Extra! Extra!Pork-Bellies Fall Sharply in the Gadarenes

Luke 8:26-39

Maud church of ChristBy: Jim BradshawSunday Morning,June 22, 2014

Pork Bellies Fall Sharply in the GadarenesLuke 8:26-37 NKJV Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. (27) And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. (28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" (29) For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

Pork Bellies Fall Sharply in the GadarenesLuke 8:26-37 continued (30) Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. (31) And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. (32) Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. (33) Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. (34) When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.

Pork Bellies Fall Sharply in the GadarenesLuke 8:26-37 continued (35) Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. (36) They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. (37) Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

The Scene

Gadara was the principle city of the region

1. Jesus and his disciple had just crossed the Sea of Galilee.

2. They had survived a great lailaps (cyclonic storm).

3. Luke’s and Mark’s account say Gadarenes. Matthew says Gergesenes.

4. In the province of the Decapolis there were 10 cities. Gadara was the nearest principle city.

From Capernaum to Gergesa

1 or 2 Demon Possessed Men?Luke 8:27 NKJV And

when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city

who had demons for a long time. And he

wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house

but in the tombs.

Mark 5:2 NKJV And when He had come

out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the

tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Matthew 8:28 NKJV When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there

met Him two demon-possessed men,

coming out of the tombs, exceedingly

fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

1 or 2 Demon Possessed Men?Apparently there were 2 Demon Possessed men, but 1 was more prominently focused.

Mark 5:15 NKJV Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

It appears that only one of these men decided to follow Jesus afterward, Luke 8:38, 39.

Description of the Men?Matthew 8:28 NKJV When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there

met Him two demon-possessed

men, coming out of the tombs,

exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that

way.

Mark 5:3-5 …and no one could bind him, not even with chains, (4) because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and

the shackles broken in pieces; neither could

anyone tame him. (5) And always, night and

day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with

stones.

Luke 8:27 NKJV And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a

certain man from the city who had

demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.

The Incident

The IncidentLuke 8:27 NKJV And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.

Met -- hupantao (υπανταω) – when used in a military reference implies a hostile meeting.

Mark 5:6 NKJV When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

James 2:19 NKJV You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!

The IncidentLuke 8:28 NKJV

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell

down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus,

Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!"

Mark 5:7 NKJV And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son

of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not

torment me."

Matthew 8:29 NKJV And suddenly they cried out, saying,

"What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before

the time?"

Jesus to Torment Demons?

Matthew 25:41 NKJV "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

2 Peter 2:4 NKJV For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartaros – torment) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

“What have I to do with You?” (In essence -- what do we have in common?)

Pigs commit Sooey-cideMark 5:12-13 NKJV So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." (13) And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

Matthew 8:34 NKJV And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

The Farmers

Mark 5:14 NKJV So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.

The farmers probably said, “Why would this Jesus do this to us. You know it is just like those Jews, they hate pigs!

The PigsWell, they can’t speak, plus they all died a gruesome death after being possessed by the demons.

If PETA were there, I am sure there would have been future protests of Jesus from being a Pig-killer.

Mark 5:13 KJV …and were choked in the sea.

Choked best literal translation graphically depicts drowning. Mark also uses the Imperfect tense, conveying a morbid disappearance of pig after pig into the sea.

The ConsensusLuke 8:35-37 NKJV Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. (36) They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. (37) Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

Asked – more literally, begged.

The Demon Possessed ManLuke 8:38-39 NKJV Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, (39) "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

What have I to do with Jesus?

Jesus, Son of the Most High God

•No man could bind this man with the demon named Legion – BUT JESUS DID!•Men die when at sea during a great Lailaps, BUT JESUS SIMPLY SAID THE WORDS AND IT WAS CALM!•Jesus had taught with authority, exousia, with both the right and might, Lu. 4:36.•Jesus had healed the sick, lepers, paralytics, cast out demons, etc.•Jesus was indeed the Son of Man and the Lord of the Sabbath, Lu. 6:5.•Jesus is the Son of the Most High God!!!

What have you to do with Jesus?Eternal Joy,1 Thess. 4:14-18

Eternal Punishment,2 Thess. 1:7-9