have such clear knowledge of the person and status of Jesus, yet believe he’s a torturer-one come to hurt and condemn-is the worst condition of all.

TWO LEVELS OF IDENTITY

When Jesus heard the man still expressing demonic thinking, he realized that his initial command banishing the demon had not finished the job. So he asked, “What is your name?” Jesus was determined to sort out what was tangled in this man’s life.

This is a provocative question on many levels, but right now we’ll concentrate on two: (1) “What is your name?” can mean “What identity is going to finally remain? When it becomes clear to you who you are, by what name will you be known? What father is going to give you a name that you will bear throughout the days of your life?” And, (2) “What is your name?” can mean “What dark things are there within you?”

This sense of the question makes dark realities take their name-things that we would hide from and deny: lust, addictions, jealousy, hatred, bitterness, obsession. These things influence us destructively, but they stay hidden from view, like a legion of demons.

Scripture teaches four facts about the devil and his angels (messengers, demons, evil spirits) that should always be kept in mind.

1. They believe there is One God and they tremble (James 2:19).
2. They have nothing to do with Jesus; that is, their nature is entirely different from the clean spirit of Jesus. Evil and evil spirits are diametrically opposed to the purity and holiness of Jesu
3. The Son of God has come to destroy the works of the devil. All evil and evil spirits are to be destroyed (1 John 3:8; cp. Hebrews 2:14-15).
4. They are doomed to everlasting torment

When Jesus asked this question, these evil personalities who had resided in this man and had terrorized the community were forced to speak of themselves. The reason they hadn’t been banished the first time is that there were too many of them. Jesus hadn’t understood the level of ruin that this man was living with, but now he would address them all.

They begged him not to make them leave the area. Now, Jesus didn’t have a soft spot for demons. He didn’t answer, in effect, “I’m sorry it’s hard for you. I know you don’t want to leave-let’s find some alternative.” That wasn’t the issue at all.

This hoard of horrible entities longed to stay in that region. It was a place of death, with caves where dead people were buried. It was a place of unclean animals. It was a place of fearful circumstances. It was a place where violence was accomplished and lives were ruined. It was a stronghold of evil by the sea of Galilee, the region where the Messiah was born. That’s why they said, “Don’t make us leave.”

Jesus knew that in order for anybody to be sure that they had been banished, he had to do something dramatic. If he just invisibly banished them, no onlooker would know for sure whether they were gone, whether the wicked place had been cleansed.

This brings us to the third force, that of the Savior.

What did Jesus Christ do for these men? To begin with, He graciously came to them in love, and even went through a storm to do it. Nothing could stop the Lord from coming to that graveyard and bringing deliverance to those men.

Not only did Jesus come to them, but He spoke to them and permitted them to speak to Him. The citizens of that area avoided the two demoniacs, but Jesus treated them with love and respect. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

It is interesting to note that, as the demons spoke through the man, they confessed what they really believed. Demons have faith and even tremble because of what they believe (James 2:19); but neither their faith nor their fear can save them.

Demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has authority over them. They believe in the reality of judgment and that one day they will be cast into hell (see Matt. 8:29). This is more than many religious people believe today!

Nowhere does the Bible explain either the psychology or the physiology of demon possession. The man who spoke to Jesus was under the control of a legion of demons, and a Roman legion could consist of as many as 6,000 men! It is frightening to think of the horrors this man experienced day and night as thousands of unclean spirits tormented him. No doubt the other demonized man experienced his share of agony too.

Satan tried to destroy these men, but Jesus came to deliver them. By the power of His Word, He cast out the demons and set the men free. They begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss, the place of torment (Mark 5:7; Luke 8:31). It is encouraging to note that the demons did not know what Jesus planned to do.

Mark 5 tells of three requests: the demons requested that Jesus send them into the pigs (Mark 5:12); the citizens requested that Jesus leave the area (Mark 5:17); and one of the former demoniacs requested that Jesus allow him to follow Him (Mark 5:18). Our Lord granted the first two requests but not the third one.

Mark 5:11-13 with Matthew 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.

Mark 5:14-17 with Matthew 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].

Mark 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^-6-45 how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

So he gave them what they wanted, but not what they intended. He gave them permission to go into the pigs, which proceeded to drown themselves in the lake. Then it became clear that this place was no longer inhabited by demons. The stronghold had been taken by One who was stronger.

Mark doesn’t make clear whether the townspeople reacted with ungodly motives or not. He just says they were afraid. You can understand why. I think the disciples were terrified. It was presumably the next morning by the time the pig-herders had gathered everybody to come out and see what occurred. During the night a storm had suddenly stopped, a howling demoniac had been made well, and a herd of pigs had been destroyed. What would all these events lead to?

The next scene is that of a people who callously rejected God by begging Jesus to leave them. Five acts are seen here:

1. There was the logical action: the swine keepers ran into the city to the owners of the swine to relate what had happened. The whole herd had been destroyed; it was a huge and devastating loss financially. They had to make sure the fault was not laid at their feet.
2. There was the logical investigation by the owners and city folk: they came to Jesus to investigate the loss. They saw the man sitting before Jesus—clothed and in his right mind. (Note: when Jesus cleanses a man, the man comes to his right mind. He is truly cured.) They were stricken with fear of Jesus’ power, for they had known the man and his hopeless condition. What power this Jesus must have!
3. There was the logical account by eyewitnesses: they shared with the owners and city folk. Note: they told the good news of what had happened to the man, but they also added what had happened to the swine. They could not get over the financial loss. They thought more of the world and its money than of God meeting people’s needs.
4. There was the illogical request: they asked Jesus to leave. “They were taken with great fear” (Luke 8:37). They were gripped with fear, not a fear of reverence and humility, but a fear of dread and hatred that He had caused so much loss and that He might punish them even more.
5. There was the tragic end: Jesus left. He did exactly what the people requested Him to do.

The final scene is that of a man deliberately commissioned by Jesus. The man was naturally thankful, very appreciative. He immediately wanted to become a follower of Jesus, but Jesus saw something unique in the man, something that would make him a dynamic evangelist among his own people. Consequently, Jesus commissioned him to be a disciple at home. Two significant things are said about his witness: he was faithful and he was successful.

Jesus left them with a witness. He told the man to go back to the people in the area and tell them what had happened. Later the gospel flourished in the Decapolis. We know from the book of Acts that there was a strong church in Damascus, one of the cities of the Decapolis (that’s where Paul went when he was first converted, and he was welcomed and discipled there).

So this region became a fertile field for evangelism, partly because, like the account of the woman of Samaria, awareness of an extraordinary act of mercy and power made people ready to hear more of the Savior..

Did Jesus have the right to destroy 2,000 pigs and possibly put their owners out of business? If these men were Jews, then they had no right to be raising and selling unclean pigs anyway. However, this was Gentile territory, so the owners were probably Gentiles.

Certainly, Jesus was free to send the demons wherever He desired—into the abyss, into the swine, or to any other place that He chose. Then why send them into the swine? For one thing, by doing it that way, Jesus gave proof to all the spectators that a miracle of deliverance had really taken place. The destruction of the pigs also gave assurance to the two men that the unclean spirits were actually gone.

The swineherds did not want to be blamed for the loss of the pigs, so they immediately ran to tell the owners what had happened. When the owners arrived at the scene, they were afraid as they beheld the dramatic changes that had taken place in the two men. Instead of running around naked, the men were clothed, seated, and in their right minds.

Why would the owners ask Jesus to leave? Why not ask Him to stay and perform similar cures for others who were also in need? The owners had one main interest—business—and they were afraid that if Jesus remained any longer, He would do even more “damage” to the local economy! Our Lord does not stay where He is not wanted, so He left. What an opportunity these people missed!

Why did Jesus not permit the healed demoniac to follow Him? The man’s request was certainly motivated by love for the Lord Jesus, and what a testimony he had! But Jesus knew that the man’s place was in his own home, with his loved ones, where he could bear witness to the Saviour.

After all, 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. We trust that many of those Gentiles believed on the Saviour through his witness.

THE ONE WHO IS IN COMMAND

The question Jesus asked remains crucial. “What is your name? With what identity will you make your way in the world?” A lot of people will tell us who they think we are. Voices from our past will try to lay claim to us in the present. We must insist that Jesus’ claim on us, and nothing else, answers the question of our identity.

Further, it is helpful to see Jesus at work, exposing the dark things inside that flourish when they remain unnamed. We will never experience healing if we keep our sin covered up. What things in your life need to be named? What are you hiding from yourself, what dead body has been walled up in the crevice down in the basement? The Lord calls for the legion to name itself. It is the work of a loving Savior. He calmly does the surgery and banishes the terrible things, just as he did for the man who had screamed, “Have you come to torture me?” and who was sitting calmly at Jesus’ feet by the end of the story, clothed and in his right mind.

This was a wild night. It started with a threatening storm on a lake. It proceeded directly to tombs and pigs and death and violence in a region of the lake that had become a stronghold for evil. The disciples went from the frying pan to the fire to a bonfire. Every time they turned around, conditions grew more frightful. Jesus stilled the storm, calmed the waves, banished the demons, and healed the man from the tombs.

He is no different today. He understands who we are and cares enough about us to want to make us whole. He intends us to be the kind of people of faith who can go into our world and say, “I have something to tell you about what God has done for me.” He is no less committed, no less in charge, not overwhelmed by the things that we bring to him. He doesn’t find them too hard to handle.

^a Some manuscripts Gadarenes; other manuscripts Gergesenes

^b Greek unclean; also in verses 8 and 13

¹ The decision is a difficult one. The United Bible Societies Greek New Testament gives their decision for “Gerasenes” a “C” rating, indicating significant uncertainty. (The rating system ranges from “A” to “D,” with “A” indicating a high degree of confidence that they have chosen correctly.) See UBS 4, p. 135.

² Origen, Commentary on John 5.41.

³ E.g., Gundry, pp. 255–257.

⁴ BAGD, pp. 467–468.

⁵ Lane, p. 187.