Care Like Jesus

Ryan Holtzclaw

Like Jesus • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Mark 5:1–20

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Read Mark 5:1-20 and Pray

Vs 1. Coming now to chapter 5, Mark informs us that Jesus and His disciples have arrived to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gergesa, which was located in the Decapolis region. Gergesa was an old village near the Sea of Galilee. Today it is named Tiberias. Near the edge of this village there is a steep hill, which is where it’s believed the pigs were cast down into the lake by the demons.

Because there are pigs being raised in this area, it’s also believed that it was a rural farming area. People wouldn’t raise pigs in a town or city, that would be done in the countryside, much like it is today.

Finally, we know the people living in this area were predominately Gentile. That’s because Jews could not touch or eat pork under Jewish Law since pigs were seen as unclean.

So, now that you have a picture of where this encounter took place, let’s get to the encounter.

I. The Condition of The Demoniac (5:2b-5)

1. He was demon possessed (5:2b, 9)

Vs. 2. In verse 2, Mark says, “And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.”

Notice that Mark describes that this man was filled with an “unclean spirit.” This description “unclean spirit” literally means that evil spirits literally lived inside this man. So, Mark is not using a metaphor to describe someone that is crazy or out of their mind, this guy is literally possessed by something very evil.

In the midst of the demoniac’s confrontation with Jesus, we learn that the man is not just possessed by one demon, but multiple demons. Look down at verse 9. “And Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion, for we are many’” (Mk. 5:9, ESV).

Mark’s audience would recognize that “legions” means multiples because the Roman army was broken into 28 legions, with each one numbering 150 thousand men. Now, I’m not suggesting this man was possessed by 150 thousand demons. I believe the name is used figuratively to help Mark’s readers understand that he’s possessed by multiple demons.

2. His Home was in the Grave Yard (5:3a)

“He lived among the tombs” (5:3a, ESV).

He didn’t have a hut, or a cabin, or a mud house. This man lived in the grave yard. He lived in the tombs.

In Luke’s account of this story, not only did the man live in the tombs, but he was also naked. “For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs” (Lk. 8:27b, ESV).

This demoniac man, only had one place where he was accepted, and that was among the dead. So, so he settled in and lived in the tombs where the people buried their dead. During this time period, people placed their loved ones in above ground tombs or caves. For Jews, these places were ceremoniously unclean, so they would only approach them under the most extreme circumstances. So, there’s reason to believe this demon possessed man is a gentile, but that’s really neither here nor there. No matter his ethnicity or nationality, the point is that he’s living in an unclean place because he is possessed by an unclean spirit.

3. He Had Super-Natural Strength (5:3b-4)

“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 he shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him” (5:3b-5, ESV).

In the latter part of verse 3, Mark indicates that in the past people had tried to bind the man up with some kind of handcuffs and chains, but he would break free from them. And it appears as though the man has grown stronger over time because now there isn’t anyone strong enough to hold him down to get the shackles and chains on him. The indication here is that this evil has such a tight grip on this man’s life, that nothing of this world stop him.

4. He Was A Madman (5:5)

“Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones’ (5:5, ESV).

So, now we have the image of him as being naked and bloody from all the cutting. And to make matters worse, he’s running free along the mountains during all hours of the day, crying. John MacArthur describes the man like this, “He is a maniac. He is deranged, he is irrational, he’s dangerous. He is a sub-human, anti-social, [a] sociopath and intensely evil. He’s a monster.”

Even though Mark doesn’t give any indication that he has done harm to others, outside of probably scaring them, I think we would liken this man to fictional characters like Norman Bates, the Joker, or Hannibal Lecter.

In real life, I’d compare him to a Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, or Jeffrey Dahmer. This man was sick and he was under the control of pure evil.

How many of you here today or watching online at home, know of someone who is under the complete control of evil? Now, they may not be demon possessed and they may not run around naked in the mountains crying out and tearing their flesh with a stone, but there are those who are under the complete and total control of sin.

Maybe they are possessed by anger towards God or other people.

Maybe they are under the control of pornography, drugs, or alcohol addiction.

Maybe they are possessed by greed and pride.

Maybe they are under the control of indifference when it comes to knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Maybe they are possessed by a sexual lust for another person, or possessed by the disillusion that having sex before marriage is okay.

Whatever it may be, we must understand that while not everyone is going to find themselves possessed by a demon, there are those who are so possessed by sin that their lives are an absolute mess because of it.

And, there are those who are so possessed by sinning that they are blinded by their sins and cannot see what it is doing to them and they cannot see the One who can save them from it.

II. The Demoniac Encounters Jesus (5:6-13)

There are a few things I want to point out to you about the Demoniac’s encounter with Jesus. First,

1. The demoniac confronts Jesus (Vs. 6a)

The demoniac sees Jesus from afar and he runs toward Him. He confronts Jesus. And this was not an uncommon occurrence.

In Mark 1:21-28 we’re told about the time Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and an demon possessed man confronts Him. Mark writes in verses 23-24, “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us’” (Mk 1:23–24, ESV)?

Later in Mark chapter one, Mark says that while Jesus was at Simon and Andrew’s home the disciples, “brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons” (Mk 1:32–33, ESV).

And In Mark 3, Marks says that “whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God” (Mk 3:11).

2. The demoniac worships Jesus (Vs. 6b)

Common sense tells us that because demons worship Satan and Satan is the enemy of God, then it would only be fitting for Satan’s demons to want to destroy Jesus. But, the opposite is true. In the second part of verse 6, Marks says that when the demon reached Jesus, he “fell down before him.” The word Mark uses to describe this seen is proskuneo, and in the Greek it means to worship, to show respect to someone greater than you.

Recall earlier, in Mark’s description of the demoniac, he told us that the possessed man could not be subdued by shackles, chains, or man. In other words, he could not be controlled. Yet, when he sees Jesus come upon the shore, he immediately runs to Him, falls down, and begins worshiping Him.

3. The demoniac submits to Jesus’s Authority (Vs. 7-13)

Another meaning of the Greek word proskuneo is to submit. When the demoniac collapsed at the feet of Jesus, he was submitting himself to Jesus’s authority over him. This demon knew exactly who Jesus was the moment he saw Him step on shore because Mark tells us that while the demoniac was on his face worshiping Jesus, he cried out, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’” (Mk 5:7, ESV).

The demoniac admits that he knows exactly who Jesus was. We know that demons believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son.

James 2:19 tells us that demons know that God is one, and it terrifies them. Jesus terrified demons, because they knew they were no match for His power. And this one is no different. Look at the latter portion of verse 7. After the demon proclaims who Jesus is, he says, “‘I adjure you by God, do not torment me’” (Mk. 5:7b). The word adjure in the original Greek means to swear. On many occasions when the word torment was used in the New Testament, it described eternal punishment. Therefore, the demoniac is asking Jesus to swear before God that He will not sentence him to eternal punishment. This is not the mindset of a prideful and confident evil spirit. This is the plea of an evil spirit that knows it is in trouble because it is face to face with the living God.

We also know that legion is surrendering to Jesus because it asks Him not to destroy them, but instead send them into the pigs. In verse 13, Mark tells us Jesus’s response, “So he gave them permission” (Mk. 5:13).

Think about it like this. Imagine two nations are at war. One nation is far more powerful than the other. As the greater nation makes it way to the shore for battle, the weaker nation’s top general knows they cannot defend themselves. So, what does he do? The weaker general waits for the powerful nation’s top general to step on shore and he falls to the ground, lays his sword at the feet of the powerful general and says, “We surrender to you.” And that is what is happening here.

Christian or non-Christian, are you possessed by a sin or sins today and no matter what you try to do to free yourself, you simply cannot escape? The man we’ve been talking about this morning could not free himself from legion because it was more powerful than he was. The only One who had the power to free Him was Jesus and that same Jesus can free you today.

So, I want to spend the next few minutes describing the path to freedom to both Christians and non-Christians who are possessed by sin. Before I do, though, there are two things I want to make clear to both the Christian and the non-Christian.

First, though,I need to say to our non-Christian friends here this morning and watching online. For the next few moments I am going to speak to Christians using terms that you may not understand and I pray that you will not become frustrated with me, but that you will allow me that freedom.

Christian brothers and sisters, before we talk about ways to escape sin, there is one thing that must be clear:

Christian, you will always struggle with sin.

Yes, it is true that belief in Jesus as God’s Son and that because of His death on the cross on behalf of us, we are freed from the penalty of sin. But, no where are we promised a sinless life. In fact, it is just the opposite.

Paul writes in Romans 7, “I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Ro 7:14–15, ESV).

When we are saved, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you” (1 Co 3:16, ESV). Now, when we come to know Jesus and the Holy Spirit begins living in us, a major war breaks out between God’s ways and our sinful natures. That war is what Paul is referring to in Romans 7:14-23. If you never carefully read through those verses, I encourage you to do so today. The point I am making is this; when we accept Jesus as Lord, our sinful nature is no longer condemned by God. John 3:36 makes that point clear. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (Jn. 3:36, ESV).

But, we still struggle with sin. And out of respect and honor that God forgave our sins and no longer condemns us, we demonstrate loyalty and worship to Him by ridding our lives of sins. Again, this is a lifetime battle, but it’s one that we face because we know that it pleases the Lord.

With that in mind, what do Christians do to escape sin? Well, there is no quick solution or easy way to escape sin, but thankfully the Bible does give us way to go about doing so.

How do Christians Escape Sin?

1. Study God’s Word, Pray and Repent

In the latter half of Romans 7, Paul makes this claim; “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being . . .” (Rom. 7:22, ESV). Find a devotional book that challenges you to study God’s Word and to seek out the truths found in it. Learn His Word and place it into action in ways that you may never have before or ways that you moved away from doing.

If you are struggling with the sin of lust, go and read the true story of David and Bathsheba. See what happened when David gave into lust. Read his laments in the Psalms. Soak yourself in the consequences of that sin and allow the Holy Spirit to show you what you must do.

If you are struggling with self-worth, go and read about how we are created in God’s image. Find the passages that talk about God’s purpose for your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you toward those purposes.

In an article I read this week in Table Talk Magazine, the writer said, “The way to grow in strength against sin is to feed our relationship with Christ while starving our desires for sin. We feed our relationship with Christ by studying the Bible, filling our minds with biblical truth through prayer, and spending time with the three persons of our God.”

2. Find an Accountability Partner

The beauty of being a part of God’s family is that we are all in this struggle together. This means that we are not in this battle alone. An accountability partner is someone you completely trust to help you in your battle against sin. In this relationship, there is no topic off limits. You are accountable to them and they are accountable to you. Solomon says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17, ESV).

We all need solid accountability in our lives. They may be the person who recommends a Bible study to help you. They will pray with you and they will pray when they are not with you. I know this is a hard commitment to make. Nobody wants to share our struggles with someone else. But, you’ve got to ask yourself what pleases God more? Sharing your life with someone so He can use them to help you or continuing on in sin?

How do non-Christians Escape The Penalty Sin?

Believe the Gospel Message

Marty Holman is a professor of Japanese studies at the University of Missouri. Since his late teens, he was an active member of a religious tradition that emphasized salvation by works and the belief that through obedience, a god-like perfection.

He was always striving to follow every rule by recommitting himself to working hard to do EVERYTHING right.

I would dismiss any misgivings or doubts that arose in my mind, believing that I just needed to grit my teeth.

A few years ago, after returning from Japan from a University of Missouri summer program, Marty started a journey toward despair.

He gained a lot of weight over the year, and began thinking that, he had to get himself healthier physically, mentally and spiritually. His interest with health and fitness had to do with his concerns about mortality. He had been taught to accomplish his goal he had to stop doing “bad stuff” and try harder to do “good things.” He was especially concerned because his wife had been diagnosed with cancer, so he committed himself to exercising and eating better in addition to doing all the right things he thought he was supposed to do.

Part of his exercise regime involved playing racquetball with one of his Japanese language students, Nathan Salmon. They played 5 or 6 days a week and then usually eat lunch together.

Marty considered himself a Christian, and he knew Nathan was a Christian, but he recognized that Nathan spoke of Jesus in ways he didn’t and with an understanding he didn’t have.

As they talked, he realized that he was no further in his “spiritual journey” than where he started when he set out to attempt to accomplish his goals. So, he started thinking about ditching the whole religion thing— because he certainly wouldn’t be any worse if he continued.

He’d never considered the possibility that there was another way to do things, or that he could actually look elsewhere to see if there were other ways to find salvation.

His student and racket ball partner Nathan Christian Christmas Conference in Denver, and Marty was noticing that Nathan was posting on Facebook what he was learning at the conference.

After reading Nathan’s post, Marty decided to check out Scripture, so he began reading in John chapter 6 about large groups of people turning away from Jesus. In the passage, Jesus asks his disciples, “Are you going to turn away too?” And Peter said, “Where would we go, you have the words of eternal life?”

See, Marty was about to give up on religion. He could not find peace and the more he did, the more chaotic things felt. So he came to the conclusion that,

In all of the numberless rules and regulations and formulas he’d been trying to follow and do, the only true way to salvation was in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Religion cannot save you. Being a good person cannot save you. There is nothing you can do to save yourself, and that is what Marty came to realize. He said,

“Although I had prayed many times before, I never prayed the way Christians talked about praying. I knelt down and said, ‘I give up. I surrender my diluted notions that I can save myself and that I can work my way into your grace.’”

No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to save yourself. All you will do is burn out trying. The only way to true salvation and true peace is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.