What Great Things the Lord Has Done: Mark 5:1-20

One of the strongest arguments that Mark’s Gospel was written first, and that Luke and Matthew may have borrowed from him, is that when a story is found in two or three of these gospels, even though Mark is significantly shorter, it is nonetheless more detailed in its telling of the story. That is certainly the case here, with this account being nearly three times as long in Mark as it is Matthew. The details are near cinematic, though certainly, if it were a film, it would have to be rated R at least. Were Mark’s account of this episode to play out on the silver screen, there would be strong language, graphic violence, horrific terror, and disturbing indecency. But it is not a tragedy, though it starts out that way, for it has a happy ending. Truly the primary character in the story experiences the merciful compassion of Jesus, and is able to testify that Jesus had done great things for him, to the amazement of all who heard. But before that ending unfolds, the plot passes through three acts. In the first we see the destructive strategy of Satan. In the second we see the corrupted reasoning of man. And in the final act we see the merciful plan of God.

I. The destructive strategy of Satan (1-9)

We are told in this passage that when the boat reached the Eastern side of the sea of Galilee, immediately (Mark’s favorite word) Jesus was met by a man with an unclean spirit. Indeed, we find in v9 that the man is not inhabited by one unclean spirit, but rather by a Legion, saying, “for we are many.” The word “Legion” was used to describe a Roman military regimen ranging in size from 4,000 to 6,000 infantrymen, plus 120 horsemen. While it is not incumbent upon us to believe there were that many demons inhabiting the man, neither can we rule out that it was this many or more. Suffice to say that here is a man who is possessed by a vast multitude of demons. He is not the only case of “multiple possession” we encounter in the New Testament. Mary Magdalene is described as one from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. Yet in this instance, it seems we encounter demon-possession in its most grotesque and extreme form.

Now it seems foolish to some for us to talk about the effects of being inhabited by 6,000 demons, when they doubt the possibility of being possessed by even one. An article in the 1910 edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica said, “Science has explained so many processes of outer nature and of the inner life of man that there is no room left for Satan.”[1] Well, if that is how the Western mind thought nearly a century ago, how much more have we explained away these dark episodes of the supernatural realm today? However, we must not be too hasty in light of the unequivocal testimonies of Christians around the world who claim to have seen these things first hand.

Clay Coursey, a retired missionary whom I know and with whom I worked in 1997. Clay is not a fanatic. He is a well-educated, reasonable, and theologically sound man who, with his wife Pat, invested 30 years of life in Kenya. Clay once told The Commission magazine of one occurrence which took place just months after he arrived in Kenya in 1970. “A man we were witnessing to fell down, writhing and foaming at the mouth.” When the Kenyan pastors began praying and asking his name, “they were answered by an unearthly voice. That went on for 45 minutes, and when they commanded the demon to leave, something that looked like a green liquid came out of his mouth; then the man relaxed, stood up and praised the Lord.” Coursey said, “I … accept what the Bible teaches over everything – including my own ideas and even though I may not understand it all. … I don’t understand demons, but neither do I think Jesus was just accommodating local beliefs when He cast them out. In the United States perhaps we’ve educated ourselves beyond a belief in such things.”[2]

G. Campbell Morgan made the same point about England 80 years ago when he wrote, “Admitting … for the sake of argument that we have no such manifestations in our own land as those which the Gospels describe, the question arises as to whether this also is not a method of Satan. … In such places he has girded himself as an angel of light, seducing men by evil spirits that come to them, as if they were spirits of God.”[3] Just because we don’t see possession taking place in the form of what we see in Mark 5 does not mean that Satan and his demons are not at work deceiving humanity and warring against God in the world today. He does not need you to believe in him for him to be real and at work.

Jesus said that Satan is a thief who is out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), saying also that Satan desired to sift Peter as wheat (Lk 22:31). Peter says that he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). Morgan writes that demons are always intent to find an instrument through which they may carry out these purposes. When in the New Testament do you read of a spirit possessing a person for good, other than the Spirit of God who comes to dwell inside a person’s life at conversion? When unclean spirits, or demons, inhabit a person, it is never for their enlightnenment, healing, or uplifting. It is always for destruction.[4] And if that is the purpose when one demon inhabits a person, what more when thousands take over? Therefore this man’s extreme condition serves to illustrate to us the destructive strategies of Satan and his demons.

Notice that the man had been dwelling among the tombs (vv2-3). Society had given up on him and cast him out to dwell in the burial caves of the hills in isolation. What did God say when He created man and placed him in the garden? He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen 2:18). That is the first thing we read in the Bible which is described as “not good.” We were not created to be Lone Rangers, and we must always remember that even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Alone, a human being goes unchecked by accountability, unrestrained by positive influence. In this case, by isolating the man, the forces of evil are able to take complete control over him.

You see also that the demons had driven this man to an uncontrollable state (vv3-4). In the past, others had tried to restrain him with shackles and chains, but they were no longer able to do so. The demonic powers within him gave him a supernatural strength to tear apart the chains and snap the shackles into pieces so that no one could subdue him. The wording there in verse 4 is used elsewhere to describe the taming of a wild animal. It is possible to capture a wild animal, and through training and reinforcement, tame that animal into subjection. But all such efforts were vain toward this man. He was uncontrollable.

And then notice that he is robbed of his dignity (v5). His ceaseless activity was running through the mountains and tombs screaming. Luke tells us that this man had not put on any clothing for a long time (Lk 8:27). Naked, screaming, wandering aimlessly in the hills and caves, this man was a social outcast of the highest order.

Finally notice that the demons are bent on destruction. First, we see that he was gashing himself with stones, presumably in an attempt to end the reckless and miserable existence of his living hell. Matthew tells us in his account that this man was so violent that no one could pass by his way. The destruction of human life is a high priority for Satan and his demons, for human life is something precious to God, bearing His very image. Since Satan is powerless to strike God directly, he and his demons seek to go after that which God loves by destroying His image in humanity.

The man is literally a walking pandemonium. That word pandemonium consists of three parts – the suffix ium describes a locale; demon you recognize; and the prefix pan means “all.” So a pandemonium is the locus of all demonic activity – and here within this man a vast army of militant spirits is working in concert to carry out the destructive strategy of Satan. Eugene Lowry summarized the man’s condition in the first person, saying, “I feel like 6,000 soldiers inside of me … sometimes they all march left, sometimes right … sometimes in all different directions. I’m pulled one way, then another. There’s an army inside me, and I think I’m losing the war.” Internally, the man is so conflicted that at the first glimpse of Jesus, he runs to Him and prostrates himself low before Him, but the demons will not easily relinquish their grip.

It is a pitiful sight. But we must be careful not to see such an extreme case as the only one in need of divine deliverance. The merciful intervention of Christ is not only needed by the derelicts and frothing lunatics of society. We must see ourselves in this man. We are just as battered and tormented, though we tend to make a better show of it. Rather than running naked, we cover our scars with fine clothing. Rather than living among the tombs, we live in well-kept homes. Rather than screaming incoherently, we cover our anguish in smooth vocabulary, diagnostic labels, and the like. We do not have to be possessed by an army of demons to fall prey to Satan’s destructive strategy. Every one of us needs to run to Jesus as He lands on the shores of our lives.[5] Only through Him can we find the grace and mercy needed to restore us to the life God intends for us.

How vividly is the picture painted of the destructive strategy of Satan, but I want to point out now another great tragedy in this account …

II. The Corrupted Reasoning of Man (10-17)

The demons knew who Jesus was. When they call him “Jesus, Son of the Most High God,” they use the most significant Christological title we have seen thus far in Mark’s Gospel. They knew that they could not do battle with Him, and soon this man would be liberated of their control by the authoritative decree of Jesus. And so, for reasons we are not told here, they began imploring Jesus not to send them out of the country. In Matthew, we read that they said, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” This tells us that they knew there was fixed a day in which they would experience a full and final judgment. Luke tells us that they were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. So, they also knew that their destiny was in that eternal place of torment – Hell. These were undeniable and inescapable facts. So they implored Jesus to send them into the swine which were feeding nearby on the mountain. And Jesus granted their request.

No one can read this without wondering why Jesus granted this. And unfortunately, we are not told specifically. Any attempt to explain His purposes here would be only speculation. But we must not conclude that He had no reason at all, for I can think of at least three possible reasons why He would let the demons inhabit the swine. Much has been made over the issue of the biblical uncleanness of pigs in dealing with this passage, but I think those discussions are futile for us, because this takes place in a Gentile territory. But other possible explanations exist. First, might Jesus have allowed this to happen in order to demonstrate that the demons had left the man? The sudden and immediate plunge of the swine into the sea, simultaneous with the instant restoration of the man would testify to the crowd that a miracle had just taken place. Second, perhaps this was to demonstrate that the man himself was not responsible for all the chaos and destruction with which he had been associated, but rather the demons were. That would have been evident in that, no sooner than they ceased destroying him, they destroyed the pigs. Third, perhaps Jesus intended to demonstrate the superior value of human life in light of the presence of the image of God in man.

We don’t want to think of Jesus as being the effective cause of the destruction of 2,000 pigs. We like pigs – Porky, Miss Piggy, Babe. They’re cute. And they’re good for a lot of things: bacon, sausage, barbecue. But, is this not the same Jesus who said that God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground? Indeed. But His point about the sparrows is that if God knows and cares about sparrows, which aren’t worth a half a cent to humanity, then how much more does He care for us, since we are “more valuable than many sparrows” (Matt 10:29-31). So from Jesus’ perspective, the life of this deranged man is of infinitely greater value than the lives of 2,000 pigs. Ah, but here is the rub – and here is where we see the corrupted reasoning of man.

When the demons caused these 2,000 pigs to plunge themselves to their deaths in the sea, the herdsmen ran away to report the matter in the city and the country. And a multitude of people came back to see for themselves. Now, when they saw the man there, seated, clothed, in his right mind, they became frightened. We’ve seen this reaction to Jesus before, even among his own disciples. But when they began to hear how it all took place in v16, something happened within them. Notice that v16 says that they were told, not only about the man, but also about the pigs. And when the matter of the pigs came to rest in their ears, what did they do? Verse 17 says they began to implore Him to leave their region.

People don’t mind a little religion, as long as it doesn’t start interfering with their lifestyles or their profit margins. We see this in Acts on two occasions. In Philippi in Acts 16, when Paul cast a demon out of a slavegirl who had been making big bucks for her masters as a pseudo-psychic, the Bible says they “saw that their hope of profit was gone,” and they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities. Again in Ephesus in Acts 19, when people were abandoning idolatry and turning to Jesus, a silversmith named Demetrius gathered together the other craftsmen of the town for a meeting. They had been getting rich off of the sale of idols, and Paul’s preaching was bad for business, and they started a riot!

You know, the folks across the street at the Players’ Club don’t mind us being here. We don’t bother them at all. It is not a problem for them if we preach the gospel and sing our little songs and do our thing here on Sundays and Wednesdays. But, if their clientele, or their employees, start getting right with God and turn away from that place, we will have their undivided attention. Drug dealers around here don’t mind what we do. But when their customers begin to be transformed by the power of the gospel we preach, then it will be a different matter altogether. Folks in the country of the Gerasenes don’t mind if Jesus wants to come and do a little preaching and cast out a demon or two. But when He starts shutting down the pork industry, He’s got to go.

You see their corrupted reasoning – they would rather deal with the demoniac. Oh sure, he’s a bit of a nuisance, but business is good (and for there to be 2,000 pigs on that mountain, business had to be good). But you bring someone in who has the power to turn all that around, and it doesn’t matter how good it is for the man released from his torment – it’s bad for business, and we can’t have that.

Perhaps you saw the film, “Amazing Grace,” recently which chronicled the efforts of William Wilberforce to abolish slavery in England. Wilberforce was driven by Christian conviction to rid his nation of a great injustice, and God gave him victory. Much slower was the change in America – and it was not brought about so much by spiritual conviction as by the bloodshed of the Civil War. You have heard of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but you have probably never heard of her husband Calvin Stowe. When she was touring through England, her husband, being a professor of religious studies, was invited to speak to a large crowd gathered for the observance of Anti-Slavery Day. That crowd was a little taken aback when Calvin Stowe called them all hypocrites. They were so proud that they had rid their country of slavery, but gave no thought to the fact that eighty percent of the cotton picked by slaves in the southern United States was being purchased by England. Stowe told them that an English boycott of American cotton would go far in ridding America of slavery. He said, “Are you willing to sacrifice one penny of your profits to do away with slavery?” And at that the crowd booed him.

Which is more valuable to God – the life of one human being, or the lives of 2,000 pigs? We see very plainly here that the human life is of much greater value to God. But which is more valuable to the people of the land? Obviously, they have much more concern for the pigs than for the man. We see this still today in our own land. The leading voices of the animal rights movement are some of the same figures leading the charge of the pro-abortion movement. For these, the images of an abused dog evoke more compassion than the image of a dismembered fetus. The devaluing of human life, the prioritizing of profit-making, and the total disregard for the things of God demonstrate now as much as then the corrupted reasoning of man.

Isaiah 65 gives us a prophetic glimpse through seven centuries to this scene which is unfolding before us here. Look at Isaiah 65:1-5a &.

¹ "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name. ² "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, ³ A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; ⁴ Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. ⁵ "Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me.’”

People cry out today saying they want to see Christ manifested among us in our own day, but are we ready? Are we willing to endure the cost of such a manifestation? Do we even realize what it might mean for each of us? Jesus has gone from preachin’ to meddlin’, and for that, the corrupted reasoning of man says that He must leave.

Now I said that this story is not a tragedy, though it has two very tragic acts in it. We must come to the ending to see the silver lining in these dark clouds, when we see …

III. The Merciful Plan of God (15-20)

What can God do with a man driven by an army of demons to the lunatic fringe? He can do great things! This man has been transformed from derelict to disciple according to the merciful plan of God.

Notice first his transformed position: He is seated at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind. When was the last time any of these things could be said of him? Could anyone recall a day when he wasn’t running to and fro, screaming and gashing his naked body, tearing apart the fetters that bound him? What no chains or shackles could do, Christ did by the authority of His word. He settled this man into His right mind and brought His life into accord with God’s merciful plan. Now we find him in the position of a true disciple – seated in the presence of His Savior.

Notice also that the plan of God for this man includes transformed desires. Before, he had been bent on destruction. Now, verse 18 tells us he only wants to be with Jesus. Perhaps he feared that the demons would return or that the people would retaliate. So he implored Jesus that he might go with Him. God has placed into this man’s heart the unquenchable desire for the presence of Christ. That desire overrides all others. Though it would mean that he must forsake all that is comfortable and familiar to him, he would gladly depart if it meant he could enjoy uninterrupted fellowship with Christ. This is the desire of a true disciple. Whatever the cost, we would gladly suffer it to be with Him.

Now the response of Jesus here is surprising. I want you to focus on the repetition of the word that the NASB translates implore in this chapter. The English word varies in other English translations, but the underlying Greek is the same throughout. In v12, the demons implored Jesus that they might inhabit the pigs. A strange request, and one we must confess ignorance about to some degree, nonetheless Jesus granted it. In v17, the crowd of people implored Jesus to leave their region. And He granted their request. But here, this man, with perhaps the purest intentions, implored Jesus to take him with Him, and what did Jesus say? He did not let him (v19). Does that throw you for a loop, that Jesus here grants the requests of demons and pagans, but not this man whose life has been so radically transformed? Why would Jesus respond this way? Because, in addition to a transformed position, and transformed desires, in the merciful plan of God, Jesus has given him a transformed responsibility.

He tells the man, “Go home to your people.” How long had it been since they had seen him? Would they even recognize him? Would they be afraid of him? But Jesus says to go and “report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how He had mercy on you.” This is the responsibility of a true disciple – to go and tell what the Lord has done. The region might rid themselves of the personal presence of Christ, but there is an abiding testimony of His saving grace left behind in this man, who went to the Decapolis – ten different cities – and proclaimed the glory of Christ to the amazement of all who heard him.

Think about that for a moment: What would it be like if Jesus were among us today? He could only be in one place at any one time preaching the good news of salvation. But in His departing from us, and transforming us through the renovation of life that takes place as His Spirit comes to dwell within us, He has made the testimonies of His glory abound. And now there is a testimony for Christ everywhere a transformed life is found. You go and tell what great things the Lord has done for you, and you go and tell, and you go and tell, and you go and tell, and what He’s done for you, He will do for others, and lives will be changed as He delivers people from their bondage and implements His merciful plan in their lives.

Has the Lord done great things for you? Have you gone and told? That is our call to commitment today. If you have never experienced the life-changing mercy and grace of God in your life, then you can today as He offers you forgiveness of your sins, freedom from your bondage, and eternal life through His death and resurrection. Will you receive Him, or will you implore Him to leave you alone? Our prayer today is that if you don’t know Him, you will call on Him to do for you what He has done for this man, and for me, and for many others here in the room today. Let Him be Lord and Savior of your life.

And for those of you who have been transformed by His mercy and grace, go and tell. Go to your homes, go into the city, go into ten cities, and declare the great things that Jesus has done for you, that all may hear, and all may know, and all may likewise put their trust in the God of our salvation.

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[1] John P. Newport, Demons, Demons, Demons (Nashville: Broadman, 1972), 14.

[2] Craig Bird, “Spiritual Warfare: Reflections from Kenya.” The Commission, February-March, 1991, p28.

[3] G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1927), 118

[4] Morgan, 115.

[5] David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 216.