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JESUS HEALS A DEMON-POSSESSED MAN

Luke 8:26-39

Key Verse: 30a

“Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’”

In the previous passage Jesus invited us to be his family members by hearing God’s words and putting them into practice. It seems like not a usual way to join a family. But it’s true that the more we are serious about putting Jesus’ words into practice, the more joy we find in being members of God’s family.

In this passage Jesus meets a man possessed by demons. In our times, many people deny the existence of demons. Many want to claim that science explains everything. They think that demons belong to the ancient world of myths and fairy tales and dragon tales. Other people think demons are cool or funny, so they celebrate evil spirits by dressing up like demons and sorcerers on Halloween. Still others, such as New Age practitioners, think they can manipulate spiritual forces for their own benefit. However, the demons in this passage tortured a man terribly and drove him to debasing and destructive behavior and drove him away from God and people. No one could help this man. But Jesus came and set him free. Through this message let’s think about what Jesus has power to do in the spiritual battle. This message has three main points.  

I.          Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man (26-29)

If you remember the previous passage, Jesus’ disciples had got into a boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Probably the disciples hoped to get some relief from the endless crowds that were following Jesus. But they got more than they bargained for when they hit a furious squall. To Jesus, however, the storm was an opportunity for them to find their faith. After Jesus had calmed the storm, he and his disciples sailed on to the region of the Gerasenes (26). This region was known as the Decapolis, the “ten cities.” Dominated by Greek and Roman culture, it was Gentile territory. Back in chapter 2, baby Jesus was called “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (2:32). In this passage we’ll see how Jesus’ light began to shine on the Gentiles.

When Jesus and his disciples arrived, they still did not find a restful situation. Look at verse 27. “When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.” Jesus was met on the shore by a demon-possessed man. It means he was a man whose life was taken over by demons. In verse 29 it says that they “seized him” and “drove him into solitary places” (29). He was not in control of his life; demons ruled over him.

What, then, is characteristic of demons? Demons are minions of the devil, Satan, the evil spirit. Revelation 12:7-9 tell that the devil rejected God’s rule of the universe and rebelled against God. But he was not strong enough, so he was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. The devil hates God and wants to damage God’s glory in any way possible. Since God made people in his own image, the devil hates people also and his agents work hard to try to destroy them. Demons are spiritual beings, so they gain control of people in this world through the spiritual gateway of temptation and sin. Once they have a foothold, demonic forces work to control more and more of a person’s thinking and heart until they are fully under demonic control and they can be used by the devil to destroy themselves and others.

Because Satan’s nature is to reject God’s rule over the universe, demons often gain control of people through their desire for freedom. God made us to be free, but evil spirits twist this, promising people that they will be free when they will have no responsibility to anybody and can do whatever they feel like. It’s a temptation to get people to throw off all order in their lives and only follow their sinful nature, playing into the demon’s hands. That seems to be how this man was possessed. Maybe the demons made him paranoid, telling him that everyone was talking about him and judging him all the time. When he started to believe this lie, he opened the door for devils to become his full-time counselors. As his thoughts became more and more futile, one by one he broke all of his relationships. To gain freedom, he left home and went to live by himself in the tombs. He prowled around in the isolated, dark and gruesome graveyard by himself. Clothes are a God-given grace to cover our shame as sinners, but this man even threw those off.  Normal people feared this man, and wanted to protect society from him. So they tried to bind him with chains and keep him under guard. Modern people would use tasers or strong drugs. However, with the power of demons the man broke his chains and escaped. No one could control the demons in him. In the graveyard, the man would cry out like an animal and cut himself with stones. In the end, the demons totally defiled the image of God in this man.

How does Jesus Christ deal with such demon-possessed people?  Verse 29 says that Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. When Jesus saw a man in such a condition, he immediately took action to set him free. Usually, Jesus healed those who came to him by faith, but Jesus knew this man could not help himself, so commanded the evil spirit to come out by his one-sided grace. In fact, this is why Jesus came to this world. Jesus is the God of mercy who came to set us free from captivity to demons. Jesus said in Luke 4:19, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners...to release the oppressed....” We can bring demon-possessed people to Jesus because we know that his one desire is to set them free.

What happens when such a demon-possessed man encounters Jesus Christ? When Jesus stepped ashore, this man cried out and fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (28) The demons in this man could not be neutral toward Jesus. Though they were terrified of Jesus, they had no choice but to come and bow down before Jesus. The demons knew exactly who Jesus is: Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. These demons knew that they were in big, big trouble for trying to hijack Jesus’ workmanship. Notice that the man also cried out, “I beg you, don’t torture me!” Does Jesus torture people? No, Jesus is the good shepherd for all people. This man thought he was speaking to Jesus, but it was not his own words. It was words of the demons inside him, who were terrified of being tortured by Jesus.

We can learn so much from this. Though few people have experienced demon possession to the degree that this man did, still there are many people who are driven by demons. The Bible says anyone who is not led by the Holy Spirit is under the influence of the evil spirits. Ephesians 2:1-2 say, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” 1 John 5:19b says, “...the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” Revelation 12:9 says that the devil, “...leads the whole world astray.” We know that many people have left home, cut relationships with their families, and are sitting alone in dark and dirty rooms, interacting only with their computers. They are dark, depressed, isolated, and so miserable that sometimes they commit suicide. When they hear about Jesus Christ or Bible study, they may react very strangely and defensively. They are under the influence of evil spirits, even though they may not realize it. They need Jesus, and only Jesus, even though they may react strangely to his people and his word.

As God’s servants, we have to see the real spiritual problem of people. The development of the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, have helped mankind. But they cannot get to the root spiritual cause of people’s problems. The Gerasene man living in the cemetery had so many problems and symptoms. Maybe he was sociopathic, psychopathic, bipolar, and schizophrenic all at the same time. But obviously the real problem, and the problem which only Jesus could solve, was that he was possessed by demons. We need to recognize that not every problem in and among human beings has a human cause; and not every word that comes out of someone’s mouth is really their own words. We have to pray to see when it is the work of demons so we may fight spiritually, not humanly. Only Jesus can drive out demons. We have to pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit so we can fight the spiritual battle in this world through prayer. Thank God that Jesus commands evil spirits to come out! When we have faith in the power of Jesus’ word and pray, then Jesus can set the students we know free from demon-possession.

II.        Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?” (30-37)

Because Jesus had commanded the demons to come out of this man, they had to come out. However, it did not happen all at once; there was some process to it. Before the demons could be driven out, the man had to differentiate himself from them. Look at verse 30a. “Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’” Why did Jesus ask him this question?

Basically, Jesus wanted to help this man restore his true identity. In the Bible, a person’s name represents his true identity. God made each person in his own image with a unique personality and ability to reflect God’s glory. God knows each person and can name each person accordingly. Jesus is the good shepherd, who knows his sheep by name (Jn 10:3b). In Genesis, there is Jacob. His name means “deceiver.” At Peniel, when he was so anxious about facing his brother Esau again, Jacob wrestled all night with God. At the end, Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” How did God bless Jacob? God asked him, “What is your name?” What kind of blessing is that? But when Jacob answered, “my name is Jacob,” it was a true confession of his inner self; all his life he had lived up to his name as a cheater and escape artist. Then, God changed his name to “Israel,” which means “he struggles with God.” God credited him as one who had struggled with God and with men and had overcome. God blessed Jacob so much—God blessed him to know himself as a sinner, and then God blessed him to receive a new identity as the person God made him to be.

Let’s read verse 30 together. “Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him.” Jesus asked the demon-possessed man the same question that God asked Jacob: “What is your name?” It was to help him recognize his true inner condition and confess it honestly. Though the demon-possessed man was so miserable, in fact he did not know his real problem. Demons always try to blind people from seeing themselves before God, so they may not come to Jesus and be healed. But Jesus’ question was the word of God to this man which broke through his self-deception and made him confess. “My name is Legion.” Of course, this was not his given name. The man in this passage had a God-given identity and a proper name. But now he was filled with a legion of demons. They had driven and tormented him to the point that his own identity had almost disappeared and he became a mere tool of the demons. By saying, “My name is Legion,” the man now confessed that he was not in control of his own life. Rather, he was being pulled in a thousand directions at once by all the demons he had allowed into his life. Of course, this man is one of the worst cases of demon possession ever seen. But still I think there are many young people who understand his answer very well. After following their sinful desires, they know very well the feeling of losing their identity and being out of control and pulled in a thousand directions.

Look at verse 31. “And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.” Now the demons were fully exposed for what they were. Now they could only beg Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss. The Abyss is the name of the spiritual underworld that is a kind of prison for demons until the time of their judgment. In Revelation 9, you can read that the Abyss was opened so that demons could come out and plague the world one last time. The word “Abyss” literally means a bottomless pit.

Verse 32 says, “A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission.” Interestingly, the demons much preferred to enter pigs than to be sent to the Abyss. Even more interestingly, Jesus gave the demons permission to enter the pigs. Why? It was not because Jesus is merciful to demons. It was not because Jesus needed to negotiate a compromise. It was to teach a lesson to the man, the town, and all of us. When the demons entered the pigs, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. (33) According to Mark, there were about 2,000 pigs. You know, you can get a lot of bacon and ham and pork chops from one pig. If the market value of each pig was conservatively estimated at $500, that would mean that $1,000,000 was lost. That would be devastating, not only to the owners of the pigs, but to the entire economy of the region.

The point is that Jesus was willing to sacrifice this much to save one seemingly useless man from demon possession. Here Jesus teaches us that human life, made in the image of God, is more valuable than animal life or any material things. Material things perish and fade away. But man has the breath of God’s life in him. No matter how terrible a person becomes, Jesus can set him free and restore him to be a child of God. The man needed to realize his value. The townspeople needed to realize his value. Jesus’ disciples needed to realize his value. We also need to realize the value of human life made in the image of God, no matter how distorted it has become by sin. One person’s life has great value to God. That is why, when we struggle to help one person to be healed and restored in Jesus, spending without holding back, it is very precious to God. In order to save and restore us as his children, Jesus went to the cross and shed his own blood. I think Jesus is saying that if we really want to see one demon-possessed person get better, we have to be ready to sacrifice a lot. As Jesus’ disciples, let's learn to sacrifice for the sake of saving one lost soul.

Look at verse 34. “When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they 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, what did they find? Verse 35b says, “When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind...” This man was no longer violent and agitated, but peaceful, sitting and listening to Jesus. He was dressed. Jesus might have told one of his disciples to lend him an extra set of clothes. Maybe Matthew, as a former Roman IRS employee, had a trunk with several nice suits inside. Most of all, it says the man was “in his right mind.” His eyes, which were once shifty and wild, were bright and clear. His mind was working properly once again. He could ask intelligent questions and make clear conversation, and probably had unusual spiritual insight. He was ready to live a normal life among people. Looking intently at Jesus, he now knew who he was and that he was loved by God and he was at peace. That’s really the way to be in our right mind.

No one who had seen this man before could have imagined that he could be changed like this. He was completely healed from demon possession. When people saw him, they should have praised God. How did they respond? They were afraid. They did not understand what had happened. They simply knew that at the cost of 2,000 pigs, Jesus had overpowered a man who had tormented them for a long time. And they became afraid of Jesus. Fear made them foolish, and they asked Jesus to leave them. In truth, their fear was evidence of the influence of demons throughout their society.  Jesus did not force himself on these people. He simply got into the boat and left.

III.       “Tell how much God has done for you” (38-39)

In verse 38, the man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with Jesus. Jesus had liberated him from the awful torment of demons and given him peace. Jesus had been willing to sacrifice for him. The man wanted to be with his good shepherd Jesus wherever he went. But Jesus did not let him. Jesus sent him away with a command: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” (39) In the past, this man was rebellious. He only did what he wanted to do. But here, when Jesus refused his request and gave him a different direction, he accepted it from his heart. This reveals that his relationship with God had been restored. Out of love for Jesus he obeyed Jesus’ words.

In fact, Jesus was commissioning him as an evangelist to his own town. It began with his home. He went to his mother and father and shared how Jesus had healed him. His parents’ broken hearts were healed and they had a joyful reunion with many tears. The man did not stop there. He told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. The more he shared Jesus’ grace, the more he appreciated Jesus’ grace to him. Joy welled up in his heart and he overflowed with thankfulness to Jesus. When people heard his testimony, they could understand the spiritual reality. They realized that demons are the real enemies of mankind, and that Jesus is the Savior of the world. This man, who had been a source of trouble to many, had now become an instrument of God’s grace to the whole region. Mark chapter 7 tells us that when Jesus went into this region again, many people came to him for healing. It was the fruit of the changed life of the former demon-possessed man. Jesus’ light had begun to shine among Gentiles. What a happy story! Let’s read verse 39 together. “‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”

I was once a demon-possessed man also. Of course, I was much too wimpy to break any chains, but I was tormented by demons after giving in to my lustful desires again and again. I was outwardly a Christian, but I could only use the words of God to make many arguments to defend my own way. I was telling Jesus not to torture me and spending all my time alone surfing the internet in my tomb-like dorm room. But when I heard the pure word of God in Bible study, I realized that demons were working in me to destroy me and God’s work. Through Jesus’ word my heart opened and I could realize the spiritual world and receive Jesus’ grace of healing. And he made me a shepherd so others can receive the same help I did. By God’s grace, I am even becoming a man who is in his right mind. Nobody who knew me before would believe that! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, who has done great things for me.

In this passage we saw a beautiful example of how Jesus healed a demon-possessed man. This world is full of demons, demonic influences, and demon-possessed people, but Jesus sets us free from them. Especially, through his question, “What is your name?” Jesus helped this man acknowledge his true spiritual condition and confess it to Jesus. Then Jesus could heal him. How would you answer Jesus’ question, “What is your name?” Let’s answer honestly from our hearts and allow Jesus to come in and heal us. Let’s also pray for the college students who are helpless in the grip of demons. Let’s share the word of God with them and help them come to Jesus, who will heal them and send them back to the campus as thankful evangelists. “Tell how much God has done for you.” We have great hope in Jesus.