This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.”
Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share be sharing with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Read Mark 5:1-20
Today we look at an encounter Jesus had with a demon-possessed man. This story is a bit long. I will do my best to summarize it.
After Jesus spoke to the storm (from yesterday’s message), He and the disciples arrived in the land of Gad. When Jesus got out of the boat, a demon-possessed man emerged from the tombs to meet Him. This was like a scene out of a modern movie. The man was in His element. He was possessed by a legion of demons, and He roamed around in a cemetery day and night, crying out and cutting himself with stones. Whenever a group of men garnered the courage to attempt to subdue him, they would bind him with chains, only to have the demon-possessed man break through the chains with the supernatural power of darkness.
This man, full of demons, ran and bowed down before Jesus. He shouted at the top of his lungs and said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, in God’s name, not to punish me!” No one told this man who Jesus was. He properly identified the Messiah’s natural name (Jesus) and supernatural position (Son of the Most High God). This was a revelation that came from the kingdom of darkness. Jesus looked past the erratic behavior, the outward façade, and the awkward declaration long enough to see a man who needed deliverance.
Jesus cut to the chase and spoke to the demon(s). He said, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit! What is your name?” And like something out of a horror film, a voice from inside the man said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” But the demons knew they were no match for the power of God in Jesus. So, they begged Jesus to send them into a nearby herd of swine. Jesus granted their request, and the evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. The herd of pigs then ran down a hill into a lake. There were about 2,000 pigs in that herd, and they all drowned. That gives you an idea of how many demons were in the man and how much he must have been tormented day and night.
The people tending to the pigs ran off to report the event in town. The members of the town quickly gathered and asked Jesus to leave. But then there was this man, the man that no one understood, the man that no one could restrain, the man people thought was crazy, and he was now clothed in his right mind. A legion of demons had tormented the man, and he was now free. As Jesus was preparing to get into the boat, the newly freed man begged to go with Him. But Jesus said, “Go home to your family and friends. Tell them what the Lord did for you today. Tell them how the Lord was good to you.” So the man left and told the people in the Ten Towns about the great things the Lord did for him. Everyone was amazed.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. The devil and his demons are real – we have a real enemy.
Jesus had many encounters with demons and demonic forces. The encounter He had in the text, in the land of Gad, with a legion of demons, illustrates the reality of the spiritual realm. The demons in the story were not just figments of the man’s imagination. They were not fictional characters in a novel. This really happened. Real demons possessed the man, and a real God delivered him.
For whatever reason, I always run into people who say things like, “I don’t believe in the devil. I don’t believe in demons. I don’t believe in hell. Now I believe in God, and I believe in heaven, but I don’t believe in that stuff.” I don’t know what Bible they are reading because while our God is real, we also have a real enemy. The good news is that he is a defeated foe. Satan has power. Let’s not mistake that. The kingdom of darkness has real power. But the kingdom of light has more power.
The Bible teaches us not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes (2 Cor 2:11). We must understand our enemy to experience victory over him. But if you ignore the enemy, foolishly convincing yourself that he does not exist, you set yourself up for failure.
2. God will go to great lengths to meet you where you are.
I’ve already shared the context, but I will give you a quick recap. Jesus has been teaching all day. He taught several parables to a large crowd of people. Then, all of a sudden, Jesus was prompted by the Holy Spirit to leave the crowd behind him to get into a boat. He got into the boat and told his disciples to also get on board. They were going to the other side.
Along the way, we know they encountered a terrible storm. But we find out this morning why they were going to the other side. Jesus and His were only in the land of Gad for a short time. He only went there to do what the Father sent Him to do. Once they did it, He and His team got back onto the boat and returned to the other side, where the crowd was still waiting for them.
So what was so important that the Father would interrupt Jesus’s ministry with a crowd to take a detour, get into a boat, endure a storm, go across a body of water, do one thing, and then come back? It was one man. This man was possessed by a legion of demons.
My point is that God will go out of his way for just one man. One woman. Just for you. The Father sent Jesus on a detour, and the crowd waited while Jesus was gone because Jesus had to do one thing. He had to go minister to one person. That’s how much love God has for us. That’s how much compassion God exhibits towards us. God will send someone to take a detour and interrupt someone’s day to go out of their way to bless you.
I remember reading about how Smith Wigglesworth, back before we had the modern mode of transportation, would be prompted by the Holy Spirit to go to another town. He would take a train or whatever he could get on to go to that town, sit wherever the Holy Spirit told him to sit, and wait for whoever the Holy Spirit told him that he was there for. He would find that person, pray for them, and then leave. He would have to go all the way back home knowing that God sent him on a journey to minister to one person. That’s the kind of love and compassion God has for us.
3. No power compares to the power of God.
A legion of demons was no match for Jesus. Jesus simply spoke a few words, and 2,000 demons were cast out of a man. Don’t ever let the devil trick you into thinking it is a fair fight. The power of darkness is no match for the power of God.
4. The power Jesus operated in (clear power over satan and the kingdom of darkness) has been given to you.
One time Jesus sent out a group of His followers to minister to the bound. When the 72 followers came back from their trip, they were very happy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!” Jesus answered, “I saw satan falling like lightning from the sky. He is the enemy, but know that I have given you more power than he has. I have given you power to crush his snakes and scorpions under your feet. Nothing will hurt you. Yes, even the spirits obey you.” (see Luke 10:17-20).
The story of Jesus delivering a legion of demons out of a man reminds us of our authority as believers in Jesus. We are authorized to operate in His name. We have been deputized and empowered. Jesus has given us authority and power (the badge and the gun). We have the authority to use His name and the power of the Holy Spirit. We can cast out demons and overcome any obstacle in our lives. We must remember to use that authority in Jesus’ name and claim victory over all that comes our way.
5. The transforming power of Jesus – He can change anyone (no human is outside of His reach).
The story of Jesus delivering a legion of demons out of a man is a powerful reminder of the transforming power of Jesus. The man in the story was completely changed by his encounter with Jesus. He was in a situation where no human could help him. He was tormented day and night. Doctors had no solution. Psychologists had no answers. He was bound in a spiritual prison, and only a spiritual power could deliver him. Jesus came, He exhibited that power, and the man was changed forever.
Notice how Jesus did not stop to ask how the demons had entered the man. Jesus did not want to know what the man did to welcome demonic oppression and possession. Jesus did not care about the man’s past. Jesus was not holding his past against him. Jesus went out of His way to minister to this man, to set him free, and to change his life. The man was so transformed that he went to 10 towns to tell his story. He was telling everyone everywhere what Jesus did for him.
I don’t care who you are this morning, and I don’t care what you have done. It doesn’t matter. God loves you, He wants to bless you, and you are not outside His reach! If you are open to it, God will transform your life forever!
6. You should tell your story.
When the man possessed by a legion of demons was delivered, he wanted to go with Jesus. Jesus did not allow him to go, but He did urge the man to tell his story. The man did just that. He left and told the people in the 10 Towns of the region about the great things God had done for him. Guess what? You, too, have a story to tell. You may not wear a clergy collar, you may never stand behind a pulpit, you may not carry a title, and you may not be able to quote scripture, but you have a story to tell. Don’t sit down on your story! God has been too good to you for you to keep it to yourself!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
As I study the miracles of Jesus, my faith is increased!
This year I will experience Your supernatural power like never before.
There is no power like Your power. Nothing and no one compares to You.
You have all power, all authority, and all dominion. Jesus overcame so that I can overcome.
I have been given the authority to operate in the name of Jesus. I have been given the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, no devil, demon, or demonic influence has any power over me.
I plead the Blood and the power of Jesus over my family today, and I give myself over to You, Father, to be used by You to meet the needs of others.
I enter this day with divine authority, supernatural power, and fearless confidence in You! And I am not ashamed of what You have done in my life. I will tell my story everywhere I go!
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
