Lord’s Day, Vol. 10 No. 9
The LORD had Compassion on Him
A man who was healed by Jesus from the grievous condition of demon possession wanted to follow Jesus. Our Lord said to Him to go home and bear witness to his friends of his salvation and how Christ had compassion on him.
Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
This man was helped by Jesus who took pity on him. Our Lord showed mercy to save the man. This was His mission on earth. Jesus had stilled the storm earlier before he arrived at the country of the Gadarenes to meet with this man who had a formidable foe within him, evil spirits, disturbing his peace.
KJV Mark 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Life for this man was a living hell for a long time (Luke 8:27). Since the fall of man, the devil and his demons have terrorized the lives of countless men and women. Jesus Christ has the power to break that bondage. He is God, the Creator of all things in heaven and earth including the angels before they fell (Isa. 14:12-15; Eze. 28:12-15). Jesus has authority over the dark demonic world, known here as “an unclean spirit”. This is clearly demonstrated and acknowledged in the demonic world. The demons knew Jesus!
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
The demons are afraid of Him. They may have the power to torment men, Jesus has the power to thwart their evil designs upon men. Though they were many, they were helpless against the power of the most high God!
Jesus bid the unclean spirit to come out of the man. What great authority! By His Word, the demons fled. Indeed, by the preaching of the gospel and the powerful Word of God enabled by the Holy Spirit through prayer, the demonic world can be subdued!
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
The possessing of the herd of 2000 pigs by the unclean spirit attests to the reality of the destructive power of the demons as these ran headlong to be drowned in the sea, clearly demonstrating how Jesus overcame and defeated the demons and saved the man.
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
The transformation that came to the healed man was clearly seen. He was mentally sound, no longer tormenting himself with chains and cutting himself with stones (v4). He sat still whereas before he could not control his own violent movements. He was properly clothed, sitting at the feet of Jesus (Luke 8:35). Jesus not only healed the man, he calmly received divine instruction to live life henceforth for the glory of God! All who knew the man before his deliverance saw the change. It was most astonishing, as they contemplated the power of Christ, they were afraid, what manner of man is He. It further testifies of the Deity of Christ that He is indeed very God!
16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
The believer’s personal testimony of conversion is powerful. It attests to the power of Christ to save and transform. The man was grateful to the utmost and wouldn’t leave his Lord. Jesus bid him to go forth and be a witness for the Lord that the others too, coming to Jesus, might be saved. He did so to repay his gospel debt. The witness of this man must have been most moving! Just as Mary Magdalene, the woman who was saved from seven devils, first to come to the sepulchre of the risen Christ, before the daybreak. She loved much because she understood she was much loved by the Lord. Both had their life given back to them!
What great things the Lord have done for them, and had compassion on them! Our deliverance from the bondage of sin may be less dramatic but the effect is the same – This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John17:3). Amen.
With love,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee