What Jesus Did

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."

—Mark 5:18-19 NLT

Key Thought​

"Go... tell... everything the LORD has done for you and how merciful he has been." What Jesus said is not a command just to the man freed from the demons, but also a command to us! God is merciful! God has saved us through...

 

[After Jesus cast the evil spirits out of the man and into the pigs,] those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

—Mark 5:16-17 NLT

Key Thought​

Most folks are afraid of change. Many are also afraid of anyone who has the power to change them. Because the crowd couldn't explain how Jesus had power over a legion of demons possessing a man, they were afraid and...

 

So Jesus gave [the evil spirits] permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about ### pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

—Mark 5:13 NLT

Key Thought​

The evil spirits begged Jesus to grant them their request, [1] so Jesus gave them permission. He had, and still has, power over the world of evil spirits. In fact, his death and resurrection have made that power over Satan and his legions...

 

[After Jesus cast the evil spirits out of the man and into the pigs, the] herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.

—Mark 5:14-15 NLT

Key Thought​

Let's be honest. Most people don't believe that...

 

Then the evil spirits begged [Jesus] again and again not to send them to some distant place.
There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. "Send us into those pigs," the spirits begged. "Let us enter them."

—Mark 5:10-12 NLT

Key Thought​

"The evil spirits begged!" While the evil spirits overpowered the man and struck fear in the people who lived nearby, they begged Jesus! They knew they were doomed in the face of Jesus' power. Rather than face...

 

Then Jesus demanded, "What is your name?"
And [the evil spirit] replied, "My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man."

—Mark 5:9 NLT

Key Thought​

Today, because of all the e-commerce and the widespread use of credit and debit cards and various types of electronic payment, identity theft has become a huge concern. People find our key identification information and then take over "our identity" to steal our money by buying things in our names. Satan...

 

While Jesus was far away, the man [possessed by an evil spirit] saw him. The man ran to Jesus and bowed down before him. Jesus said to the man, "You evil spirit, come out of that man." So the man shouted with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you to promise to God that you will not punish me!"

—Mark 5:6-8 NLT

Key Thought​

In the Gospel of Mark, we learn that the evil spirits knew Jesus' true identity. They feared Jesus and knew he...

 

This man [who was possessed by evil spirits] lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles — as he often was — he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

—Mark 5:3-5 NLT

Key Thought​

So often, the power and influence of the...

 

So [Jesus and the disciples] arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.

—Mark 5:1-2 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus was taking his disciples to new places. The particular new place in this event they shared with Jesus was strange. The strangeness had to do with what they would experience — an encounter with a demon-possessed man. Adding to this...

 

[After Jesus calmed the storm,] he asked [the disciples], "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!"

—Mark 4:40-41 NLT

Key Thought​

"Who is this man?" Ah! That's the real question we need to be asking. He is more than a man, but he was fully human. He is preexistent and created all things, yet was hung on a tree that he made and killed by...