Jesus, the merciful redeemer

Sermon on Gerasene demoniac

Sermon Outline Mark 5:1-20

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.

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2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.

Hagio pnuema- holy spirit
Akathartos pnuema- un-clean spirit

3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,

4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.

5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

The man was tormented night and day (alone, crying out (screaming and shrieking loudly), cutting himself with stones)
Heart check

6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.

worshipped

7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside,

12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”

Begged-total authority over those demons, the same ones that wouldn’t let him be chained had to cower before Jesus

13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

Why did Jesus allow them to destroy someones property? Possible to expose their hearts for counting them more valuable than the man?

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.

This was unbelievable, people came from all around to see for themselves what happened

15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

This was a miracle, the man was now clothed and in his right mind. No more torment. No more cutting. No more howling. No more being bound. No more living alone in the mountain amongst the dead.
- The people were afraid when they saw this.
- Supernatural is scary.
- Surely they were scared before?

16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.

17 And they began to beg Jesusd to depart from their region.

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.

19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

“Jesus, the merciful redeemer” (man and his country)

*q1, what is this text about?*

**q2, why is this account in the bible, why is it important**

What is this text about? Its about Jesus

This text displays the glorious power of Jesus

6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.

7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

Fell down before Him (worship)

- Called Him by His most accurate title to date, Jesus, Son of the Most High God
- Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  - This includes Satan and his demons, they bow down to Jesus

15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

- This echos the reverent awe that the disciples displayed after Jesus calmed the hurricane

4:41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?

- “What manner man is that the winds and the seas obey Him, what manner of man is that the demons obey Him?
- This incident further demonstrated His deity and His glorious power as the only begotten son of the most High God!
Not only does this text display the glorious power of Jesus, but it also displays His mercy and compassion on not just the man, but his whole country.
- I believe we are going to see that Jesus came to Gadara or Garasene for this purpose
- They passed through a terrible tempest for a purpose
  - Luke 19:10 says For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
  - This is what Jesus does, 1 timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost
  - Jesus came to earth for a purpose, that was to save sinners
    - Just like the man in this story, Jesus in compassion, mercy and grace came and lived the perfect sinless life so that He could exchange His righteousness for your unrighteousness, the cost to Him was His life, the cost for you is your belief and obedience.
    - Like that man, it was Him who saved us when weren’t thinking about Him, while we were yet sinners, He came to save us!
    - Jesus didn’t do what He did or do what He does out of only obligation, but out of compassion, He loves us!
- So again, this story is about Jesus and His glory, His power, and His compassion.

What is this text about? Its about a man and his testimony.

Lets look again at this man

5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Luke 8:27 gives us additional detail When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.

Can you imagine the site? No clothes, dirty, teeth probably rotted and gone, cuts all over his body, imagine the smell, likely rank, imagine the sound of him screaming and screeching.
He was a horror story and everyone knew it, people probably warned their kids to never go there

Full of thousands of unclean spirits
Thats the before, here is the after

15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Clothed and in his right mind, Luke account adds, sitting at the feet of Jesus

What a site!

Original name, Legion, now probably real name
khakis
Jesus gets ready to leave and he wants to join Him, but Jesus says no

19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Lord-although the man got first hand experience of the authority of Jesus, Jesus reveals to him who He truly is, Lord

He is commissioned to go and tell and he becomes a preacher in his country and everyone marvelled

*what is this text about, it is about a country, a people group, a region that needs Christ*

This region of the Gadarenes or the Garasenes were gentiles
- The pigs are a dead giveaway
- They are like the statues outside of a home that tell you the inhibitants are probably catholic
Lets take a look at their reaction to this miracle

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.

15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.

17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

This is an odd reaction
- One may say its because of the pigs
  - But if thats the case, would they value the pigs over this notorious man being cured?
- Every time something like this happens, everyone brings their demon possessed, their sick, their family to the feet of Jesus and beg Him to heal, but this people group did the opposite!
- In fact, we see a similar story of a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit healed and the bible says in Mark 1:32 that evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
This is an indictment against this country, that they rejected Christ
- John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him

Again, Jesus came for a purpose and He uses people to accomplish His purposes
- This is why the man wasn’t allowed to leave with Jesus, Jesus in His compassion cared about this people group that rejected Him and is sending them a witness
- 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
  - Decapolis– a ten city region
  - Proclaim-kerusso-usually translated preach, to herald
  - Everyone marveled-His ministry and testimony of the Lord Jesus was effective

*this text, this account is about Jesus, Lord of all, and His compassion on a man and a country*

*2nd question, why is this account important,?*

We need to have an awareness that just like we have the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ in us, there are some that have an unclean spirit in them. We must be aware that as surely as we walk in the spirit, there is an enemy in the spirit that also works through people.
1. Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
  1. This is why Jesus teaches us to pray “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
  2. As you pray, pray that.
  3. Pray against the schemes of the devil
  4. Be aware that you too are not wrestling against flesh and blood and you need the power of Jesus in your life, not just your own power, or man’s power, but the power of the holy spirit
Second reason this account is important is because like the region in this text needed this man’s testimony of salvation, your context needs this testimony!

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.

This is many of us
Just let me be in your presence Lord

Let me spend my time in the word
Let me spend my time in prayer
Let me spend my time in worship

Let me spend my time at the revival
Let me spend my time at bible study and church services
Let me spend my life in the boat with you Lord!
- Testimony of marriage, honey moon, but at the end of the day, you still got to go back to work
This is not a bad request, but Jesus has a mission and He is counting on you to fulfil it
- Disciple vs disciplemaker
- Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Jesus gives us a simple formula here that He is issuing again afresh for all of us here today

19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Read again for emphasis!
What has the Lord done for you?
How has He had mercy on you?

Done for you? Where do I begin, even now, he woke me up, he provides for me, he’s given me a family, anything good in your life, you can attribute to God. God is so good He has done such and such for me.
- Make it part of your everyday. I have to catch myself because I’m always telling my clients this.
How has He had mercy on you?
- Overall, God has made me His daughter or son? He loves me even though I don’t deserve it.
Tell your friends and family, it is what He is calling you to do starting today. Because if you do, verse 20 says people will marvel, they will take note.

20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Praise team

In conclusion I want to ask two questions:

Will you like Jesus have compassion when you see the horrible things people are doing? When you see the mug shot and hear the story? Will you pray for that person, will you ask God to have mercy on them?
Will you share your testimony of what God has done and is doing in your life? To your family and friends?