The Pilgrim Path---Mark 5: 1-20

Please take your Bible and look at the notes on the verses below.

JESUS HEALS A MAN WITH A DEMON:

---v.1---Gerasenes: the People of focus. Gospel endeavors always have an aim. This town, maybe six miles from Capernaum---many natural caves---many natural tombs...

---v. 2---Going out to meet Jesus: The man with the unclean spirit is drawn to the Christ---even though he knows it will mean adversity for the him (the demonic host)

---v. 3---Get that home: the possessed man "lived" in the tombs! Remind your family and friends that eventually the devil and his associates---do not provide the finest living quarters...

---v. 4---Grabbed before: Never held long! That's the story on the demon-possessed man. He cannot even be chained by people...

---v. 5---Grievous torment: This is what the demon-possessed man knows---crying day and night; cutting himself among the tombs! The most terrifying existence for human being: existing as a mere image of a wild-man for demonic deeds...

---v. 6---Gazing at Jesus: This possessed man "runs" to the Living Christ. What an unbelievable sight. He runs and "finds the ground," before Jesus. He bows---he humbles himself---perhaps, level with the ground...WHY not? Legion knows this Person...

---v. 7---"God's Most High Son, Don't Terrorize Me...What have YOU to do with me?"

---v. 8---"Get Out of Him---Vile spirit!" was the directive of the Lord Jesus...

---v. 9---"Give me your name," Jesus said to the demonic host---the leader of the minions replied, "Legion---we are many."

---v. 10---"God-Man"---don't send us out into the country---oh, what begging from the spirits...

---v. 11---Grazing on the hill: great herd of pigs?

---v. 12---"Give us a chance in the pigs," the demons said. "Let us enter them."

---v. 13---"Granted"---was the word from the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave them permission to "take their last ride" in about 2,000 pigs down a steep bank into the sea (My first New Testament Professor, Dr. Yoho, called that the only mention of "deviled-ham" in the Bible).

---v. 14---Go---herdsmen---Go! You bet they ran! After seeing that brief encounter...who could put it into words? They told it---in the city and in the country. And people came to "see" what happened! You bet they did...

---v. 15---Gone are the demons! But more frightening! The crazy man is now sane! How did this happen? AND---our pigs are gone?

---v. 16---Get a Grip: The people that "saw" the whole thing---begin to describe what had occurred---to those who had arrived! They talked about the transformation of the demon-possessed man and the "ride" of the pigs---AND they had to talk about, you know: JESUS...

---v. 17---"Give us the pleasure of your departure"---This was the response of the People to the Lord Jesus Christ. Please leave now...

---v. 18---Getting in the boat: The Lord Jesus was about to leave---and the man that was "delivered" from demons--- begged Jesus that he might "go" with Him...

---v. 19---"Go Home" The Lord Jesus said to the man. "You tell all I've done for you---AND how you've received so much mercy."

---v. 20---Given a Commission from Jesus: The Delivered Man "went away" and told how much the Lord Jesus had done for him. This is a commission all of Jesus' Sons and Daughters receive.

---Some people never care if Jesus comes---the state of Natural Man. If Jesus speaks the truth, they rather naturally oppose it...

---Some people don't mind Jesus coming by---but they don't want anything to change...

---Some people, Jesus having come by, and changed a thing or two---they really want Him to leave (they love things the way they were---they don't want their comfort disturbed)

---Some people---having encountered the Living Christ---demonstrate that their Culture of Sin---is far more important to them---even more important than Jesus...

---Some people---never seem to "see"--- as Henry Ward Beecher used to put it, "the Divine nature," in the people around them. Some folk are simply interested in money and things---never really see souls...God Help Us All...

See--- that the Lord Jesus is almighty to save. When He is ready for His Own, He may set them free---without difficulty. The Holy Spirit cannot be stopped when He is applying the benefits of Christ's redemption (WCF X. 1.). Pray and press on---sharing the Gospel...

Pray for our Nation---the LORD has not left us. He is yet in our midst...

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 darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure;

One little word shall fell him.

Martin Luther (1529)

Grace & Peace in Jesus Our LORD, Pastor Jason