Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- People could not understand why Jesus sat down with sinners
- Jesus told 3 parables to teach His disciples and those who had criticised Him
- This passage:
- Another striking example of Jesus' love
- Think of the previous passage - how Jesus calmed a storm
- As they get out of the boat a demon possessed man has an encounter with Jesus Christ
- Jesus had come for this man
- For the Jew reading this there is a lot to take offense at:
- Jesus is going to a Gentile area - The Decapolis or the Gadarenes
- Pigs
- The demoniac's dwelling place is amongst the tombs
- A significant story - in Matthew, Mark and Luke
- The passage contrasts the power of satan vs the power of Christ
- Brief explanation
- A summary verse - John 10:10
- Satan's work is a destroying work, Christ's work is to set the captive free
- Overview
- The work of the evil one
- The greater work of Jesus Christ
- Our response
The work of the evil one
- Some might think this is 'remote'
- The work of the evil one is very real - examples
- Also is 'sophisticated' societies
- In New Testament days there were many cases of demon possession
- Matthew - there were actually two demon possessed men
- Mark and Luke - only focus on one, the one who was saved
- Both are delivered from evil spirits
- Only one was saved
- Deliverance of spirits does not automatically mean conversion - Luke 11:24
- The Jews had a ministry of deliverance from spirits - only Christ can truly set them free
- Satan's work is to keep people in darkness - in sin
- We must take responsibility for our own sin
- Satan blinds people to sin - examples
- How do we respond to this darkness, just like in the area of the Gadarenes?
- Through the work of missions - Christ, the converted demoniac
- Shine the light in the darkness
- Bring the truth of the gospel
- The demoniac - naked and degraded
- Personal example
- Nudity in today's society
- He was deranged, including his personality: the spirits spoke through him
- A danger to society
- Self-destructive
- No self-control (v29)
- He once had a family
- What a terrible existence - yet Christ has come for him
- Consider the homeless, those with mental ill-health
- What caused this man to become so?
- Terrible example of Jim Jones - a terrible work of satan
- Yet the whole passage shows the Lordship of Christ
The greater work of Jesus Christ
- Is the demoniac drawn by Jesus or driven by the spirits?
- Either way he came directly to the feet of Jesus
- How did the disciples feel?
- Jesus was in perfect control
- The demoniac knew he was under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ (v28)
- Jesus commands the demons come out of the man
- They were allowed to go into the pigs
- The pigs behave madly and drown - another work of satan
- A visual sign of the power of Christ
- A human being is worth more than an animal
- (Though the bible teaches to look after and care for animals)
- The results (v35):
- Clothed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, in his right mind
- Instantaneous
- Luke 4:18
Our response
- How do we look today? - Jesus knows the real state of our heart
- Are we still in the chains of sin?
- The man is sent back to his house - he tells the whole city
(v39)
- Are we telling others of what Christ has done for us?
- The message of the gospel is to return to Christ
- Find joy and peace in Him
- Do not continue in sin
- He has died and risen for you
- Christ has come to make people new
- Just like the demoniac - explanation