Recognizing Jesus

October 11, 2009

Background Scripture: Mark 5:1 – 20
Lesson Passage: Mark 5:1 – 13, 18 – 20

Our lesson today takes place in the region known as Decapolis. This region consisted of ten cities scattered east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. During the first century, this region was populated primarily by Gentiles. As Jesus and his disciples came into the land east of the Sea of Galilee, they arrived at a cemetery where Jesus was met by a demon possessed man. The record shows that this man had defied being bound by ropes or even chains and had, in fact, broken them. No one was able to control him even without the use of ropes and chains. He lived out among the tombs crying out day and night and cutting himself. He lived in nudity and isolation. As Jesus and his disciples came ashore, the man went out to meet them. It was obvious that the man was possessed because the demons in him addressed Jesus. Jesus had commanded the demons to come out of the man. The demons knew who Jesus was although his disciples had not as yet comprehended Jesus’ true identity. The demons begged Jesus to not torment them by sending them away from that area. This was not a simple possession by a demon. This man was possessed by a host of demons. The demons had to leave the man because Jesus commanded them to do so. They asked permission to be allowed to enter into a herd of nearby swine. After having done so, the herd stampeded into the sea and drowned. This appeared to all be a part of the demonic plan to wreak havoc in whatever way possible. Some locals who were eyewitnesses to what happened reported it in the surrounding area. This resulted in a crowd gathering to see what had happened. Upon their arrival they found two situations. The first situation involved seeing the man that was previously demon possessed. He was no longer nude and acting out but was clothed and acting sane. The second situation involved the disaster scene of approximately two thousand drowned hogs. The crowd that gathered was informed by the eyewitnesses that Jesus was the source of both situations. The crowd became afraid that a man who was once insane, nude and hurting himself was now sane and fully clothed. Meanwhile they were furious about the drowning of the hogs. This is what led them to demand that Jesus leave their area. Never mind that he was able to totally change people, they wanted him out of the area. The man who was once insane now appeared to have more sense than the rest. If Jesus was leaving, then he wanted to go with him. Although the people were afraid of him now, he did not want to continue to live around them. Jesus did not permit him to go with him but instead made a missionary out of him. Jesus sent him back to the people that knew him, his friends. He was told to tell his testimony of what the Lord had done for him. He went throughout Decapolis sharing his story and the people that heard it were amazed. The demons recognized Jesus but after they were cast out, this man had gotten to know Jesus for himself. He now recognized that Jesus was indeed Lord and he was determined to not keep it to himself.

Robert C. Hudson
October 3, 2009