Come out of this man, you evil spirit! (Mark 5a note)

 

Mark 5:1-20
Key Verse: 5:8 – “For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

 

Introduction: In many parts of the world, evil spirits are endemic. There are organized forms of satanic forces over many different parts of this world. We know that this world is under the control of evil forces. The chief among these is Satan, who has led man astray from the time of creation. After the Fall, God promised that the woman’s offspring would crush Satan’s head; Jesus was that offspring. Therefore, Jesus had to face satanic forces in one way or another.

 

Here, in the Gentile region of Decapolis, Jesus encountered evil spirits that had taken control of a man’s life. He drove out all of the evil spirits from inside of this man. Thus, he demonstrated his authority and power over evil spirits overall. Even though there were many, and even though they were powerful, Jesus, in his authority, drove them out completely.

 

Additionally, through this act, Jesus demonstrated his strong will and determination to rescue mankind from all evil spirits. As we go through this passage, we can learn three things: Jesus’ authority and power over evil spirits, the nature of evil spirits, and Jesus’ will to free men from their bondage to Satan.

 

A. A man was possessed by an evil spirit (1-5)

The night before this, Jesus and his disciples had faced rough water crossing the Sea of Galilee. The disciples felt that they were about to be drowned, but Jesus rebuked the wind, causing it to die down immediately. This was a very scary moment for the disciples, but that squall might not have been a coincidence. If satanic forces were on the other side of the lake shore, then it might have been the work of an evil spirit that tried to deter Jesus from coming to the region of the Gerasenes.

 

This was a Gentile area, where evil spirits were common and held a strong influence over its inhabitants. Where God is not honored, all kinds of evil spirits take over people’s lives. When Paul went to Athens, he was appalled by the presence of so many idols. It aroused repugnant feelings in those who honor God Almighty. In many parts of the world, ungodly lifestyles are so well-tuned into their daily living that they seldom recognized the evil spirits’ existence. This is how life might have been here in the Gerasenes.

 

As soon as Jesus landed on the lake shore, he saw a man who had been possessed by evil spirits. What was he like? He lived in the tombs, which were a series of dug out caves where dead bodies were laid. Who would live in such an eerie place? However, to this man, this was a more comfortable place than ordinary homes with families. In other words, in this man’s view, death was more familiar than a life filled with liveliness.

 

How can a man prefer death to life? To the ordinary, this is beyond comprehension, but to such a man, death exists more intimately. People could no longer control him, even with chains. He was violent and could not abide by societal norms. He could not have meaningful conversations or discussions with others. Uncontrollable forces were inside of him, defying all of the societal rules, ethics, and norms. He was in agony and torment. 

 

 “Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” (Mark 5:5).

 

How should we characterize this man? He was possessed by evil spirits that had control over him. His life was being destroyed and he was in great distress and torment. Certainly, there was no meaning and purpose in his life. How could this happen to him? We can conjecture many reasons, but one thing is clear: evil spirits had taken complete control over his life.

 

In this man, we can see the full effect of these evil spirits. They are against life and favor death; they destroy a person and control their life so that no trace of meaning and purpose of life remains. As with the townspeople, we would also feel helpless if we were confronted with such a man as this.

 

Since men first sinned against God, He lowered them below angels. We, as men, are helpless under the power and raging authority of satanic forces, who serve as Satan’s foremen, and other evil spirits. Fear is what we experience as we face such beings.

 

B. Come out of this man! (6-17)

How did Jesus handle this?

 

 “For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" (Mark 5:8).

 

Right at the moment of this encounter, long before any exchange between Jesus and the man occurred, Jesus gave the evil spirit an order; he recognized the evil spirits and commanded them to come out of this man. Here, he demonstrated his authority and power over evil spirits. He would not tolerate or put up with evil spirits at all. He gave a stern command and demanded immediate obedience. What was this man’s response?

 

“When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"” (Mark 5:6-7).

 

The evil spirits knew Jesus as the Son of God, and pleaded with Jesus not to torture them —which pertains to judgment and punishment; they knew what they deserved. However, they had their own request, not willing to give up so easily. How did Jesus handle this? He asked the man’s name. This revealed the identity of the evil spirits. Their name was Legion, meaning a force of about six thousand evil spirits. They begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the region, which was Satan’s domain. 

 

In this world, evil spirits are strong, especially in those areas where God is not honored. In India, there are thousands of gods. In China, Buddhism is the main religion. In the jungles of Thailand, many tribal religions worship all kinds of objects. In these countries and many others, evil spirits  make perfect harmony with the native people and cultures. This can be seen in many American subcultures as well. What is the hallmark of such a culture? It is godlessness.

 

When we say ‘godlessness,’ this does not mean that they had no gods. Rather, it means that they rejected, or were unaware of the one and only God, the creator of heaven and the earth. More specifically, godlessness means rejection of the God of the Bible. In such an environment, people are open to all kinds of evil forces, particularly worshipping many idols. In this possessed man, we can plainly see the unfettered expression of these evil forces. Evil spirits grip people’s minds in fear and judgment and forces them to worship idols.

 

“[in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient].” (Ephesians 2:2).

 

We pray that God may send many missionaries to every part of the world. In looking ahead to enter such godless cultures, Jesus’ power and authority over evil spirits is important. Not only must one believe that Jesus, as our Lord, has authority over all evil spirits, but also they must claim that he may exert and display such authority by driving those evil spirits out of people’s lives.

 

Despite Jesus’ stern command, the evil spirits came forward and tenaciously begged him again and again, until he permitted them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. With Jesus’ permission, the evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, causing them to rush down the bank and drown. In this way, the evil spirits that tortured the man also killed two thousand pigs.

 

Here, I would like for us to think about two things: Why did Jesus give them permission to enter the pigs? It was to save this man. The effect of such powerful evil forces was very destructive and detrimental; in order to save him, Jesus was willing to do anything. Two thousand pigs were of little significance regarding heavenly business, even though it might mean the loss of a great fortune for the people of that town. Of first and foremost importance was to release this man from his slavery to these evil spirits.

 

Second, what was the reason for the evil spirits’ desire to enter the herd of pigs? As soon as it was permitted, they entered into the two thousand pigs and rushed them down the bank, where they drowned.

 

This was a scary scene. The sudden death of so many pigs was terrifying. These pigs, which minutes before had been idling in the field, had all now died in the water, and their bodies were floating all over. This was the work of the evil spirits. It was marked by fear and the threat of death. This was also the work of Satan. 

 

However, since the evil spirits could not be seen, it looked as if it was Jesus’ doing. There was the formerly possessed man in his right mind, there was Jesus who had talked to this man, and there was the sudden rushing of the two thousand pigs. In this way, the evil spirits captured the minds of the townspeople with the fear of death. In addition to this, they bore an enormous loss to their fortune. The evil spirits got what they wanted - to remain in that area and capture the minds of the people with the fear of death. In such fear, they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. To them, he was a stranger and brought unfamiliar powers. They failed to see the work of God Almighty. It looked as if it was a very unhappy ending for them.

 

C. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you (18-20)

 

“As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."” (Mark 5:18-19).

 

However, there was one man in his right mind. There was only one man among the rest of the townspeople who was right with God. He was the only one who was free from the fear of death. One man was truly free from the evil spirits. In this man’s life, two things were clear: how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. In him, God’s power was living, and he was a witness of His grace and authority over all evil spirits. This living witness would continue throughout his life. Through this one man, a true light shone in that region.

 

Seeing the overwhelming forces of evil in today’s society, we may often wonder where to start and how to untangle the mess they’ve created. We can start with one man and must focus on him. We must believe in Jesus’ power and authority over all evil forces. We must plead for and claim his power to drive away evil spirits. Even if the whole of society was taken over by evil forces, God’s work  of renewing even just one man in His godly spirit shall not fail.