Jesus was saying okay to unclean spirits

JESUS WAS SAYING OKEY TO UNCLEAN SPIRITS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Mark 5:13 13He gave them permission, and the
impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The
herd, about two thousandin number, rushed down the
steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Mark 5:13 He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and
went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep
bank into the sea and drowned in the water.
Sermons
A Man in Ruins
H. W. Beecher.
Mark 5:1-20
A Man with an Unclean Spirit
R. Green
Mark 5:1-20
Christ and the Demoniac
F. Wallace.

Mark 5:1-20
Christ, the Redeemerof the Intellect
E. Johnson
Mark 5:1-20
DemoniacalPossession
L. W. Bacon.
Mark 5:1-20
EasternTombs
R. Jamieson, D. D.
Mark 5:1-20
Gadarene or Gergesene Demoniacs
J.J. Given
Mark 5:1-20
Legion
A.F. Muir
Mark 5:1-20
Nature Sitting At the Feetof Jesus
J. Cumming, D. D.
Mark 5:1-20
Our GreatEnemy
Bishop Wilson.
Mark 5:1-20
Powerof Evil Spirits, and PowerOverThem

D. C. Hughes, M. A.
Mark 5:1-20
Sin and Salvation
The Pulpit Analyst
Mark 5:1-20
Sin Destructive
Sunday SchoolTimes
Mark 5:1-20
The Country of the Gadarenes
H. B. Hackett, D. D.
Mark 5:1-20
The Demoniac of Gadara
J. B.
Mark 5:1-20
The Demoniac of Gergesa
E. Stock.
Mark 5:1-20
The Evil Spirits
Bishop Wilberforce.
Mark 5:1-20
The Gadarene Demoniac
CongregationalPulpit
Mark 5:1-20

The Gadarene Demoniac
C. Gray.
Mark 5:1-20
The Tombs
DeanMansel.
Mark 5:1-20
Prayers Granted and Denied
A.F. Muir
Mark 5:10, 12, 13, 17-19
The Demonized Swine
R. Glover.
Mark 5:11-14
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Prayers Granted And Denied
Mark 5:10, 12, 13, 17-19
A.F. Muir
No caprice visible in our Lord's decisions. On the contrary, greatmoral
principles are revealed. The whole conduct of Christ on this occasion,
therefore, is of importance for the practical guidance of Christians.

I. THE PETITION OF THE DEMONIAC. (Ver. 10.)"He besought him much
that he would not send them away out of the country." No heed is paid to this
request, notwithstanding its passionate earnestness. Why?
1. The man himself was not praying. He was depersonalizedand besottedby
the possessionofthe devils, and not responsible for his words or actions. It
was to free him from this thraldom Christ had undertaken his case.
2. It would have neutralized the intended mercy to the man to inflict the evil
upon others.
3. There was no real submission in the realpetitioners. They were still devils,
unchanged in their character, and desirous of working further mischief.
Powerless,they still desired to do evil.
II. THE REQUEST OF THE DEVILS. (Vers. 12, 13.) This was granted,
notwithstanding the characterof those who made it. A marvel, truly; devils
heard and answeredby Christ! Is he in league with them?
1. It was a choke ofa lesserof two evils. It seemednecessarythat some visible
form should receive the dispossessedspirits, that all, especiallythe man
himself (cf. on the probable principle of cure, the preceding sketch), might be
able to realize that the dispossessionhad actually taken place. As simply
dispossessed, they might have taken up their abode in some other soul; but by
giving direction to them after dispossession, theywere confined to brutes; and
the catastrophe thatresulted was probably foreseenby Christ. In the
destruction of the swine the demons were dismissed speedily right out of the
terrestrial sphere.
2. And in that destruction a punishment was inflicted upon the Gadarenes,
who as yet were sordid, neglectfulof the Law (forbidding the rearing of
swine), and unspiritual.
III. THE ENTREATYOF THE GADARENES. (Vers. 17, 18.)It was at once
answered, Because:

1. It involved a deliberate and intelligent rejectionof the Saviour. They had
seenhis wondrous moral triumph and the destruction of the swine; but in
their estimate the material loss far outweighedthe spiritual gain.
2. There were others elsewherewho were "waiting for him.
3. The healed demoniac might be even more effectualas a preacherthan
himself. He was a lasting monument of his powerand grace. Time might be
needed to let the miracle sink into the popular conscience.
IV. THE PRAYER OF THE RESTOREDMAN. (Vers. 18, 19.)A natural
desire under the circumstances. Fearlestthe devils should return if he were
left to himself, cud gratitude and love for his Benefactor, doubtless actuated
him. But he is denied! This must have wounded his feelings, and disappointed
him. But:
1. It was not prudent for Christ at that time to have one so closelyidentified
with devils in his company and occupiedin his service. The charge had been
made (Mark 3:22) that he was in league with Satan.
2. It was not the best life for him to lead in his present condition. Privation
and excitement were not suited to one who had been emaciatedand weakened
by the devils.
3. A work of greateruse and personalobligation awaitedhim where he was.
He was the only disciple of Christ in that benighted land. Those who had been
scandalizedby his previous life, and had suffered from it, were to be first
considered. The home that had been desolatedwas to be revisited, and
cheeredby the kindly presence and saving influence of the redeemedone.
GENERALLESSONS.
1. Prayers may be granted in anger, and denied in love.
2. Lesserevils may be allowedto prevent greaterones.
3. Duties are to be consideredbefore privileges. - M.

Biblical Illustrator
Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
Mark 5:11-14
The demonized swine
R. Glover.
To clear awaythe difficulty presentedby this miracle of judgment, we must
remember —(1) Pork was forbidden for food to Israeland with goodreason.
The pigs and the dogs are the scavengersofSyria; the pig itself is vastly
inferior to the animal as we know it and furnishes a foodtoo gross for such a
climate. For these and other reasons Mosesprohibited its use;for similar
reasonMohammed followedhis example in doing so;but(2) salt pork was a
greatarticle of food with the Romans; and therefore(3)many who, perhaps,
would not use pork for their own food had no objections to making a profit by
breeding some for the use of others. It was contraryto the whole law, but it
was remunerative. So here severalowners have togetheras many as two
thousand.(4) Where Christ comes in, the swine must go out. As He purged the
temple in Jerusalem, so He purges the temple of nature in Gadara. Menmust

part with their sins, if they want to have their Saviour. The swine will be
driven out of our hearts, if Christ enters them. He came with mercy to
Gadara, but it was not a weak but a purifying mercy.(5) God is perpetually
using the devil as His whip, with which He corrects the follies of our heart, no
evil being permitted to exist which Christ cannotemploy in some way for
good. This destruction of the swine is, therefore, a call to repentance;a
miracle that does for Christ in Gadara what John the Baptistdid for Him in
Judaea, stimulating conscienceand awakening solicitude. It is a messageto
convince of sin.
(R. Glover.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(13) They were about two thousand.—The number, which is peculiar to St.
Mark, may be noted as another instance of his graphic accuracyin detail.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
5:1-20 Some openly wilful sinners are like this madman. The commands of the
law are as chains and fetters, to restrain sinners from their wickedcourses;
but they break those bands in sunder; and it is an evidence of the powerof the
devil in them. A legion of soldiers consistedofsix thousand men, or more.
What multitudes of fallen spirits there must be, and all enemies to God and
man, when here was a legionin one poor wretchedcreature!Many there are
that rise up againstus. We are not a match for our spiritual enemies, in our
own strength; but in the Lord, and in the powerof his might, we shall be able
to stand againstthem, though there are legions of them. When the vilest
transgressoris delivered by the powerof Jesus from the bondage of Satan, he

will gladly sit at the feet of his Deliverer, and hear his word, who delivers the
wretchedslaves of Satan, and numbers them among his saints and servants.
When the people found that their swine were lost, they had a dislike to Christ.
Long-suffering and mercy may be seen, even in the corrections by which men
lose their property while their lives are saved, and warning given them to seek
the salvationof their souls. The man joyfully proclaimedwhat greatthings
Jesus had done for him. All men marvelled, but few followedhim. Many who
cannot but wonder at the works of Christ, yet do not, as they ought, wonder
after him.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
My name is Legion - See the notes at Matthew 8:29.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
13. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave—InMatthew (Mt 8:32) this is given
with majestic brevity—"Go!" The owners, if Jews, drove an illegaltrade; if
heathens, they insulted the national religion: in either case the permission was
just.
And the unclean spirits went out—of the man.
and entered into the swine:and the herd ran violently—rushed.
down a steepplace—downthe hanging cliff.
into the sea (they were about two thousand)—The number of them is given by
this graphic Evangelistalone.
and were chokedin the sea—"perishedin the waters" (Mt 8:32).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Mark 5:1"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And forthwith Jesus gave them leave,....Forthe reasonof this See Gill on
Matthew 8:32.

and the unclean spirits went out; of the man, in whom they had for some time
dwelt:
and entered into the herd of swine; according to the leave given them by
Christ: this shows not only the existence ofspirits, but their going from one to
another shows that they are circumscribedby space;that they are here, and
not there, or there, and not here: there is an "ubi", a somewhere, where they
are; and whilst there, are not elsewhere:
and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. The Syriac and
Arabic versions read, "the herd ran to the rock", or"promontory", and "fell
into the sea". The Ethiopic, the "herd grew mad, and was carriedheadlong
into the sea":the sense is, that the devils having entered into them, it had a
like effecton them, as on the man possessed;they ran mad, and were hurried
on by the devils, to the rocks on the sea shore;where, falling down the
precipice, they were all lost; and a considerable loss it was to their owners;for
they were about two thousand; a very large herd, but there were devils
enought in that one man, to possess allthese, and run them into the sea:
and were chokedin the sea; not suffocatedby the devils, but drowned in the
waters of the sea, or lake, as Luke calls it; the lake of Gennesareth, orsea of
Tiberias and Galilee;which, as often observed, were the same. Thoughsome
think it was not this lake or sea, but some other place of waternear Gadara.
Strabo says (e), that in the country of Gadara, there was a very bad laky
water, of which if cattle tasted, they casttheir hair, hoofs, and horns; which
perhaps may be the same with what the Talmudists call (f), , "the whirlpool of
Gadara";said to be from the time of the deluge, and so calledfrom its
swallowing up every thing that came into it; but the sea of Tiberias seems
rather to be the place, where this herd perished. The Jew (g) objects to the
destroying this herd of swine as an unjust action, being a greatinjury to the
owners;and seeksto blackenthe characterofChrist, as being concernedin it:
but, as BishopKidder (h) wellobserves, it does not appearthat Jesus
destroyedit; it was the devils that did it: he suffered them indeed to go into it,
nor did he restrain the natural powerwhich they had; nor did he think fit to
do it, nor was he obliged to it: but had he destroyedit himself, since he is Lord

of all, the proprietor of all creatures, who has all under him, and at his
disposal, cangive and take awayas he pleases,no charge of evil and injustice
can be brought againsthim: and this should be satisfactoryto a Christian,
who believes him to be God over all blessedfor ever; though it will not be to a
Jew:let it therefore be further observed, that the owners of these swine were
either Jews or Gentiles;if they were Jews, andthey brought up these swine in
order to eat them themselves, to destroy them was a just punishment, for their
violation of the law of God, Deuteronomy 14:8. And if they brought them up
to sell to others, this was contrary to their own canons;See Gill on Matthew
8:30, to the rules and customs of their own country, which were made as a
fence to keepoff from breaking the above law; and such a practice could only
proceedfrom an avaricious disposition, of which this was a proper rebuke: or
if they were Gentiles that were the owners of them, these were idolatrous
persons, worshippers of devils; and it was but a righteous thing, to suffer the
devils, whom they worshipped, to do this mischief to their property, to whom
they devoted themselves souland body; and a Jew cannot well find fault with
this, who believes that idolaters cannot be punished too severely:add to this,
what the above learned prelate observes;this practice of the Gentiles in
breeding hogs, was a temptation to the Jews to follow the same business, and
even to taste of the forbidden flesh; so that to use his words, it was in truth an
act of grace and favour to the Jews, to remove from them so dangerous a
snare, and so bad an example: and it may be added, by suffering the devils to
go into the swine, severalvaluable ends were answered, infinitely preferable to
the herd of swine;such as evincing the truth of the dispossession;showing the
greatness ofthe mercy to the dispossessed;the power of Christ over the devils;
and making for the spreadof the fame of this miracle the more; as well as
giving further proof of the malignity and mischievous dispositionand actions
of these evil spirits; by which the inhabitants of the adjacentplaces might
learn, how hurtful they were to them, and what a blessing it was to be rid of
them: and therefore ought to have been thankful to Christ for this
dispossession, notwithstanding the loss of their swine; but such an effectit had
not upon them, but the reverse, as the words following show.

(e) Geograph. 1. 6. (f) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 108. 1.((g)JacobAben Amram,
port. ver. No. 1028. apud Kidder, Demonstr. of the Messiah, par. 3. p. 51. (h)
Kidder ib. p. 52.
Geneva Study Bible
And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and
entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steepplace into the
{f} sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were chokedin the sea.
(f) Strabo in the sixteenth book says that in Gadaris there is a standing poolof
very polluted water, which if beasts taste, they shed their hair, nails, or hooves
and horns.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Mark 5:13. καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν: permission, not command, to enter; in Mt. not
even that, simply a peremptory: Depart! vide notes there.—εἰσῆλθον:an
inference from the sequel; neither exit nor entrance could be seen. There was
doubtless a coincidence betweenthe cure and the catastrophe.—ὡςδισχίλιοι:
about 2000, anestimate of the herds possibly exaggerated.—ἐπνίγοντο(πνίγω,
to choke), were drowned, used in this sense in Joseph., A. J., x., 7, 5, regarding
Jeremiahin the dungeon.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
13. down a steepplace] At Kerza or Gersa, “where there is no precipice
running sheerto the sea, but a narrow belt of beach, the bluff behind is so
steep, and the shore so narrow, that a herd of swine rushing frantically down,
must certainly have been overwhelmed in the sea before they could recover
themselves.” Tristram’s Land of Israelp. 462.
the sea]This, as we have seenabove (Mark 3:7), was one of the names, by
which the Lake of Gennesaretwas called.
Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 5:13. Εὐθέως, forthwith) He did not require to deliberate in any case.—
ὡς δισχίλιοι, about two thousand) The name legion implied a number
exceeding this.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 13. - The unclean spirits came out, and enteredinto the swine:and the
herd ran violently down a steepplace (κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ) - literally, down the
steepinto the sea,... andwere chokedin the sea. By this Christ shows of how
little worth are earthly possessions whensetin the balance with the souls of
men. The recovery of this demoniac was worth far more than the value of the
two thousand swine.
Vincent's Word Studies
Ran (ὥρμησεν)
The verb indicates hasty, headlong motion. Hence, as Rev., rushed.
Two Thousand.
As usual, Mark alone gives the detail of number.
A steepplace
But the noun has the definite article: τοῦ κρημνοῦ, the steep, as Rev.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Mark 5:13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the uncleanspirits
entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steepbank into the sea,
about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

Wuest - And having gone out, the unclean spirits entered into the swine, and
the herd rushed impetuously down the steepplace into the sea, about two
thousand, and were drowned, one after another, in the sea.
NET Mark 5:13 Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out
and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steepslope into the
lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.
GNT Mark 5:13 καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς. καὶ ἐξελθόντα τὰ πνεύματα τὰ
ἀκάθαρταεἰσῆλθονεἰς τοὺς χοίρους, καὶ ὥρμησεν ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ
εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὡς δισχίλιοι, καὶ ἐπνίγοντο ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ.
NLT Mark 5:13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of
the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down
the steephillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
KJV Mark 5:13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits
went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep
place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were chokedin the
sea.
ESV Mark 5:13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came
out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand,
rushed down the steepbank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
NIV Mark 5:13 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
steepbank into the lake and were drowned.
ASV Mark 5:13 And he gave them leave. And the uncleanspirits came out,
and entered into the swine:and the herd rushed down the steepinto the sea,
in number about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea.
CSB Mark 5:13 And He gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits came
out and entered the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the steep
bank into the sea and drowned there.
NKJ Mark 5:13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean
spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and

the herd ran violently down the steepplace into the sea, and drowned in the
sea.
NRS Mark 5:13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came
out and entered the swine;and the herd, numbering about two thousand,
rushed down the steepbank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
YLT Mark 5:13 and immediately Jesus gave them leave, and having come
forth, the unclean spirits did enter into the swine, and the herd did rush down
the steepplace to the sea -- and they were about two thousand -- and they
were chokedin the sea.
NAB Mark 5:13 And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and
entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steepbank
into the sea, where they were drowned.
NJB Mark 5:13 So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came
out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged
down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned.
GWN Mark 5:13 Jesus let them do this. The evil spirits came out of the man
and went into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the
cliff into the sea and drowned.
BBE Mark 5:13 And he let them do it. And the unclean spirits came out and
went into the pigs; and the herd went rushing down a sharp slope into the sea,
about two thousand of them; and they came to their death in the sea.
Jesus gave them permission: 1Ki 22:22 Job 1:12 2:6 Mt 8:32 1Pe 3:22 Rev
13:5-7 20:7
and the herd rushed down the steepbank: Joh 8:44 Rev 9:11
Mark 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
ParallelPassages:
Matthew 8:32+ And He said to them, “Go!” (present imperative) And they
came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep
bank into the sea and perished in the waters.

Luke 8:32-33+ Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the
mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine.
And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out of the man and
entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steepbank into the lake and
was drowned.
THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS
OVER THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS
Jesus gave them permission and coming out, the uncleanspirits entered the
swine; - Mt 8:32+ alone tells us Jesus gave a specific command to “Go!” And
they came out and went into the swine."
Gave permission (2010)(epitrepo from epi = upon + trepo = to turn) means to
turn to, entrust, hence to permit. In Mark 5:13, John 19:38, and Acts 21:39 it
carries the sense of release fromrestraint in order to have freedom of choice.
For example, in Mark 5:13 Legion gainedfreedom from being sentaway, and
instead was permitted to enter a herd of swine (see Mark 5:8-13).
Unclean (169)see note on akathartos
And the herd rushed down the steepbank into the sea, abouttwo thousand of
them; and they were drowned in the sea - Only Mark tells us there were 2000
swine. Note that while one could not see the unclean spirits leave the possessed
man, the effects of the demonic departure were clearly visible. Mark and
Luke (Lk 8:33+) saythe swine drowned and Matthew adds that they perished
(apothnesko = died). Hiebert notes that drowned paints a gruesome picture
for they “Were chokedin the sea” where the imperfect tense describes the
sinking of the pigs as one after the other they plunged into the water and were
suffocated." Wuestadds "The verb is imperfect, describing the disappearance
of pig after pig into the sea."
David Guzik writes that "Some protestthat this was unfair to the ownerof
the pigs. “ ‘But the owners of the swine lost their property.’ Yes, and learn
from this how small value temporal riches are in the estimation of God. He
suffers them to be lost, sometimes to disengageus from them through mercy;
sometimes out of justice, to punish us for having acquired or preservedthem

either by covetousnessorinjustice.” (Clarke) Spurgeonhad severalwise
comments on the waythe demons affectedthe swine: “Swine prefer death to
devilry; and if men were not worse than swine, they would be of the same
opinion.” “Theyrun hard whom the devil drives.” “The devil drives his hogs
to a bad market.” (Enduring Word Commentary)
Alan Carr - This one man could tolerate a “legion” ofdemons, v. 9. A Roman
legionconsistedof around 6,000 soldiers!If you do the math, there were 2,000
swine in that herd. That comes out to three demons per pig. They couldn’t
tolerate the presence of the devil and they committed “suey-cide”. Thosepigs
couldn’t stand just a few demons, yet this man was able to live with
thousands. This just illustrates the human capacityfor evil!
Lowell Johnson- Jesus castthe demons into the pigs and creates the first
devil's ham. The pigs go hog wild and take a swine dive into the lake and
commit soo-ey-cide. And you'll be glad to know that that is all the pig jokes I
have. (The Day the Demons Performed a Swine Dive)
J C Ryle on the herd rushed down...anddrowned - The extraordinary malice,
hatred of God’s creation, and love of mischief, which are attributes of Satan,
appear strikingly in this fact. Satanmust be doing harm. If he cannot harm
man he will harm swine. Well would it be for the world, if Christians were as
unwearied and zealous in doing good, as devils are in doing evil.
Wikipedia notes an inaccurate interpretation of this story writing "The story
was interpreted by Saints Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas to mean
that Christians have no duties to animals."
Rushed (3729)(hormao from horme = violent impulse from ornumi = to excite,
arouse)means to setout, to rush headlong, violently, impetuously. It describes
a "swiftand violent forward motion uncontrolled by reason." (Friberg)It is
so fitting that while here hormao describes a herd of Sanhedrin controlledby
their rage rushing at Stephen in Acts 7:57+, all three synoptic accounts Mk
5:13+, Mt 8:32+ and Lk 8:33+ us hormao to describe the herd of swine
controlled by evil spirits rushing to their death! There is not much difference
betweenthese two pictures, because the "religious" mob was also controlled
by evil spirits and had destruction on their mind!

Drowned(4155)(pnigo)is used only 3x in the NT and means to choke or
strangle (Mt 13:7, Mt 18:28)and here to drown. In classic Greekpnigo meant
“stifle,” as from exposure to greatheat, and “drown. Used twice in the
Septuagint - 1 Sa 16:14; 1 Sa 16:15 describes metaphorically the torment of
Saul after the evil spirit came to him.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darknessgrim,
We tremble not for him,
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His word is sure;
One little word shall fell him.
Question:Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs?
Answer: The story of Jesus casting the legionof demons into a herd of pigs is
found in Matthew 8:28–34;Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:26–39. Only Matthew
mentions the more prominent of the two demoniacs involved. Demoniacs were
persons whose minds came under the control of an evil spirit or spirits. That
such phenomena were especiallyprominent during the days of Christ’s
earthly ministry is consistentwith Satan’s efforts to counteractGod’s
program. It also allows us to witness the spiritual warfare in which our Savior
was constantlyengaged. Demons knew exactlywho Jesus was—"Sonof
God"—andwere aware of their ultimate doom (Matthew 8:28-29).
As Jesus was traveling in the hilly region eastof the Jordan River, the path of
this man who was controlledby demons and lived among the tombs crossed
that of Jesus. Becauseofthe physical strength the demons gave the man, he

was able to break and throw off the chains with which people tried to bind
him. When the demons beggedJesus to let them go into a herd of pigs, He
gave them permission. They entered the pigs, rushed down the steepbank into
the lake, and were drowned. Jesus thereby made known His authority and
thwarted whatever evil purpose the demons had.
Why the demons beggedto be allowedto enter the swine is unclear from the
account. It could be because they didn’t want to leave the area where they had
been successfulin doing their mischief among the people. Perhaps they were
drawn to the unclean animals because oftheir own filthiness. The demons
may have made this strange requestbecause it was their last chance to avoid
confinement in the Abyss, the place of confinement to which evil spirits are
doomed (Revelation9:1-6). Whatevertheir reasoning, it is clearfrom the
accountthat demons had little power of their own and were unable to do
anything without Jesus’permission. As Christians, we can take comfort in the
knowledge that the forces of the enemy of our souls are under the complete
control of God and canonly act in ways He allows.
The Bible doesn’t explain to us Jesus’reasoning, but displaying His sovereign
powerover demons could be one reasonwhy Jesus sentthem into the pigs. If
the pigs’ owners were Jews,Jesus couldhave been rebuking them for
violating Mosaic law which forbids Jews from eating or keeping unclean
animals such as swine (Leviticus 11:7). If the swineherds were Gentiles,
perhaps Jesus was using this miraculous event to show them the malice of evil
spirits under whose influence they lived, as wellas displaying His own power
and authority over creation. In any case, the owners were so terrified to be in
the presence ofsuch spiritual power that they made no demand for restitution
for the loss of their property and beggedJesus to leave the region. The people
were awe-struck but unrepentant—they wantedno more of Jesus Christ. This
shows the hardness of their hearts and their desire to remain in sin. The
healed demoniac, on the other hand, demonstratedthe true faith and
repentance of a changedheart and beggedto be allowedto follow Jesus.
Perhaps the unmistakable difference betweenthe saved and the unsaved was
an object lessonfor the disciples and all who witnessedthe event. Jesus sent
the healedman away, giving him a commissionthat he joyfully obeyed: "Go

home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and
how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5:17-20). (Gotquestions)
Mark 5:14 Their herdsmen ran awayand reported it in the city and in the
country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.
Wuest - And those feeding them fled awayand brought awaytidings into the
city and into the farms. And they came for the purpose of seeing what it was
that had takenplace.
NET Mark 5:14 Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town
and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
GNT Mark 5:14 καὶ οἱ βόσκοντες αὐτοὺς ἔφυγονκαὶ ἀπήγγειλανεἰς τὴν
πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς·καὶ ἦλθονἰδεῖν τί ἐστιν τὸ γεγονὸς
NLT Mark 5:14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding
countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what
had happened.
KJV Mark 5:14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in
the country. And they went out to see whatit was that was done.
ESV Mark 5:14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country.
And people came to see whatit was that had happened.
NIV Mark 5:14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town
and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
ASV Mark 5:14 And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the
country. And they came to see whatit was that had come to pass.
CSB Mark 5:14 The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the
town and the countryside, and people went to see whathad happened.
NKJ Mark 5:14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city
and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.
NRS Mark 5:14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the
country. Then people came to see whatit was that had happened.

YLT Mark 5:14 And those feeding the swine did flee, and told in the city, and
in the fields, and they came forth to see whatit is that hath been done;
NAB Mark 5:14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the
town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see whathad
happened.
NJB Mark 5:14 The men looking afterthem ran off and told their story in the
city and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had
really happened.
GWN Mark 5:14 Those who took care of the pigs ran away. In the city and
countryside they reported everything that had happened. So the people came
to see what had happened.
BBE Mark 5:14 And their keepers wentrunning and gave an accountof it in
the town and in the country. And people came to see whathad takenplace.
Mt 8:33 Lu 8:34
ParallelPassages:
Matthew 8:33+ The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported
everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold,
the whole city came out to meet Jesus;and when they saw Him, they implored
Him to leave their region.
Luke 8:34+ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran awayand
reported it in the city and out in the country. 35 The people went out to see
what had happened; and they came to Jesus, andfound the man from whom
the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothedand in his
right mind; and they became frightened.
PIG FEEDERSFLEE
IN FEAR

Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country - The
Greek word for fear is derived from the verb to flee, and undoubtedly the
herdsmen fled in fear, not only of the supernatural scene, but the natural loss
of revenue (and loss of their job!). Notice that they spread the news far and
wide (city...country).
Ran away(escaped)(5343)(pheugo)means to flee awayin the sense ofto take
to flight in order to seek safety. To flee in the sense ofto escapesomething,
being made safe from danger by eluding or avoiding it. Pheugo is the root of
our English word "fugitive" defined as one who escapesfrom something or
someone.
Reported(312)(anaggello/anangello fromaná = up to, again, back {like our
English prefix "re-"= againthus "re-port" or "re-hearse"= to sayagain} +
aggéllo = tell, declare related to ággelos= messenger)means to bring back
word, to announce, to report. Anaggello canalso mean to inform someone of
someone else's message.
And the people came to see what it was that had happened - Matthew 8:34+
alone tells us it was the whole city. This event drew the people so that they
could see it with their own eyes and discern what had really taken place. Two
thousand swine running down a cliff to drown was so bizarre that it needed to
be verified.
Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and observedthe man who had been demon-
possessedsitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had
had the “legion”;and they became frightened.
Wuest - And they come to Jesus, andview with a critical, searching eye the
demoniac sitting, clothed, and in control of himself. And they became afraid.
NET Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessedman
sitting there, clothed and in his right mind– the one who had the "Legion"–
and they were afraid.
GNT Mark 5:15 καὶ ἔρχονται πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ θεωροῦσιντὸν
δαιμονιζόμενονκαθήμενονἱματισμένονκαὶ σωφρονοῦντα, τὸνἐσχηκότα τὸν
λεγιῶνα, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν.

NLT Mark 5:15 A crowd soongatheredaround Jesus, andthey saw the man
who had been possessedby the legionof demons. He was sitting there fully
clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
KJV Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessedwith
the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and
they were afraid.
ESV Mark 5:15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessedman,
the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothedand in his right mind,
NIV Mark 5:15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been
possessedby the legion of demons, sitting there, dressedand in his right mind;
ASV Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed
with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the
legion: and they were afraid.
CSB Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-
possessedby the legion, sitting there, dressedand in his right mind; and they
were afraid.
NKJ Mark 5:15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been
demon-possessedandhad the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.
And they were afraid.
NRS Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there,
clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion;and they
were afraid.
YLT Mark 5:15 and they come unto Jesus, andsee the demoniac, sitting, and
clothed, and right-minded -- him having had the legion-- and they were
afraid;
NAB Mark 5:15 As they approachedJesus, they caught sight of the man who
had been possessedby Legion, sitting there clothedand in his right mind. And
they were seizedwith fear.

NJB Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the
man who had had the legionin him -- properly dressedand in his full senses,
GWN Mark 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been
possessedby the legion of demons. The man was sitting there dressedand in
his right mind. The people were frightened.
BBE Mark 5:15 And they came to Jesus, and saw the man in whom had been
the evil spirits seated, clothedand with full use of his senses, andthey were
full of fear.
observedthe man who had been demon-possessed:Mk 5:4 Isa 49:24,25 Mt
9:33 12:29 Lu 8:35,36 10:39 Col1:13
and they became frightened: 1Sa 6:20,21 16:4 1Ch 13:12 15:13 Job13:11 Ps
14:5 2Ti 1:7
ParallelPassages:
Matthew 8:34+ And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus;and when
they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.
Luke 8:35+ The people went out to see whathad happened; and they came to
Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down
at the feetof Jesus, clothedand in his right mind; and they became frightened.
THE NEW STATE OF THE
DEMON POSSESSEDMAN
They came to Jesus - Apparently the herdsman had identified Jesus as the
instigatorof this bizarre event.
And observedthe man who had been demon-possessedsitting down, clothed
and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion - Observed
(theoreo)in the present tense pictures them staring and as noted below gives
us our English "theater," and here indicates the rapt attention of the people

on the scene ofthis drama, so to speak!Everyone undoubtedly knew the
"before" condition of this man, so that the "after" would present an
absolutely striking contrast. It would signify indisputable evidence of a
miracle, for previously no man had been able to control this man! Now the
God-ManJesus brings about his striking supernatural deliverance. The verb
had heightens the striking contrast, for it is in the perfect tense, indicating the
man had been in a permanent state, but now was freed of that state!Him
sitting down, clothed (cf previous state - Lk 8:27+) and in his right mind
(clearly indicating previously he was "out of his mind") was a striking silent
testimony to the power and authority of Jesus overthe demonic world. The
people who observed carefully could not have missedthe message, but as we
see they refuse to receive it for they were more concernedwith the fiscal loss.
Luke adds that the people describe the man as having been made well, which
is the verb sozo which conveys the basic meaning of having been rescuedfrom
greatperil. Did Luke use in the sense of him having been spiritually saved? It
is difficult to state with certainty but I think he was because Jesus gave him a
charge to return to your house and describe what greatthings God has done
for you and he obeyed by proclaiming throughout the whole city what great
things Jesus had done for him (Lk 8:39+).
Hiebert comments on Sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind”—three
features about him arrestedtheir attention. The present participle sitting
marks the contrastbetweenhis presentrestful condition and his former state
as a roving, raving maniac. The present participle clothedunderscores the
continuing contrastbetweenhis present condition and former practice of
going naked. Perhaps one of the disciples had fetched an extra robe for the
man from the boat. In his right mind, while declaring his restoredsanity, has
the basic meaning of “self-controlled.” He was now a rational, self-controlled
being, no longer yelling in frenzy under the domination of demons. (Gospelof
Mark: An ExpositionalCommentary)
Observed(beheld) (2334)(theoreo fromtheaomai = to look at closely,
attentively, contemplatively, even with sense of wonder; English - theater)
usually refers to observe with continuity and attention often with the
implication that what is observedis unusual. To behold intensely or to look

with interest and purpose carefully examining with attention to detail. It is
used, not of an indifferent spectator, but of one who looks ata thing with
interest and attention. It would be used of a generalofficially reviewing or
inspecting an army. Thus, the word speaks ofa critical, searching
investigation. Vincent explains that theoreo "was more than simple seeing.
The verb means looking steadfastly, as one who has an interest in the object,
and with a view to searchinto and understand it: to look inquiringly and
intently. (Ed: evenwith sense of amazement).
Demon-possessed(1139)(daimonizomaifrom daimonion = demon) means to
be possessedby a demon, to be under the powerof a demon, to act under the
control of a demon. Note the striking contrast, Jesus a Man under the control
of the Spirit now (empoweredby the Spirit) exerts authority over those souls
who were under the control of an evil spirit. Once againJesus wins in the
cosmic confrontationbetweenthe two kingdoms of this world - the kingdom
of light and the kingdom of darkness (cf Col1:13+, Acts 26:18+). This verb is
only found in the Gospels - Matt. 4:24; Matt. 8:16; Matt. 8:28; Matt. 8:33;
Matt. 9:32; Matt. 12:22;Matt. 15:22;Mk. 1:32+;Mk. 5:15+;Mk. 5:16; Mk.
5:18; Lk. 8:36+; Jn. 10:21. Daimonizomai is in the present tense indicating the
demons were continually in control of the entire personality these poor
victims. What a tormented life that must have been.
In his right mind (4993)(sophroneofrom sozo = to save {from sos = sound} +
phren = mind, which would then literally describe a "savedmind"! Cf
sophron, sophronismos)means literally to be of sound mind. The idea is to to
keepone’s mind safe and sound or to be in one's right mind. It means to be
able to reasonand think properly and in a sane manner, something this man
clearly could not do while he was possessedby a "legion" of demons! Wuest
writes "Trench speaksofthe word as habitual self-government with its
constantrein on all the passions and desires. Notonly is sanity returned to the
demoniac, but self-control. A wild man became the docile, quiet, self-possessed
individual whom the people were viewing with a critical eye."
Legion (3003)see preceding note on legion

And they became frightened - Note the irony - the people were just as afraid
of the sane man as they were of the demon possessedman! Of course, what
they were really afraid of was the Powerthat produced the man's dramatic
transformation. As noted above, the people could not miss that they were
witness to something supernatural. This recalls a similar reactionby Jesus'
disciples in Mk 4:41+ when He stilled the storm and "They became very much
afraid (phobeo) and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him?” But what a difference in response to their fear -- the
disciples'fear had a reverential component to it and so they continued to
follow Jesus, while the townspeople were "justplain scared" andbeggedJesus
to leave them! Woe!Two diametrically opposite responses, one leading to
Heaven (except Judas Iscariot)and the other leading to Hell (unless some
later repented and believed, but there is no record).
Became frightened (5399)(phobeo fromphobos = fearsource of our English
"phobia") means to be in an apprehensive state that canrange from mild
uneasiness to stark terror as when one is frightened, terrified or alarmed.
Uses of phobeo in Mark - Mk. 4:41; Mk. 5:15; Mk. 5:33; Mk. 5:36; Mk. 6:20;
Mk. 6:50; Mk. 9:32; Mk. 10:32; Mk. 11:18; Mk. 11:32;Mk. 12:12;Mk. 16:8
RelatedResources:
What does the Bible say about demon possession/ demonic possession?
How do we distinguish a psychologicaldisorderfrom demon possession?
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Demon; Demoniac;Demonology
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Daemon
BakerEvangelicalDictionaryDemon
CARM TheologicalDictionaryDemon
Easton's Bible Dictionary Demon
Holman Bible Dictionary Demon PossessionPossession, Demon
Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Demon

Hastings'Dictionary of the NT Demon
Smith Bible DictionaryDemon
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Demon
The Nuttall Encyclopedia Demon
Alan Carr - Considerthe Miracle - verse 15-20:
Jesus ChangedHim - No longeris he running around, crying out and cutting
himself. Now, he is calm and seatedbeside Jesus!What a change!(Ill. That’s
how it works!You cannot meet Jesus and remain the same. He changes all
those who come to Him, John 3:3, 5; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:10!)
Jesus ClothedHim - No longeris he naked, but now he is clothed! (Ill. This is
just further proof of his change!What we need to notice here is that what
Jesus does in the heart of a man is ALWAYS workedout on the outside of a
man, Matt. 12:35!
I will rejoice greatlyin the LORD, My soulwill exult in my God; For He has
clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of
righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride
adorns herselfwith her jewels. (Isaiah61:10)
Jesus CalmedHim - We are told that he is in his right mind! Where there has
been turmoil and agitation, there is now perfectpeace!He has been changed
spiritually, physically and mentally! Ill. What a picture of the total change
that salvationbrings to the converted sinner! Jesus literally gives everyone He
saves a brand new life!) Ill. Jesus changedhim from the inside out! Jesus
started with the man’s realproblem! A bad heart is every lost man’s real
problem! His sin isn’t his problem; the outwards manifestations of sin are
merely the fruit of the problem; a wickedheart is the root!

He Was Committed To Jesus – The people of that region were afraid of Jesus,
v. 15, and they demanded that He leave their country. For these people, this
episode was just too much! They might have been able to handle a little
preaching, but when Jesus startedchanging lives and costing them money
they wanted no part of Him. So they drove Him away.
He Was CommissionedFor Jesus – Jesus refusedthe man’s request to go with
Him. Instead, Jesus senthim back to his home to tell others what the Lord
had done for him. And, that is precisely what he did. We went into
“Decapolis”, whichmeans “the ten cities” and he preachedthe Gospelof
grace to all who would listen!
Can you picture in your mind how this scene must have played out? The
people see him coming. They cringe in fear, children hide behind their
mothers, doors are slammed shut, and people run in fear to hide from the
mad man. But wait! Something is different today. Yes, it’s still him. He still
bears the scars in his body, but the look in his eye is different. He isn’t
screaming, he is preaching about a man named Jesus. He isn’t running
around like a wild man; he is calm and sane and he is talking about how Jesus
has changedhis life. He isn’t naked; he is clothed and peacefuland changed.
The people listen to his story and they are touched; some are no doubt saved.
What a difference Jesus makes!We are commanded to share the Gospel,
Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20. We are to go to a lost world and tell them the
same thing this man was commanded to tell: “how greatthings the Lord hath
done for thee, and hath had compassiononthee”. People might argue with us
about our doctrines; but they cannot refute our testimonies!Nothing is more
powerful that the testimony of a changedlife!
Conc:Jesus tamed the tombstone terrorist and He cantame you! One of the
most notoriously bad characters thatever lived in New York was Orville
Gardner. He was the trainer of prize fighters and companion of all sorts of
hard characters. His reputation was so thoroughly bad that he was called
"Awful Gardner."

He had a little boy, whom he dearly loved, and this boy died. A short time
after his boy's death, he was standing in the bar of a New York saloon,
surrounded by a number of his companions. The night was sweltering, and he
stepped outside the saloonto geta little fresh air. As he stood out there and
lookedup betweenthe high buildings at the skyabove his head, a star was
shining down upon him, and as he was looking at it, he said to himself, "I
wonder where my little boy is tonight?" Then the thought came to him quick
as a flash, "Whereverhe is, you will never see him againunless you change
your life."
Touchedby the Spirit of God, he hurried from the saloonto the room where
his godly mother was. He went in and askedhis mother to pray for him. They
spent the whole night in prayer and toward morning "Awful Gardner" found
peace and gained the victory. Gardner was the victim of an overwhelming
appetite for drink, and had in his house a jug of whiskeyat the time. He did
not dare to keepit and did not know what to do with it. Finally, he took it
down to the river, gotinto a boat and rowedover to an island. He set the
liquor on a rock and knelt down, and as he afterward said, "I fought that jug
of whiskeyfor a long time," and God gave him perfect deliverance. He did not
dare to break it, lest the fumes should tempt him. He did not dare to leave it,
lest someone else getit. Finally he dug a hole and buried it. He left the island a
free man. "Awful Gardner" became a mighty preacherof the Gospel.
What has you today? Are you lostand in the grip of sin? Jesus cansetyou
free! Are you out of God’s will and trapped in pride and bitterness? Jesus can
setyou free! Do you need His touch? Do you need His compassion?Do you
need His life-changing power? Friend, what you need is but a prayer of faith
away!Come to Jesus!Come home! Obey His voice.

He weatheredthe storm on the sea to getto this man. He weatheredthe storm
of Calvary to get to you. Is He calling? Come to Him now. (See full sermon -
Mark 5:1-20 Taming The Tombstone Terrorist)
Alan Carr - Oh, but what a difference it makes whenJesus passesby! Just
ask:
1. The woman at the well - John 4 (Ill. "Must needs go")
2. Bartimaeus - Matt. 10:46-52
3. Woman with issue of blood - Luke 8:43-48
4. Lame man at Poolof Bethesda - John 5:1-9
5. The Leper - Mark 1:40-45
6. The Blind man - John 9:1-38
7. Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-9
8. The Disciples - Matt. 4:18-22
9. Lazarus - John 11:1-44
10. Me (Alan Carr) - May 23, 1983!(Ill. It wasn'tas dramatic as some of those
others, but it made the difference when Jesus passedby where I was!)
I. The Man's Condition
II. The Man's Conversion
III. V. 18-20 THE MAN'S COMMISSION
I - v1-6 The Man's Slavery
v2 His Master
v3-5 His Misery
v2,6 His Mentality

II. The Man's Savior
v1 The Savior's Purpose
v6-12 The Savior's Perception
v13 The Savior's Power
III v14-20 The Man's Salvation
V. 15 Salvation ChangedHim
V. 15 Salvation Clothed Him
V. 15 Salvation CalmedHim
V. 18-20 SalvationCompelledHim
V. 18 He Was CompelledTo Desire Jesus
V. 19-20 He Was CompelledTo Declare Jesus
John Butler - Changedby Christ
“Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the
man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” (Luke 8:35)
CHRIST had castsome demons out of a man. The effectupon the man was
dramatic. Our verse describes some of the major changes whichoccurred
when Christ castout the demons. They include resting, respect, robed, and
rational.
Resting. “Sitting.” This was a new posture for the man. Before Christ castout
the demons, the man was constantlyroaming about the tombs and mountains
and wilderness day and night. This speaks ofthe soul rest promised in the
Gospel. Christ said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and
I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). One of the characteristics ofsin is lack
of rest (Isaiah 57:20, 21). But when Christ changes your life, one result is great
soul rest.

Respect. “Sitting at the feet of Jesus.” Beforethe man was delivered of the
demons, he wanted nothing to do with Christ (Luke 8:28). But after Christ
changedhis life, the man now greatly respectedChrist and sathumbly at
Christ’s feet. Animosity towards Christ ends with redemption.
Robed. “Clothed.” Before Christ changedthis man’s life, he “wore no clothes”
(Luke 8:27). This robing of the man not only pictures the righteous robe of
salvation(Isaiah 61:10), but it also pictures the improvement in morals (seen
in more modest dress) of a personwhen he gets saved. Even in heathen
countries, when people getsaved, they start wearing more clothes instead of
running around half naked. The immodest clothes at church reveala spiritual
problem.
Rational. “In his right mind.” Satan would have folk think that to follow
Christ is crazy, unintelligent, and stupid. But the very opposite is true. It is
those who follow Satan and are controlled by his demons that act crazy. When
this man was possessedby demons, he actedinsane. But when Christ changed
the man, he actedrational, sane, and sober. Sin, not Christ and righteousness,
causes people to act foolishly and irrationally.
Vance Havner - The Gadarene
AFTER mastering a wild sea the Lord Jesus masters a wild man. Three
Gospels give us the story of the Gadarene demoniac (Matt. 8:28-34;Mark 5:1-
20; Luke 8:26-39), and it is unusual that Mark's account, usually the briefest,
is here the longest.
There are those who would make this man to be only an insane case, but our
Lord clearly recognizeddemon-possessionby His saying, "Come out of the
man, thou unclean spirit." That He was merely accepting the common view of
His time is an argument too foolish to reserve room for refutation.
Much has been said about the destruction of the swine who refusedto endure
what men put up with. Huxley made much of this "destruction of property"
as an argument againstthe Lord. Our Lord never went at anything tamely.
He made bold strokes andbrushed everything else aside to get at a needy life.

What are a few hogs comparedto a human soul? The destruction of the swine
was a bold evidence of the miracle and a daring declarationthat lives are ever
more important than property. If the owner of the hogs had acceptedthe
Lord Jesus he would have had a treasure inestimable. Instead, he saw only
temporal loss and gain, and because Jesus was hurting his business, he
besoughtHim to leave. Men have followedthat procedure through the ages.
When Christ interferes with our personalgain we usually beseechHim to
leave.
There is a beautiful truth in the healedman's desire to go with the Lord and
His disciples in the ship to other parts. Doubtless he wantedto getawayfrom
the scenesofhis past, and it lookedvery inviting—this prospectof sojourning
with the Lord in new fields, everhearing His words and witnessing His
miracles. But it was not so to be; he must stay in the old, unromantic spot and
tell what the Lord had done for his soul (and what a witness he must have
been!).
Many of us have known this experience. We have longed to follow the Lord
across the sea or into some more interesting field, but He has commissionedus
to stay at home—live down an evil past, perhaps—and be an obscure and
unknown witness. It is not given to everyone to go far afield; there must be the
disciple who stays at home. Time and time againwe meet with those who went
to foreign fields or undertook vast enterprises under mistaken leadings. It is
so easyto confuse our wants with God's leadings. The work of the gospelis too
often made the springboard from which to dive off into watertoo deep for us.
This man obeyed the Lord's command, and as he proclaimed his story men
marveled, according to Mark's account. Togetherwith a marvelous
experience of deliverance he had an obedient spirit, and that makes a great
combination.
Are you willing that Christ should do His wonders in your life at any costto
property and circumstances?Thenyou need to be willing to let Him station
you where He will, to be His witness

Deathof a Dog - One day as Dick Hillis preached in a Chinese village, his
sermon was suddenly interrupted by a piercing cry. Everyone rushed toward
the scream, and Dick’s coworker, Mr. Kong, whispered that an evil spirit had
seizeda man. “Thatis heathen superstition,” saidDick, who had not
previously encountereddemon possession.
A woman pushed through the crowd towardthem. “I beg you help me!” she
cried. “An evil spirit has againpossessedthe father of my children and is
trying to kill him.”
Kong stepped over a filthy old dog lying in the doorway, and facedthe
madman. The room was chargedwith a sense ofevil. “An evil spirit has
possessedFarmerHo,” Kong told the onlookers. “OurGod, the ‘Nothing-He-
Cannot-Do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and He can deliver this
man. First, you must promise you will burn your idols and trust in Jesus, son
of the Supreme Emperor.”
The people nodded. Kong askedDick to begin singing the hymn “There is
Powerin the Blood.” With greathesitation, Dick began to sing, “Would you
be free from your burden of sin. …”
“Now,” continuedKong, “in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit
to leave this man.” Kong began praying fervently. Suddenly, the old dog in the
doorwayvaulted into the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping
wildly at his tail. Kong continued praying, and the dog abruptly dropped over
dead.
Instantly Dick remembered Luke 8, the demons of the Gadarenes who
invisibly flew into the herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho
seemedquiet and relaxed, and soonhe was strong enoughto burn his idols. At
his baptism shortly afterward, he testified, “I was possessedby an evil spirit
who boastedhe had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But
God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment, and in Jesus I am free. (From
This Verse - Robert Morgan)
Mark 5:16 Those who had seenit described to them how it had happened to
the demon-possessedman, and all about the swine.

Wuest - And those who saw, relatedfully and in detail to them how it
happened to the demoniac and concerning the swine.
NET Mark 5:16 Those who had seenwhat had happened to the demon-
possessedman reported it, and they also told about the pigs.
GNT Mark 5:16 καὶ διηγήσαντο αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐγένετο τῷ
δαιμονιζομένῳ καὶ περὶ τῶν χοίρων.
NLT Mark 5:16 Then those who had seenwhat happened told the others
about the demon-possessedman and the pigs.
KJV Mark 5:16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was
possessedwith the devil, and also concerning the swine.
ESV Mark 5:16 And those who had seenit describedto them what had
happened to the demon-possessedman and to the pigs.
NIV Mark 5:16 Those who had seenit told the people what had happened to
the demon-possessedman--and told about the pigs as well.
ASV Mark 5:16 And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him
that was possessedwith demons, and concerning the swine.
CSB Mark 5:16 The eyewitnessesdescribedto them what had happened to
the demon-possessedman and told about the pigs.
NKJ Mark 5:16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who
had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
NRS Mark 5:16 Those who had seenwhat had happened to the demoniac and
to the swine reported it.
YLT Mark 5:16 and those having seenit, declaredto them how it had come
to pass to the demoniac, and about the swine;
NAB Mark 5:16 Those who witnessedthe incident explained to them what
had happened to the possessedman and to the swine.
NJB Mark 5:16 And those who had witnessedit reported what had happened
to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs.

GWN Mark 5:16 Those who saw this told what had happened to the demon-
possessedman and the pigs.
BBE Mark 5:16 And those who had seenit gave them an accountof what had
been done to him who had the evil spirits, and of the fate of the pigs.
ParallelPassage:
Luke 8:36+ Those who had seenit reported to them how the man who was
demon-possessedhadbeen made well.
DESCRIPTION OF A DELIVERED MAN
AND DESTROYEDSWINE
Those who had seenit describedto them how it had happened to the demon-
possessedman, and all about the swine - Who is those who had seenit? This
could be the herdsmen. But it could also be the disciples. We cannotbe
dogmatic. However, the disciples would be better able to truly describe (the
verb diegeomaiindicates a detailed narration) the "how" (an exorcismby
Jesus afterthe demons beggedto be sent into the swine), which is something
the herdsmen would have been less likely to understand or explain. The use of
the verb described(diegeomai)is in a negative sense because this detailed
description prompted the townspeople to beg Jesus to leave!In striking
contrastJesus. Here is the contrasting irony -- In Acts 8:39 Jesus told the man
healed of the demon "Return to your house and describe (diegeomai)what
greatthings God has done for you."
Described(1334)(diegeomaifrom diá = through + hēgéomai= to lead) means
to conduct a narration through to the end. Too carry (a narrative) through
from beginning to end. To recount or relate in full. To set out something in
detail, to give a detailed accountof something in words. Diegeomai - 8x in 6v -
Usage:describe(1), described(3), gave anaccount(1), relate(2), tell(1). Mk.
5:16+; Mk. 9:9+; Lk. 8:39+;Lk. 9:10+;Acts 8:33+ [quoted from Isa. 53:8+];
Acts 9:27+; Acts 12:17+;Heb. 11:32+ Gilbrant - In classicalGreekthis term
primarily means “setout in detail” or “describe.” It appears over 50 times in

the Septuagint, usually to translate s̱ āphar which means “recount, relate” in
the variations used (see Genesis 24:66;Exodus 10:2; 2 Kings 8:4; Psalm
22:22).
Demon-possessedman (1139)see note on daimonizomai
Mark 5:17 And they beganto implore Him to leave their region.
Wuest - And they began to be begging Him to go awayfrom their boundaries.
NET Mark 5:17 Then they askedJesus to leave their region.
GNT Mark 5:17 καὶ ἤρξαντο παρακαλεῖναὐτὸνἀπελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων
αὐτῶν.
NLT Mark 5:17 And the crowd beganpleading with Jesus to go awayand
leave them alone.
KJV Mark 5:17 And they beganto pray him to depart out of their coasts.
ESV Mark 5:17 And they beganto beg Jesus to depart from their region.
NIV Mark 5:17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their
region.
ASV Mark 5:17 And they beganto beseechhim to depart from their borders.
CSB Mark 5:17 Then they beganto beg Him to leave their region.
NKJ Mark 5:17 Then they beganto plead with Him to depart from their
region.
NRS Mark 5:17 Then they beganto beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
YLT Mark 5:17 and they beganto call upon him to go away from their
borders.
NAB Mark 5:17 Then they beganto beg him to leave their district.
NJB Mark 5:17 Then they beganto implore Jesus to leave their
neighbourhood.

GWN Mark 5:17 Then the people beganto beg Jesus to leave their territory.
BBE Mark 5:17 And they made a request to him to go out of their country.
Mk 5:7 1:24 Ge 26:16 De 5:25 1Ki 17:18 Job 21:14,15 Mt8:34 Lu 5:8 Lu 8:37
Ac 16:39
ParallelPassages:
Matthew 8:34+ And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus;and when
they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.
Luke 8:37+ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes andthe
surrounding district askedHim to leave them, for they were gripped with
greatfear; and He got into a boat and returned.
THE CITY HAS
A "PRAYER MEETING!"
The old KJV has "And they began to pray Him."
I agree with Bob Utley who says "This is one of the saddestverses in all of the
Bible. In the presence ofthe greatestman of history, these villagers were more
concernedabout the death of a few hogs than they were over the redemption
and reclamationof two demonized persons and the spiritual potential of the
gospelfor their area."
David Gooding has an interesting note on the people's reactionto Jesus Who
had freed them of the fear of the demoniac - What a sad comment on man’s
fallen and unregenerate state it is, that man should feelmore at home with
demons, than with the Christ who has power to castout demons. Yet is often
so. Men who would try to help a criminal or a drunkard, or, if they should
prove incorrigible, would want the one imprisoned and the other put into
hospital, find it embarrassing and somewhatfrightening if the criminal is
savedby Christ and turned into a sane, wholesome, regenerate disciple.
(According to Luke)

Notice that Luke explains why they askedJesus to leave explaining "for they
were gripped (sunecho/synecho)with greatfear." (Luke 8:37+) This is not like
the fearof the disciples described in Lk 8:25+ which at leastto some degree
was reverential. This fear (whatever the cause)explains why they askedJesus
to leave. They had seenGod work and rejectedHim, which is not greatly
different from hearing God's Word and rejecting Him. They were so self-
focusedthat they showedno gratitude whatsoeverthat the demoniac had been
made well (note also the reference to the loss of the swine in Mk 5:16). They
were unable to rejoice with those who rejoice (Ro 12:15)!As Stein says "For
the believersuch fear turns to a holy awe, but to the unbelieving it is only a
fearsome dread from which they seek to rid themselves. Godcan be rejected,
as the people of Gerasa in factdid. Peace, however, came to the demoniac. He
who was lastbecame first." (NAC-Lk)
And they began(archo) to implore Him to leave their region - Implore is in
the presenttense indicating they kept begging Jesus to leave!) Matthew 8:34+
says the whole city and Luke 8:37+ says all the people indicating the entire lot
had hard hearts in face of an amazing miracle! Again this makes the point
that miracles per se do not save anyone. Of course everytime someone is truly
savedthat in itself is a greatmiracle! They were like those in the parable of
the soils who had stony hearts and did not at all receive Jesus'Word. Their
eyes were on the temporal and not the eternal. The irony of this scene is that
the very One they were sending awayin time, would one day send them away
into eternity!
Spurgeon- Surely, this legion of demons must have had the same effect on
them as on the poor man when Christ first came to him. These foolishpeople
took up the same cry as the poor demoniac:“The whole multitude besought
him to depart from them? Christ sometimes hears this kind of prayer. There
is many a man who has entreatedthat his conscience might not be troubled
any more, and it never has been troubled again. But what an awful prayer for
any people to pray! “The whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes
round about besoughthim to depart from them.”
John MacArthur - In stark contrastto the delivered maniac, the response of
the sane people tragicallyillustrates sin’s powerover the lost. It blinds them

to the truth and causes themto hate it and reject all evidence of it. They
obstinately cling to their false illusion of well-being because love of iniquity
dominates them. Jesus had performed an undeniable miracle that clearly
manifested His absolute powerover the supernatural realm and to deliver
people from the forces of hell. (MNTC-Lk)
Hiebert - “Theybegan to pray him”—they no doubt included the owners who
had come out to Jesus. The rendering “pray” implies that they “requested” or
“appealed” with the fervency of an earnestprayer. When they understoodthe
relationship betweenthe two events, they “drew a natural inference:cure
cause ofcatastrophe.” Englishnotes, “Mark couldhardly spell out more
clearly his conviction that even the most powerful of healing miracles cannot,
do not, of themselves induce faith or provide a foundation for it. Everything
hangs on the openness of the observers to see beyond the miracle to the person
at its heart....theyfearedfurther material losses ifone with such powers
should remain within their borders. They were more concernedto protect
their financial interests than to rejoice in the deliverance of the neighborhood
demoniac. Luke recorded that it was the unanimous requestof the inhabitants
(Lk 8:37+). (Gospelof Mark: An Expositional Commentary)
Implore (3870)see note on parakaleo
Implore is a "keyword" in Mark 5, five uses show marked strikingly
contrasting attitudes toward Jesus!The word Implore means to appeal to in
supplication, to beseech, to beg for urgently.
The demons beggedhim, not the pit, but the pigs! (Twice - Mk 5:10, 12)
The people beggedhim, leave our country! (Mk 5:17)
The former demoniac beggedhim, let me follow you! (Mk 5:18)
Jairus, the synagogue official, begging Jesus(Mk 5:23)!
Spurgeoncomments that "Here was a whole city at a prayer meeting, praying
againsttheir own blessing. Horrible was their prayer; but it was heard, and
Jesus departedout of their coasts!"

Wiersbe - What a transformation in these two men! You would have expected
the people who saw the miracle to ask Jesus to stay and heal others who were
sick and afflicted. Apparently money was more important to them than
mercy, and they askedJesus to leave.
Kent Hughes - Tell Him to leave you alone, and He will. And if you tell Him
enough, there will come a time when the opportunity for repentance will be
gone. If you have not already done so, turn to Christ for salvation. Come to
Christ for healing. If He is speaking to you, you must respond now, for this
may be the lasttime!
Hendriksen writes that "Heartlessness characterizeddemons, swineherds, and
people in general. Overagainstthis attitude stands the helpfulness of Jesus."
(Ibid)
Spurgeon- Surely, this legion of demons must have had the same effect on
them as on the poor man when Christ first came to him. These foolishpeople
took up the same cry as the poor demoniac:“The whole multitude besought
him to depart from them? Christ sometimes hears this kind of prayer. There
is many a man who has entreatedthat his conscience might not be troubled
any more, and it never has been troubled again. But what an awful prayer for
any people to pray! “The whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes
round about besoughthim to depart from them.”
John MacArthur - In stark contrastto the delivered maniac, the response of
the sane people tragicallyillustrates sin’s powerover the lost. It blinds them
to the truth and causes themto hate it and reject all evidence of it. They
obstinately cling to their false illusion of well-being because love of iniquity
dominates them. Jesus had performed an undeniable miracle that clearly
manifested His absolute powerover the supernatural realm and to deliver
people from the forces of hell. (Ibid)
Rabbi, begone!Thy powers
Bring loss to us and ours.
Our ways are not as Thine.

Thou lovest men, we—swine.
Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence,
And take this foolof Thine!
His soul? What care we for his soul?
What goodto us that Thou hast made him whole,
Since we have lostour swine?
John Oxenham
DANIEL AKIN
Can The Demonized Be Delivered?
Mark 5:1-20
Introduction: 1) In his classic, The Screwtape Letters, the literary giant C.S.
Lewis
provides for us a glimpse into the thinking and strategies ofSatan’s demons.
An older
and wiserdemon named Screwtape is going about the business of instructing
and
mentoring the younger Wormwood. Their conversations are fascinating.
However, it is
Lewis’ preface to the book that I want us to give our attention, for here we
discover
words of unparalleled wisdom and insight. Lewis writes,

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about
the
devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The otheris to believe, and to
feel
an excessive andunhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally
pleased
by both errors, and hail a materialist or magicianwith the same delight.”1
2) Lewis is quite right in his assessment, and the human race has indeed been
duped by
both errors. The materialistof the “Age of Reason” andthe Enlightenment
were fooled
into disbelieving in the existence ofdemons or any spirit beings. In contrast,
New
Ageism and Postmodernmysticism has been enamoredwith the magician,
exhibiting
indeed “anexcessive andunhealthy interest” in angels, demons and spirits
beyond this
world. Beginning in 1969 with Rosemary’s Babyand in 1973 with The
Exorcist,
Americans have been engagedin a peculiar fascinationwith the occult and the
demonic.
The evidence is irrefutable in the contextof the popular culture if you stop
and survey the
continued offerings of Hollywood: (1974)DevilTimes Five; (1976)Hostage to
the
Devil; (1976)The Omen; (1977)The Possessed;(1977)GoodAgainst Evil;
(1977)

ExorcistII: The Heretic; (1982)The Entity; (1987)My Demon Lover; (1997)
The Devil’s 1 C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
(New York: MacMillian, 1961,rev. 1982), 3.
2
Advocate; (1999)The Blair Witch Project;(2000)re-release ofThe Exorcist;
(2000)
Bedazzled; (2000)The Little Vampire. Add to this televisionseries like Buffy
the
Vampire Slayer; Angel; Charmed and TouchedBy An Angel, the hotly
debated issue of
SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse), and our love affair with Halloween, and you
have a
significant element of our culture awashin spiritism and the occult.
3) Neverhas there been a time when we neededmore a gooddose of biblical
balance
and sanity, a God’s view perspective on the issue. Mark 5 provides an
excellentstarting
point, for here we see our Lord confronting and conquering the demonic.
Yes, Jesus
believed demons were real, and that should settle for all of us the question of
their
existence. Yetbeyond this factwe see in our Lord’s encounter with the
Gerasenes
demoniac, the power, mercy and authority of the Son of God who commands
the demon

with merely a word. In this text we will see the purpose of Satan to destroy,
and the
powerof the Savior to deliver. A demonic man (5:1-20), a diseasedwoman, or
a dead
little girl (5:21-43), regardlessofthe situation, Jesus had the power to deliver
and save.
I. Jesus Confronts The Demonic. 5:1-5
Jesus has just calmedthe sea, rebuking it and commanding it “Silence!Be
still”
(4:39). The sea immediately became calm, provoking the disciples to ask,
“Who
then is this? Even the wind and the sea obeyHim!” They are about to get
their
answer, but it will come from an unlikely source, it will come from a demon.
1) SatanAttempts To Defile The Image Of God In Man. 5:1-2
Crossing now a calmed Sea ofGalilee, Jesus and the 12 arrive in the area of
the Gerasenes(NKJV has “Gadarenes”). Geraseneswas a regionor district,
and Gadara was (cf. Luke 8:26, 37)a major city in the area. South of the
3
little town calledGeresa there was a steepslope only 40 yards from the
shore;two miles from there cavernous tombs.
As they got out of the boat Mark tells us “immediately” (NKJV) a man
with an unclean spirit [a demon]came out of the tombs and met Him

[Jesus]. Mark provides a vivid and elaborate report of the encounter, and
unlike Matthew who mentions two demon-possessedmen (Matt. 8:28ff),
gives attention to only one, probably the more prominent and wild of the
two.
Possessedby an unclean spirit, this man was defiled. A Jew would view
the touching of a dead body as an actof greatdefilement, and here was a
man living among the dead. Satanhad takenhim down, and was close to
delivering a knockoutblow.
2) SatanAttempts To Deface The Image Of God In Man. 5:3-4
The portrait Mark paints grows more tragic and pathetic. It is heart
wrenching to think the devil could so deface one who was createdin the
very image of God. This man came out of the tombs because he lived in
the tombs.
Further, no one was able to restrain him any more-evenwith chain
because he often had been bound with shackles andchains, but had
snapped off the chains and smashedthe shackles. No one was strong
enoughto subdue him. Derangedand utterly depraved in his behavior,
this man was not a maniac but a demoniac. The people of his town had
concludedat besthe was mad, and they had driven him away, forcing him to
4
live among the dead. They had attempted to bind him but with no success.

Possessedby a supernatural powerhe exhibited supernatural strength
snapping the chains like twigs and smashing the shackleslike a tomato.
Defiledand defaced, he descendedinto a life of filth, loneliness and terror.
People fearedhim with his Herculean strength. It is shameful to see what
Satanhad conqueredand captured.
3) SatanAttempts To DestroyThe Image Of God In Man. 5:5
Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to stealand kill and
destroy” (NIV), and in John 8:44, “[The devil] was a murderer from the
beginning” (NIV). Peteradds in his first letter, “Your adversary the Devil is
prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1
Peter5:8). Verse five reveals this was the plan the Devil had in mind for this
poor demon-possessedsoul. And always (it never stopped), night and day
(there was no rest), among the tombs and in the mountains (there was no
escape),he was crying out and cutting himself with stones. Howling like
a wild animal, running here and there, he cut himself againstthe jagged
rocks ofthe land. Some believe this is evidence of depraved pagan worship.
Others see wild but futile attempts to drive out the demons. I believe what
we see is a failed attempt to end his pain and suffering by suicide. Running
about wild, nakedand unkempt, he was by now a body of cuts and bruises,
lacerations,scabs andinfected tissues. Living in a constantstate of delirium
and pain, he tried again and againto end his torment and unbearable existent
in death. I have no doubt this was the agenda of the demons inside him. It
5

is perhaps the case that the only thing that prevented his death was the last
vestiges ofthe image of God in him and the common grace of God about
him. Defiled and defaced, he was daily staring death and destruction in the
face. A more miserable existence couldhardly be imagined.
Transition: But, something happened that would turn things upside down and
reverse the
course of his despair. Thatsomething is a person. Thatsomeone is Jesus.
II. Jesus Conquers The Destructive. 5:6-14
Like a filthy, wounded animal, the demoniac has ranted and raged. The
Jewish
Talmud gave four signs of madness: 1) walking about at night; 2) spending
the
night on a grave; 3) tearing one’s clothes;4) destroying what one was given.
This
man met these criteria and more. All seems lost. His situation appears
hopeless
until…he meets Jesus, Sonof the MostHigh God.
1) Our Savior Is A Liberator. 5:6-13
Verse 6 picks up where verse 2 left off (verses 3-5 are something of a
parenthesis filling in some important details). Seeing Jesus from a
distance, this madman does something surprising. He ran and knelt
down (“worshipped”, NKJV) before Him. He came before the Son of God

because he must. Kneeling was not an act of worship but an
acknowledgmentofauthority, the authority of the Son of the MostHigh
God. He then cried out with a loud voice, “Whatdo You have to do
with me, Jesus, Sonof the MostHigh God? I beg (“implore”, NIV;
NKJV) You before God, don’t torment me!” The demons reactedand
6
respondedthis way because ofwhat we read in verse 8, ForHe [Jesus]had
told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
Here was a spiritual encounterand contestthat is completelyone-sided.
Legion(v.9) vs. the Son of God. This is no contest! The demon
possessedman must drop to his knees. He cannot help but confess Jesus
for who He truly is. We must not miss the fact that 1) the demons always
confess Christaccuratelyand truthfully (cf. Mark 1:24); 2) that their
knowledge ofwho Jesus is is superior to the disciples, at leastat this point;
and 3) the confessionof5:7 answers the question of the disciples in 4:41.
The demoniac’s statement is fearful and violent, taking the form of an
adjurment. The demon knows who Jesus is, he knows his mission is at an
end and his existence atstake. He goes onthe defensive in a feeble
attempt to defend himself. In essencehe asks Jesus, “Whatdo we have in
common?” “Whatdo you want with me?” (NIV) This demon knows “the
gig is up,” that his time has run out. The title Son of the MostHigh God

is nothing less than recognitionof deity. Still as William Lane notes, “The
full address is not a confessionofJesus’dignity but a desperate attempt to
gain controlover him or to render him harmless, in accordancewith the
common assumption of the period that the use of the precise name of an
adversarygave one mastery over him.” 2 It is fascinating to note that the
demon actually appeals to God for protection(I beg you before God).
His request will not receive a positive response. Jesus has commanded
him to come out, and come out he will. 2
William Lane, Mark, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 183-84.
7
Verses 9-10 containor continue the dialogue betweenJesus and the
demon. The full impact of the controland horror this demon had on this
man now becomes painfully evident. Jesus asks, Whatis your name?
The demon responds, My name is Legion…becausewe are many.
Legionis a military designationreferencing a contingencyof 6,000
Romansoldiers. This man was not possessedby one, but thousands of
demons working in concertas one evil force. Captured and indwelt by
this alien army, his natural mind, will and emotions had all but been
destroyed. These soldiers ofSatanhad attackedand trampled his soul.
His only hope was in an outside Liberator whose powerand authority was
greaterthan that which now lived within him. That Liberator had arrived

in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In something of a microcosmof the titanic battle that rages betweenGood
and evil, God and Satan, Jesus gives us a preview of coming attractions
for Satan and his demons. In verse 10 the demons, through the voice of
the man, kept begging Him [Jesus] not to send them out of the region.
The tormentor is now the tormented as he contemplates his destiny. Luke
8:31 is helpful here being more specific: “TheybeggedHim not to banish
them to the abyss,” a place of spiritual confinement in anticipation of
final, eternal judgment.
The demons attempt to bargain, negotiate with Jesus, though their request
is in the form of a plea. A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the
hillside. The demons beggedHim, “Sendus to the pigs, so we may
8
enter them.” Jesus compiled, He gave them permission. The man had
met his Savior. The man had met his Liberator.
2) SatanIs A Murderer. 5:13
Again, I am convinced that in verse 5 when the man is cutting himself
with stones, the demons in him were driving him to kill himself by
suicide. I believe that judgment is confirmed by what happens now in
verse 13. Then the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and
the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the

sea and drowned there. The will and volition of a human being made in
God’s image is strongerthan that of an animal, a brute beast. What
Legioncould not get the man to do was easilyaccomplishedin a large
herd of pigs. Being in the area of the Decapolis (Tencities)with a
predominant Gentile population explains why a large number of pigs (an
animal viewed as unclean by Jewishpersons)were present. The pigs
could not withstand the will of Legion, and they were led to their death.
Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter into this herd of pigs? The
answerto that question is not certain, but William Lane provides a
plausible explanation:
“First, Jesus recognizedthe time of the ultimate vanquishment of the
demons had not yet come; his encounter and triumph over the demonic
does not yet put an end to Satan’s power. It is the pledge and the
symbol of that definitive triumph, but the time when that triumph will
be fully realized is yet deferred. It must await the appointment of God.
9
Therefore, Jesusallows the demons to continue their destructive work,
but not upon a man. The secondelement is related to this: Jesus
allowedthe demons to enter the swine to indicate beyond question that
their realpurpose was the total destruction of their host.” 3
To this we can add two further observations:1) we should remember the

demons, not Jesus destroyed(killed) the pigs and 2) the event
demonstrates that God cares more for man whom He createdin His image
and recreates in salvation, than he does for animals which do not bear his
image. Satanis a murderer of human beings, but Jesus is their Savior.
What are we to make of this unusual story up to this point, this course in
“Demonology 101”? Severalimportant theologicaltruths stand out for
our consideration.
First, a demon, in fact many demons, caninhabit and take possessionof a
person.
Demons are realand dangerous.
Second, demons can make themselves knownby speaking through a person
and
even taking control of their body.
Third, demons are fallen angels and powerful spiritual being. They can
exhibit
enormous strength through a personunder their control.
Fourth, demons can inflict serious personalinjury to the one possessedand to
others, with the ultimate goalof that person’s death.
Fifth, demons can move or be transferred from one hostto another.
Sixth, demons can resistleaving their host. Theymay even beg, out of self
interest, for their own well-being. 3 Ibid., 186.
10

Seventh, demons recognize and are subject to appropriate spiritual authority.
Eighth, if demon spirits attempted to resistthe incarnate Christ, we canbe
sure
they will also attempt to resistus.
Ninth, Jesus spoke directlyto the demon evenasking for his name. This may
provide a pattern for us to follow.
Finally, Jesus, unlike the exorcistof His day, who used elaborate rituals and
incantations, simply spoke the word and gave the command and the demoniac
was forcedto obey. When it comes to our confronting the demonic, in the
name
of Jesus and by the power of His blood work on the cross, we cansee the
demonized delivered and the spiritually captive setfree.4
III. Jesus Commissions The Delivered. 5:14-20
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a
new
creation;old things have passedaway, and look, new things have come.”
Never
was this wonderful truth more real than in this man whom the Lord Jesus
had
delivered from a Legion of demons. The rest of this story is something of a
mixed bag. You would think there would be joy and thanksgiving all around.
Sadly, that is not the case. Still, we will focus our main attention on this “new
man” in Christ, while also noting the unfortunate and disappointing response
of

the townspeople. Keepin mind that what Jesus did for this man in saving
him
from Satanand his sin He will do for you if you will simply come to Him in
faith.
1) Let Jesus Change You. 5:14-17
When the demon-possessedpigs plunged into the sea and drowned, The
men who tended them ran off and reported it everywhere in the town
4 Clinton Arnold, “Exorcism101,” in Christianity Today (Sept. 3, 2001), 58.
11
and the countryside. Notunexpectedly, the people went to see what
had happened. I’m not sure that they were fully prepared for what they
would find. They came to Jesus and then…they saw him, the man who
had been demon-possessedby the legion. But, was this really him?
Was this the same man no one could control who had terrorized their
community for so long? Why he was sitting there, not running about
wild and in a rage. And, he was dressed, not half-naked in ragged, dirty
clothes. Further, and even more wonderful, he was in his right mind. He
knew who he was and who they were. He sits clothed, calm, and a new
creature because ofwhat Jesus had done for him.
We are informed that the eyewitnessesdescribedto them what had
happened to the demon-possessedman and [told] about the pigs.
There can be little doubt that this conversationwas lively and captivating.

The herdsmen recounted againwhat they had witnessedwith their own
eyes. This man that they doubtless knew as a madman was now sitting
before them dressed, and in control of all his faculties. Perhaps he was
smiling, rejoicing in his salvationand deliverance. Perhaps with gratitude
and devotion his eyes were fixed on Jesus. However, these men had
something else on their mind as well: they [told] about the pigs. Then
they beganto beg Him to leave their region. What a surprising reaction.
What a disappointing response. Nowto be fair we should note the last
phrase in verse 15, and they were afraid. A combination of commercial
concern(we just lost 2,000 pigs and the income they represent) and fearof
12
the One who can controland castout demons by a word was more than
they could handle. What else canthis man named Jesus do? What
demands might He make of the rest of us? If he canchange and transform
a demoniac what might He do with us? With me? Pathetically, they
decide it would be best all around if Jesus left. TheyaskedHim to leave.
“Rabbi, be gone!Thy powers
Bring loss to us and ours.
Our ways are not as Thine.
Thou lovestmen, we—swine.
Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence,

And take this fool of Thine!
His soul? What care we for his soul?
What goodto us that Thou hast made him whole,
Since we have lostour swine?5
The townspeople may have not cared for the demoniac’s soul, but the Son
of God did. Jesus changedhim, made him a new man. Heaven was glad,
but his fellow humans only wanted him gone. Whata sad commentary on
the wickednessand self-centeredness ofthe human heart void of the grace
and goodness ofGod.
2) Let Jesus Command You. 5:18-19
Jesus does notstay where He is not wanted. He prepares to move on
getting in the boat. Whether out of ignorance, fearor greed, the people
in the region of Geraseneshad decidedthat they had had enough of this
5 Quoted in R. Kent Hughes, Mark, vol. 1 (Westchester:Crossway, 1989), 122.
13
miracle worker. It was time for Him to ship out and get out. To my
knowledge,Jesus nevervisited this regionagain.
However, there was one man who felt all togetherdifferent. It was the one
who had been demon-possessed. He had met Jesus and his life had been
wonderfully transformed. No one had ever showedhim such love and
compassion. Neverhad he knownsuch mercy and kindness. The

townspeople may be begging Him to leave, but this man kept begging
Him to be with him. The tense of the verb denotes continuous action.
He againand againbegged, pleaded with Jesus. IfJesus would not stay
fine. “Then let me go with you. I’ve never met anyone like you. No one
ever did, could ever do, what you did for me. I love you. I want to be
with you. Where does not matter, as long as I am in your presence,
walking by your side.” No one could doubt the change Jesus had brought
about in his life. No one could question his love, devotion and
commitment to the Savior.
Somewhatsurprisingly, Jesus denied his request. But He would not let
him; insteadHe told him, “Go back home to your ownpeople, and
report (“tell,” NIV, NKJV) to them how much the Lord has done for
you and how He has had mercy on you. In gratitude this man wanted to
follow Jesus. Our Lord, however, had an evangelistic assignment. Go and
tell others what I, the Lord, have done for you. Start in your home and
work from there. Go to your family and friends and share with them all
that the Lord has done for you. Tellthem of his mercy. Be my witness,
14
give your testimony. You were lost but now you are saved. You once
belongedto Satan but now you belong to the Son of God. The people of
Gerasenes might not want Jesus, but Jesus still wanted them. He would

not leave them without a witness. He commissionedthe former demoniac:
stay here and be my witness. Tellthem how much the Lord has done
for you.
3) Let Jesus Consume You. 5:20
Unlike so many followers ofJesus this man did not argue, complain or
refuse
his assignmentfrom his Master. HE acceptedhis “marching orders” without
question. He went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis (lit. “Ten
cities”)how much Jesus had done for him. And the response for those who
heard? They were all amazed. It is easyto imagine scene after scene as
people who had only known Legionnow met this new man in Christ. I
imagine he stopped friend and stranger alike to tell them how much Jesus
had done for him. All the while, I am convinced, he was on his way to
obeying the words of Jesus in verse 19:go back home. Using a little
sanctifiedimagination, one can sense the excitement building within his heart
as he gotcloserand closerto home. Perhaps he was a husband with a wife
and a father with children. How long had it been since he saw them, kissed
the lips of his wife and held his children in his arms. Is it possible they had
been praying for him all this time? “Lord, rescue the soulof my husband.”
“DearGod, please help my daddy and bring him back home.”
Finally, after walking for some time this man sees a home he has not seenfor
15

a long time. Suddenly a little boy turns from playing in the dirt and sees his
daddy. At the same moment running out the front door is his precious little
girl. She stops in her tracks whenshe sees him, and with the excitementonly
a daughter can have for her daddy she begins to screamto the top of her
lungs,
“Mommy, Mommy! It’s Daddy, it’s Daddy! He’s come home! He’s come
home!” No longerwalking, the man is now in a sprint, gathering in his arms
his little boy and little girl who had run to him. Then, there in the doorway,
stooda lady, his wife. With tears streaming down her face and the sweet
smile of an angel, she is speechless, allcaught up in the joy of the moment.
Now they are all embracing and crying tears of joy. How could this be?
What happened? Wiping the tears from his eyes, the man looks athis wife
and children and begins, “I met a man named Jesus. He is the Son of the
MostHigh God. Let me tell you all that He has done for me.” I imagine this
was a wonderful story told many, many times. After all, those who are
forgiven much, always love much (Luke 7:47).
WILLIAM BARCLAY
THE BANISHING OF THE DEMONS (Mark 5:1-13)

5:1-13 They came to the other side of the lake, to the territory of the
Gerasenes. Immediately Jesus had disembarkedfrom the boat, there met him
from the tombs a man in the grip of an unclean spirit. This man lived amongst
the tombs. No one had ever been able to bind him with a chain, because he
had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been
wrenchedapart by him and the fetters shattered;and no one was strong
enough to tame him. Continually, night and day, in the tombs and in the hills,
he kept shrieking and gashing himself with stones. He saw Jesus whenhe was
still a long wayaway, and he ran and knelt before him. "What," he said,
"have you and I to do with eachother, Jesus, you son of the most high God?
In God's name, I adjure you, do not torture me!" For Jesus had been saying
to him, "Uncleanspirit, come out of the man!" "What is your name?" he
askedhim. "Legionis my name," he said, "for we are many." And he kept
begging Jesus with many an entreaty not to send them out of the country. Now
a greatherd of swine was feeding on the mountain-side. "Sendus into the
Swine," they urged him, "that we may go into them." And Jesus permitted
them to go into them. And the unclean spirits came out and entered into the
swine and the herd--there were about two thousand of them--rushed down the
precipice into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.
Here is a vivid and rather eerie story. It is the kind of story in which we have
to do our best to read betweenthe lines, because it is thinking and speaking in
terms quite familiar to people in Palestine in the days of Jesus but quite alien
to us.
If this is to be takenin close connectionwith what goes before--andthat is
Mark's intention--it must have happened late in the evening or even when the
night had fallen. The story becomes allthe more weird and frightening when
it is seenas happening in the shadows ofthe night.
Mark 5:35 tells us that it was late in the evening when Jesus and his friends
setsail. 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. Theyhad made
the journey and, on the way, they had encounteredthe storm, and now had
reachedland. It was a part of the lake-side where there were many caves in
the limestone rock, and many of these caves were usedas 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.
Out of the tombs there came a demon-possessedman. 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 thatthe
demons were speciallyactive. To sleepalone in an empty house at night was
dangerous;to greetany 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.
How completely this man felt himself to be possessedis seenin his wayof
speaking. Sometimes he uses the singular, as if he himself was speaking;
sometimes he uses the plural, as if all the demons in him were speaking. He
was so convinced that the demons were in him, that he felt they were speaking
through him. When askedhis name he said his name was Legion. There were
probably two reasons forthat.
A legion was a Roman regiment of 6,000 troops. Verylikely the man had seen
one of these Roman regiments clanking along the road, and he felt that there
was a whole battalion of demons inside him. In any event the Jews believed
that no man would survive if he realized the number of demons with which he
was surrounded. They were "like the earth that is thrown up around a bed
that is sown." There were a thousand at a man's right hand and ten thousand
at his left. The queen of the female spirits had no fewerthan 180,000
followers. There was a Jewishsaying, "A legion of hurtful spirits is on the
watchfor men, saying, 'When shall he fall into the hands of one of these things
and be taken?'" No doubt this wretchedman knew all about this, and his
poor, wandering mind was certainthat a mass of those demons had takenup
their residence in him.
Further, Palestine was anoccupiedcountry. The legions, attheir wildest and
most irresponsible, could sometimes be guilty of atrocities that would make
the blood run cold. It may well be that this man had seen, perhaps even
witnessedhis loved ones suffer from, the murder and rapine that could

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