Jesus Demonstrates His Power and Authority over a Regiment of Evil Spirits (5:1-20).
The incident we are now about to examine raises the question as to the existence of evil spirits. But this is something never doubted anywhere in the Bible. It is not constantly stressed, but there is the clear indication of evil power at work behind the scenes from Genesis 3 onwards, right through to Revelation. And that Jesus Himself believed in Satan the Adversary (the Devil, the Accuser) there can be no doubt (Matthew 4:10; Matthew 12:26; Matthew 13:39; Matthew 25:41; Mark 3:23; Mark 3:26; Mark 4:15; Luke 10:18; Luke 13:16; Luke 22:31; John 8:44). Indeed it was to destroy the works of the Devil that Jesus came (1 John 3:8). And He constantly overcame him. And if Satan exists then we can be sure that other evil spirits exist also.
The growth of monotheism hindered the ability of these evil spirits to affect mankind for when men ceased seeking to worship them through the worship of the gods, or to seek to influence them or to contact them through the occult, their effectiveness was largely nullified. But their readiness, when given the opportunity, to enter and control men is evidenced throughout history. The twentieth century saw a rise of spirit possession in Western countries precisely because men had once more opened themselves to such evil influences through the occult, and the twenty first century may well see further growth as people indulge in the occult more and more in various ways, but in Africa and the East such possession has always been well known. There they do not scoff at the idea of evil spirits.
The idea must not be over-exaggerated. The Gospels distinguish sickness and lunacy from spirit possession (Matthew 4:23-24; Matthew 8:16; Matthew 10:8; Mark 6:13; Luke 4:40; Luke 7:21-22), and Jesus only casts out evil spirits in clear cut cases. He did not believe that they affected every man, or even most men, by entry and possession, nor did He see them as the prime cause of disease, although we know that Christians do ‘wrestle' with evil powers in heavenly places, often without knowing it because they triumph through Christ (Ephesians 6:12) There did appear to be a rise in spirit possession in the days of Jesus, but this may well be because His presence drew them out and brought them to the fore. At other times they could carry on undisturbed, preferring not to be brought to notice. It is noteworthy that Jesus did not lay hands on spirit possessed men. He dealt with them by a word of command. (A lesson to be well learned by any who deal in such things).
Men possessed by evil spirits may behave in strange, extreme ways and the spirits can to some extent control their actions and even speak through them in different voices. But not all who behave in strange ways do so because they are demon possessed. Mental problems can produce what appear to be similar reactions (a distinction was in fact made between the ‘lunatic' and ‘the spirit-possessed' (Matthew 4:24). Nor do all demon possessed people obviously behave in strange ways.
The fact that such evil spirits were personal comes out in that they recognised Jesus for Whom He was, showed fear, were aware of God's purpose for them, and spoke and cried out. They can probably, however, only enter people when they in some way open themselves to them. This can especially occur when people dabble in fortune telling, astrological influences, seeking the spirit world, witchcraft, idol worship, blanking the mind, attending gatherings where spirits are to be engaged and so on. These things are constantly condemned in the Bible. See for example Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:26; Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 8:19. While large numbers who indulge in such things do not become possessed, it is an ever present danger for those who do. Medical science cannot deal with such cases, which require exorcism through the power of Christ.
Having this in view we now move on to look at an extreme case of spirit possession of huge significance which was dealt with by Jesus and revealed His total mastery over the spirit world gathered in force, and revealed Him as ‘the Son of the Most High God', a description which certainly pointed beyond simple Messiahship.
Analysis.
a And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.
b And when He was come out of the boat, straightway there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling in the tombs
c And no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain, because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces, and no man had strength to tame him, and always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
d And when he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and paid Him homage, and crying out with a loud voice, he says, “What have we in common, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me”.
e For He said to him, “Come forth, you unclean spirit, out of the man”.
f And He asked him, What is your name? And he says to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many”.
g And he begged Him fervently that He would not send them away out of the country.
h Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding, and they begged him, saying, “Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them”.
i And He gave them permission.
h And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand; and they were choked in the sea.
g And those who fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come about.
f And they come to Jesus, and see him who was possessed with devils sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him who had had the legion, and they were afraid.
e And those who saw it declared to them how it befell him who was possessed with devils, and concerning the swine.
d And they began to beseech Him to depart from their borders.
c And as He was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed with devils besought him that he might be with Him. And He would not allow him, but says to him, “Go to your house to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you”.
b And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him, and all men marvelled
a And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd was gathered to Him, and He was by the sea
Note that in ‘a' they come to the other side of the sea, and in the parallel they take the reverse journey. In ‘b' we have described the demoniac who lived among the tombs, and in the parallel the same man roaming the country and speaking out about his deliverance. In ‘c' we have a picture of the terrible condition of the demoniac, shrieking and crying out, a witness to his terrible condition, and in the parallel a picture of his sanity as he seeks to follow Jesus but is rather sent out as a witness to how he has been delivered. In ‘d' the possessed man wants nothing to do with Jesus, although he cannot help himself, and in the parallel the people want nothing to do with Jesus. In their own way their minds are as dark as the demoniacs. In ‘e' Jesus commands the unclean spirit to come out of the man, and in the parallel those who saw it bear witness of the final result. In ‘f' he reveals himself as ‘legion' because he is possessed by many spirits and is afraid, and in the parallel those who arrive see ‘him who had the legion' no longer possessed, but clothed and in his right mind. In ‘g' the spirits do not want to go out of the country, and in the parallel the pigherds flee to the city and the country. In ‘h' the evil spirits ask that they may enter the swine, and in the parallel they enter the swine. Centrally in ‘i' it is Jesus alone Who can give them permission.