May 12, 2016

I WAS LOST, NOW FOUND . . . WAS BOUND, NOW FREE . . . WAS SICK, NOW HEALED!

Mark 5:1–20

Jake Horvath
Thursday's Devo

May 12, 2016

Thursday's Devo

May 12, 2016

Central Truth

Jesus is in the business of seeking, serving, and saving. Why? For our good and His glory.

Key Verse | Mark 5:15

And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Mark 5:15)

Mark 5:1–20

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 1 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes And when Jesus 2 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9 had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 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 steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed 3 5:15 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus 4 5:17 Greek him to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Footnotes

[1] 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes
[2] 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9
[3] 5:15 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons
[4] 5:17 Greek him

Dive Deeper | Mark 5:1–20

We have seen that Jesus is divine over the weather, over the spiritual realm, and (SPOILER ALERT) soon we'll see that He holds power over life and health. He can be trusted as the Good Shepherd.

I don't believe that when the demon-possessed man ran and fell at Jesus' feet it was due to clumsiness. It was because every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The demons were not just making factual declarative statements about Jesus, but instead were operating out of fear. Even the demons believe and shudder (James 2:19). Where once there was control and domination over the man possessed, now there is obedience and submission and peace.

I chose this passage because it is my favorite in Scripture. As we  read it, we get to see the transformation of a man enslaved to sin and destined for death become a man who is set free from sin and given a new life. This is the outline of his testimony:

• The demoniac was tormented (verse 5).
• The demoniac meets Jesus (verse 6).
• The formerly demon-possessed man is transformed into a new creation (verse 15).
• The new man proclaims the saving grace of Christ in all the surrounding areas (verse 20).

The herdsmen, on the other hand, were full of fear and begged Jesus to leave the area. Perhaps they reasoned that, if He dealt so severely with evil, He would eventually destroy them, too. Rather than turning to Him in worship, they turned from Him to the darkness they preferred (John 1:11, 3:19).

Oswald Chambers says it this way: “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

If Jesus Christ is not the shepherd of your life and you are weighed down with sin, ask Jesus to set you free. He promises an abundant life (John 10:10).

If Jesus is the shepherd of your life, tell everyone in the surrounding area!

Discussion Questions

1. When was the last time you told someone how Jesus Christ has set you free from sin and given you new life in abundance?

2. Is there any fear you are experiencing in your life that is keeping you from fully trusting in the saving grace of Jesus Christ?

3. Are there any "pigs" in your life that you need to drown?