Even the Demons Confess…

It’s intriguing the way that besides John and His disciples, the first ones to realize Jesus’ divinity were demons. This is counterintuitive because it seems that the devil and his minions would be the last to acknowledge Who Jesus was. But the last to acknowledge His birthright were the most holy men of Israel: The high priests of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They did not see His divinity. But the demons did. Which is uncanny if you think about it.

Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. ~Luke 4:41

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. ~Luke 4:35

One of the things that we will see again and again in the Gospel of Mark is that the demons know who Jesus is: He is the Son of God. The demons know he is more powerful than they: He casts them out, and they obey his commands. Jesus is stronger than Satan, and he can defeat Satan and his demonic cohorts.

“Demons do not know everything. While they are extremely intelligent beings—far smarter than even the highest IQ human beings—still they are not aware of all that takes place in the material world. We can be sure that over time the demons’ fascination with Jesus would have grown. Exorcists point out that the demons are especially attentive to the life and deeds of holy people, and so it follows that they would have paid close attention to this young boy from Nazareth who appeared to have never committed any sin.”

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. ~Mark 5:1-20

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The people in that place, the unbelievers, were more discomfited at the loss of their sinful swine than the recovery of their fellow citizen. Jesus left him there as he had a great ministry to perform in that town. ❤