Jesus: Mighty to Save Mark 5:1-20 LBC. 17 Jan 2016 INTRODUCTION: WE LEFT OFF OUR SERIES THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF MARK WITH JESUS SHOWING HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY AS HE STILLS THE VIOLENT STORM THAT THREATENED THE DISCIPLES LIVES WHILE THEY WERE CROSSING THE SEA OF GALILEE. REMEMBER WHEN THEY WITNESSED JESUS SOVEREIGN POWER THEY WERE EVEN MORE AFRAID AND ASKED WHO THEN IS THIS, THAT EVEN THE WIND AND THE SEA OBEY HIM. OBVIOUSLY THE ANSWER WHICH WE THEY AND US SHOULD CONCLUDE IS THAT ONLY GOD CAN CONTROL THE WIND AND WAVES WHICH MEANS GOD WAS IN THE BOAT WITH THEM IN THE PERSON OF JESUS. JESUS IS GOD. MARK IN OUR PASSAGE TODAY WANTS TO BUILD ON THAT ANSWER, BECAUSE JESUS BEING GOD DOES NOT JUST HAVE THE POWER TO CALM NATURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, VIOLENT STORMS, BUT HE HAS POWER AND AUTHORITY TO CALM THE VIOLENT SPIRITUAL STORM THAT IS THREATENING OUR LIVES WITHIN OUR HEARTS. YOU SEE THE STORM OF EVIL, REBELLION AGAINST GOD S WAYS IS THREATENING OUR LIVES. EVER SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE ALL HAVE INHERITED THIS STORM IN OUR HEARTS WHICH IS MEANT TO DESTROY THE LIVES GOD CREATED US TO ENJOY FOR ETERNITY. IN OTHER WORDS THIS STORM OF EVIL THREATENS OUR GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE, THE SIDE WHICH IS WITH GOD, FREE FROM THE BROKENNESS OF THIS WORLD, ENJOYING INTIMACY WITH THE ONE WHO CREATED US AND KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US. AND SO MARK BUILDS ON WHAT THE LAST PASSAGE SAYS: YOU CAN TREASURE JESUS FOR HAVING THE POWER TO CALM THE VIOLENT WIND AND WAVES STORM, BUT HOW MUCH MORE MUST YOU TREASURE JESUS IN YOUR LIFE FOR WHAT HE CAN DO FOR OUR HEARTS OR HAS DONE FOR THEM. HE WHO CALMS THE EVIL STORM IN OUR HEARTS THAT THREATENS OUR VERY ETERNAL EXISTENCE WITH GOD. AND SO LETS LOOK AT OUR PASSAGE AND MOVE TO THAT QUESTION, WHO THEN IS THIS THAT IS MIGHTY ENOUGH TO SAVE OUR LIVES 1
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
IN FACT MARK TELLS US IN VERSE 9 JUST THE EXTENT EVIL HAD POWER OVER THIS MAN S LIFE. AND JESUS ASKED HIM, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HE REPLIED, MY NAME IS LEGION, FOR WE ARE MANY. LEGION IS A GREEK WORD BORROWED FROM LATIN, DENOTING THE LARGEST COMPANY OR TROOP IN A MILITARY FORCE. FOR THE ROMANS A LEGION OF SOLDIERS WAS 5600. AND SO WHEN THE DEMON SAYS HIS NAME IS LEGION FOR WE ARE MANY, YOU MUST KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE POWER OF EVIL OVER THIS MAN S LIFE. AND THIS POWERFUL FORCE OF EVIL IS DESTRUCTIVE FOR IT WANTS TO DESTROY WHAT GOD HAS CREATED IN HIS IMAGE FOR HIM TO ENJOY FOR ETERNITY NAMELY RELATIONSHIP WITH US. SIN, DEMON POSSESSION, EVIL, WICKEDNESS IS SATAN S WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION OVER GOD S SPECIAL CREATION US. THE DESTRUCTIVE INTENTIONS OF EVIL IS SEEN IN VERSE 13 WHEN JESUS SENDS THE DEMONS OUT OF THE MAN AND INTO THE PIGS AND WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THE PIGS DO THEY DESTROYED THEMSELVES AS THEY RUSH DOWN INTO THE SEA AND DROWN THEMSELVES. EVIL IS A POWERFUL DESTRUCTIVE STORM THAT BREWS IN OUR HEARTS AND THREATENS OUR ETERNAL EXISTENCE WITH GOD. YOU SEE WE MIGHT NOT BE LIVING IN TOMBS LIKE THIS MAN BUT BECAUSE OF OUR SIN THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE DEAD IN OUR SINS AND TRANSGRESSIONS AND SO WE ARE CONSIGNED TO LIVE AMONG THE DEAD. WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BREAK CHAINS AND SHACKLES, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR SINFUL NATURES WE ARE UNRESTRAINABLE WHEN IT COMES TO REBELLING AGAINST GOD. WE MIGHT NOT BE WANTING TO COMMIT PHYSICAL SUICIDE, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH AND SO WHEN WE SIN, WE EMBRACE THE LIFE OF DEATH. BECAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF THE STORM OF EVIL OVER OUR LIVES WE ARE LIKE THIS MAN HOPELESS. UNLESS THERE ONE WHO HAS POWER OVER THE STORM OF EVIL, ONE WHO HAS POWER OF SATAN S LEGIONS, ONE WHO HAS POWER TO BREAK THE CHAINS AND SHACKLES OF EVIL AND LIBERATE US TO HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ONCE AGAIN. PRAISE GOD THERE IS AND HIS NAME IS JESUS. AND SO MARK GOES ON TO TELL US OF: 3
2. THE RESTORING POWER OF JESUS. (6-15) VERSE 6 PICKS UP WHERE VERSE 2 LEFT OFF, JESUS STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT AND BEING CONFRONTED WITH THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL IN THIS MAN. AND WHEN HE SAW JESUS FROM AFAR, HE RAN AND FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM. WOW!!! AS THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL MEETS THE RIGHTEOUS POWER OF JESUS, THE EVIL POWER FALLS DOWN AND SUBMITS TO THE SUPREME POWER. THAT WORD FOR FELL DOWN IN THE GREEK IS USED WHEN SOMEONE PROSTRATES THEMSELVES BEFORE ONE IN WHOM REVERENCE AND SUBMISSION IS DUE - AS SUBJECTS BEFORE A KING OR SLAVES BEFORE A MASTER. THE DEMONS, THE EVIL IN THIS MAN S HEART RECOGNISES THE SUPREME POWER BEFORE THEM HAS AS THEY CRY OUT WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO WITH ME, JESUS SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. THIS IS AN INTERESTING TITLE OF JESUS USED BY THE DEMONS. THE MOST HIGH GOD. IT IS NOT A MESSIANIC TITLE BUT A DIVINE TITLE OF YAHWEH THAT THE ISRAELITES USED TO REFER TO THE TRANSCENDENCE AND EXALTATION OF GOD OVER ALL OTHER GODS. THE DEMONS RECOGNISE THAT IN JESUS IS THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF GOD AND IN REFERENCE TO HIM AS THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD THEY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT JESUS IS GOD IN ALL HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE FLESH. THE DEMONS KNOW THAT THE ONE WHO IS COMMANDING THEM TO COME OUT OF THE MAN YOU UNCLEAN SPIRIT IS NONE OTHER THAN THE ONE WHO EXPELLED THEM FROM HEAVEN, THE ONE WHO HAS CONDEMNED THEM TO THE ETERNAL ABYSS, THE ONE WHO WILL DESTROY EVIL ONCE AND FOR ALL IN JESUS HIS SON. THAT S WHY THEY CRIED OUT IN VERSE 7 I ADJURE YOU BY GOD, DO NOT TORMENT ME. SWEAR BY GOD THAT YOU WILL NOT BANISH OR DESTROY US TO THE ETERNAL ABYSS JUST YET. LET S PAUSE THERE FOR A MOMENT AND LOOK WITH A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE THE ONES WHO ARE BENT ON DESTROYING THE LIVES OF GOD S SPECIAL CREATION, YOU AND ME, ARE NOW QUAKING IN THEIR BOOTS AND IN TERROR BEFORE JESUS, ARE CRYING OUT TO JESUS FOR HIM TO NOT DESTROY THEIR LIVES JUST YET. NO WONDER WE READ WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE IN ROMANS 8 4
IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? HE WHO DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON BUT GAVE HIM UP FOR US ALL, HOW WILL HE NOT ALSO WITH HIM GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS? WHO SHALL BRING ANY CHARGE AGAINST GOD S ELECT? IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES. WHO IS TO CONDEMN? CHRIST JESUS IS THE ONE WHO DIED MORE THAN THAT WAS RAISED WHO IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD INTERCEDING FOR US. WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? SHALL TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION, OR FAMINE, OR NAKEDNESS, OR DANGER OR SWORD?...NO IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US. FOR I AM SURE THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS NOR DEMONS, NOR THINGS PRESENT NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR POWERS, NOR HEIGHT NOR DEPTH NOR ANYTHING ELSE IN ALL CREATION, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. PRAISE GOD FOR JESUS. BUT JESUS POWER IS NOT ONLY TO OVERCOME THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL, BUT TO RESTORE US IN A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. AFTER CASTING THE DEMONS OUT OF THE MAN INTO THE NEARBY 2000 PIGS WHICH PROMPTLY WENT AND DROWNED THEMSELVES, THE HERDSMAN OF THE PIGS FLED THE SCENE AND WENT TO THE CITY AND TOLD THE OWNERS AND PEOPLE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AND WHEN THEY CAME TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED VERSE 15 SAYS AND THEY CAME TO JESUS AND SAW THE DEMON-POSSESSED MAN, THE ONE WHO HAD THE LEGION, SITTING THERE, CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND, AND THEY WERE AFRAID. SUCH RESEMBLANCE TO THE PREVIOUS STORY: JESUS REBUKES THE WIND AND THE WAVES AND RESTORES CALMNESS TO THE THREATEN LIVES YET THEY RESPOND IN FEAR. JESUS REBUKES THE DEMONS AND RESTORES THIS MAN S THREATENED LIFE AND PEOPLE ARE AFRAID AT SOVEREIGN POWER. THIS MAN WHO NEITHER CHAINS NOR SHACKLES COULD RESTRAIN WAS NOW SITTING BEFORE JESUS, THIS MAN WHO TERRIFIED THE PEOPLE AS HE RAN AROUND NAKED AND LIVED AMONG THE DEAD WAS NOW CLOTHED BEFORE JESUS, THIS MAN WHO SHRIEKED WILDLY AND ACTED VIOLENTLY WAS NOW IN HIS RIGHT MIND BEFORE JESUS. THIS MAN S LIFE WAS RESTORED THROUGH THE POWER OF JESUS AND 5
THE PEOPLE WERE STUNNED AND FRIGHTENED. THEY NEVER SAW THIS KIND OF POWER AND AUTHORITY BEFORE. THIS IS WHAT JESUS RESTORING POWER DOES FOR THIS MAN, WHO WAS IN A HOPELESS SITUATION, IN CHAINS AND SHACKLES TO EVIL WHICH HE COULDN T BREAK YET WHICH JESUS SNAPPED AT HIS WORD. THIS IS WHAT JESUS RESTORING POWER CAN DO FOR US WHO FIND OURSELVES CHAINED TO EVIL AND SIN AND REBELLION AGAINST GOD. JESUS HAS THE POWER TO CALM THE POWERFUL DESTRUCTIVE STORM OF EVIL IN OUR HEARTS AND TO RESTORE PEACE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. BUT MARK S NOT FINISHED THE STORY THIS TIME FOR THIS STORY IS NOT MEANT FOR US TO OOOH AAAAH OVER, BUT TO REACT AND RESPOND. MARK GIVES US TWO REACTIONS TO JESUS SOVEREIGN POWER AND AUTHORITY: 3. THE REACTION TO WHO THEN IS THIS? (16-20) YOU SEE IN VERSE 16 MARK AGAIN TELLS US THAT THE HERDSMAN DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN AND OF COURSE THEY DID NOT FORGET TO MENTION WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PIGS. WHICH MADE THE PEOPLE AFRAID JUST LIKE THE DISCIPLES AT THE SIGHT OF SUCH POWER AND AUTHORITY WHEN JESUS CALMED THE STORM AND, ALTHOUGH MARK NEVER RECORDED IT HERE THE PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN ASKING THE SAME QUESTION WHO THEN IS THIS.WHO THEN IS THIS THAT DEMONS OBEY HIM.WHO THEN IS THIS WHO HAS POWER OVER EVIL? THE FIRST REACTION IS FROM THE PEOPLE AND PROBABLY FROM THE OWNERS OF THE 2000 DEAD PIGS. VERSE 17 SAYS AND THEY BEGAN TO BEG JESUS TO DEPART FROM THEIR REGION. YOU SEE THEY SAW JESUS POWER AS A THREAT TO THEIR LIVELIHOOD. HE HAS TAKEN AWAY OUR PIGS WHAT MORE MIGHT HE TAKE FROM US. I THINK THIS IS WHAT SIN AND EVIL DOES TO US, BLINDS US TO OUR PERILOUS SITUATION IN SIN AND GIVES US AN UNHEALTHY DESIRE TO HOLD ONTO OUR SINFUL WAYS BECAUSE THEY BRING SECURITY OR PLEASURE TO US. WE CAN T SEE THAT JESUS IS OFFERING US SO MUCH MORE IN HIS RESTORING POWER. WHO THEN IS THIS SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO CHANGE OUR LIVES - AND THAT MAKES US AFRAID SO NO THANKS. UNFORTUNATELY WE REMAIN IN THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL 6
WHEN WE REACT LIKE THAT. FRIENDS WE ARE DEAD IN OUR SINS, WE DESPERATELY NEED A CHANGE OF HEART JESUS HAS THE POWER TO MAKE US ALIVE AGAIN. THE SECOND REACTION IS FROM THE MAN WHO WAS POSSESSED HE ASKED THE QUESTION WHO IS THIS AND CONCLUDED THIS WAS THE LORD OF LORDS, THE KING OF KINGS, THIS WAS GOD S SAVIOUR, MY ULTIMATE TREASURE. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS WAS HIS REACTION? YOU SEE THE DEMONS BEGGED JESUS TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEM IN VERSE 7 AND 10 AND THE PEOPLE BEGGED JESUS IN VERSE 17 AND EACH TIME JESUS AGREED TO THEIR REQUEST, BUT WHEN THIS MAN WHO NOW WAS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST BEGGED JESUS IN VERSE 18 THAT HE MIGHT GO WITH HIM, JESUS REFUSED HIS REQUEST AND INSTEAD COMMANDED HIM TO GO HOME TO YOUR FRIENDS AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU, AND HOW HE HAS AND BEGAN TO PROCLAIM IN THE DECAPOLIS HOW MUCH JESUS HAD DONE FOR HIM, AND EVERYONE MARVELLED. FRIENDS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BELIEVED JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD AND EMBRACED THE RESTORING POWER OF JESUS, WHO HAVE BECOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ARE THOSE WHO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WHO IS THIS WITH THE WORDS HE IS MY LORD, HE IS MY SAVIOUR, HE IS MY TREASURE, I WILL LIVE FOR HIM. YOU SEE LIVING COMPLETELY UNDER THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS IS A LIFE THAT IS FREED FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL. AND ONE OF THOSE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING FOR HIM, IS TO TELL PEOPLE JUST HOW MUCH THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU AND HOW MERCIFUL HE HAS BEEN TOWARD YOU. JESUS IS MIGHTY TO SAVE WHAT A GLORIOUS MESSAGE WE HAVE FOR PEOPLE, THAT THE SUPREME POWER OF JESUS OVERCOMES THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF EVIL. HAD MERCY ON YOU. AND WE READ THAT THE MAN SUBMITTED TO THE WILL OF HIS SAVIOUR, THE COMMAND OF HIS KING, THE DESIRE OF HIS TREASURE AND DID WHAT HE WAS TOLD - VERSE 20 SAYS AND HE WENT AWAY 7