VIDEO
Jesus Casts Demons Into a Herd of Pigs.
This sermon was given on 03/22/26 at Pax Christian Church.
SPEAKER
Brian Lucas is one of the Co-Lead Pastors at Pax Christian Church.
SERMON SERIES
This sermon series is “The Gospel According to Mark”
NOTES
Find the full notes below on this page, or in the YouVersion Bible App.
NOTES:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.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.Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”He gave them permission, and the impure 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.Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.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.Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”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.
Jesus goes to unclean lands.
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.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.Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
THIS MAN’S EXISTENCE IS A PREVIEW OF LIFE WITHOUT JESUS.
ROTTING. DECAYING. MISERABLE. CHAOS AND TORMENT.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
THE DEMON FALLS TO HIS KNEES.
SHOUTS LOUDLY.
CALLS JESUS’ NAME AND TITLE.
“IN GOD’S NAME…”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
LEGION:
THE NUMBER ISN’T SPECIFICALLY IMPORTANT, AS MUCH AS THE VAST NUMBER OF DEMONS INHABITING THIS MAN.
HELL/DEMONIC PRESENCE ISN’T SOMETHING FUN OR GOOD, IT’S CHAOTIC AND DESTRUCTIVE.
And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
PERHAPS THEY DON’T WANT TO WANDER AIMLESSLY.
“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgmentif he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven othersif he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodlyand if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
THE DEMONS FEAR THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”He gave them permission, and the impure 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.
PROBABLY NOT THE RESULT THE DEMONS WERE LOOKING FOR.
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.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.
THESE ARE PROBABLY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT HAD BANISHED THE MAN AND ATTEMPTED TO CHAIN HIM UP.
THEY’RE AFRAID OF THE ONE WHO OVERCAME HIM.
Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
THEY’D RATHER HAVE THE TEMPORARY COMPROMISE OF THE DANGEROUS MAN IN THE GRAVEYARDS THAN DEAL WITH THE OVERWHELMING POWER THAT CAST THE DEMONS OUT AND DESTROYED THE PIGS.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DELIVERANCE.
LIVE AND SHARE THE GOSPEL.
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.
THE TESTIMONY OF A TRANSFORMED LIFE IS THE STORY OF THE SUPERNATURAL AND ALMIGHTY GOD INTERVENING IN OUR LIVES.
IT’S A STORY WORTH SHARING!
Reflection:
WHAT IS YOUR TESTIMONY?
REFLECT : How is God speaking to you through his word today?
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