Dec 23
9
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 65
“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.” (Psalm 65, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 8:26–39
“Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:26–39, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Do not forget the question that the disciples of Jesus asked after he calmed the wind and the raging sea with the power of his authoritative word. In Luke 8:25 we are told that the disciples said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Who then is this, was their question, and I do believe we are to carry that question with us into the passage we are considering today, and into the next one also. Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him? Who then is this, that he commands even a Legion of demons, and they obey him? Who then is this, who has power and authority over sickness and death? You see, Jesus did not only tell his disciples about who he was, he also showed them – he shows us who he is by the miraculous deeds he performed.
Who then is Jesus? The answer is that he is the God-man. He is the Word of God, the second person of the Triune God, incarnate. He is Immanuel, which means, God with us. When Christ woke from his sleep in the boat, commanded the wind and waves, and they obeyed him, he showed himself to be a true man and true God. And he demonstrates the same in the passage before us today wherein he displays his authority even over the demons. Notice he did not cast them out in the name of God but by his own authority. And even the demons knew who he was. They cried out through the man they oppressed, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Luke 8:28, ESV). You see, the demons knew who Jesus was. They knew he was the Son of the Most High God incarnate.
Brothers and sisters, you need to know who Jesus is. What is he? What is his nature? He is fully God and he is fully man. Who is he? He is the person of the eternal Son of God. Is Christ your Savior? Is Christ your Lord? Do you trust in him for the forgiveness of sins? Then you must grow in your knowledge of him. And the Gospel of Luke is a great help to us, for it answers the question, who then is this Jesus?
Let us go now to our text for today. I have a few observations to make which will lead us to consider Jesus’ true identity.
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There Is A Spiritual Realm
First, the passage that is open before us today does remind us that there is a spiritual and heavenly realm. We who live in the West today are prone to forget this. Many in our culture live as if the natural world is all there is. But the first words of the Bible reveal otherwise. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As the Scriptures unfold it becomes clear that “earth” refers to all that is visible (yes, even the microscopic), and “heavens” refers to the realm that is presently (and typically) invisible to us, which God created in the beginning (see Colossians 1:16). God manifests his radiant glory in the heavenly realm. The angels are spiritual beings who were created by God to dwell in the heavenly realm and to worship and serve him always. As you probably know, the Bible teaches that there was a rebellion in the heavenly realm. Some angels kept their place by submitting themselves to God. But many rebelled and were cast down. Satan is the chief of these fallen angels but he is not the only one. Under him are demons who do his bidding. And so, in the heavenly, spiritual realm, there is a kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light.
We are reminded of the spiritual realm, of the fallen angels, and of their dark work when we read in verses 26-27: “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time, he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.” So then, it should be clear to all that the heavenly realm and the earthly realm – though distinct – do interact. God relates to his creation. His elect angels are ministering spirits. And Satan and his demons do also seek to exercise control or dominion on earth and over man. These truths permeate the entirety of the Holy Scriptures, and they are certainly present in the passage that is before us today.
The country of the Gerasenes (also called the Gadarenes) was located on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Most of the commentators that I have read say this was Gentile territory. One claimed that it was Jewish. I’ve always believed that it was Gentile, one reason being the heard of pigs mentioned near the end of this passage. Pigs, as you know, under the Old Covenant law of Moses were deemed to be unclean animals.
We are told, when Jesus stepped out on the land “there met him a man from the city who had demons”. When Matthew tells this story in chapter 8 of his Gospel, he mentions two men who were demon-possessed. Luke and Mark (chapter 5) focus their attention only on this one man. Luke says that he “had demons”. Later, we are told that “many demons had entered him” (verse 30). When Jesus asked the demon to reveal its name, the man said, “Legion”. In the Roman army, a legion was a group of about 6,000 soldiers. So, this man had many demons. In verse 36 this man is referred to as one who had been “demon-possessed”, or we might translate the Greek as, demon-oppressed, or demonized.
Four questions come to mind.
One, what is demon possession or oppression? Really, I do not think it matters what term you use so long as you have in mind a man or woman coming under the strong influence or control of demons. The text that we are considering today says that “many demons had entered” this man. The text also says, at times, he would be “driven by the demon into the desert.” So then, demon possession is a very particular and extreme thing. All who not do belong to Christ do indeed belong to the Evil One. The Scriptures teach that all people are either in Christ’s kingdom or Satan’s. Satan tempts all men. He deceives men. He seeks to destroy men. But this does not always (or often) result in demon possession or oppression. Clearly, there is a difference between the non-believing Jews to whom Jesus spoke in John 8:44, saying, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires” and this demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes. Both were in a state of bondage to the Evil One but not in the same way. Clearly, not everyone who is deceived by Satan is possessed by demons.
A second question that comes to mind is, how did this man come to be demon-possessed? The text does not say. If we were to consider other texts of Scripture, I think it is safe to assume that he opened himself up to the demonic through sin, the worship of idols, which is sometimes called the worship of demons (see Leviticus 17:7, Deuteronomy 32:16, Psalm 106:36-37) or through sorcery or witchcraft (see Galatians 5:20 and Deuteronomy 18:10). The biblical perspective on demons, demon-worship, sorcery and witchcraft, is not that they are not real, but that they are to be avoided, rejected, and ultimately rebuked in Jesus name, lest men and women open themselves up to that which is dark and evil.
A third question that comes to mind is this: though it is clear that men and women were sometimes demon-possessed in Jesus’ day, can men and women be demon-possessed today? I believe the answer is yes, but we tend not to see it as frequently in our society. And I can think of three possible reasons for this. One, I do wonder if demon possession is more limited now that Christ has accomplished our redemption having defeated the Evil One through his life, death, and resurrection. Christ won the decisive victory over Satan at the cross. Christ bound Satan then (see Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27, and Revelation 20). He cast down the accuser of the brethren then. Mind you, this does not mean that Satan and his minions are no longer active. The Scriptures warn those living under the New Covenant era that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). But there was some kind of binding or restraining that occurred at Christ’s first coming nonetheless. Perhaps demonic possession is less prevalent in the world as a result. Secondly, it may be that demonic possession occurs less frequently in our naturalistic and radically secular society. Satan has won the victory over the minds of many in our culture by blinding them to the reality of the spiritual realm. He has duped millions into believing that the material world is all that exists, and so they think little of angels, demons, and God. Given the success of this tactic, why would the Evil One, disturb men and women from their spiritual slumber by troubling them with demons? Connected to this, it may be that demon possession occurs more frequently today in societies where men and women open themselves up to dark spiritual forces as they engage in idolatrous worship, sorcery, and witchcraft. Thirdly, it may be that demon possession is more prevalent in our society than we realize given our tendency to explain every ailment and malady in naturalistic, scientific, and medical terms. Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not at all proposing that every ailment of body and mind should be blamed on demons. No, even Christ distinguished between those who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. He touched many who were ill to heal them of their physical maladies. And neither am I proposing that mental illness is not real. Certainly, it is. There are oftentimes physiological explanations for the mental and emotional troubles that we face. Here I am simply acknowledging that in our modern, secular, and naturalistic society, we tend to err on the extreme of blaming every ailment and problem we face on the physiological. Many have forgotten, it seems, that we are spiritual beings, that there is a spiritual realm, and that there is a spiritual battle that rages over the hearts and minds of men and women.
A fourth question that comes to mind is, can a true Christian be demon-possessed? The answer is, certainly not. Those united to Christ by faith have their sins forgiven (Acts 10:43). They are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52). They have been “delivered… from the domain of darkness and transferred… to the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). And so true Christians walk in the light, not the darkness. They are to walk by the Spirit, not the flesh. Though a true believer can never be demon-possessed or oppressed, the Devil and his minions are still our advisory. He tempts. He seeks to discourage. He utters lies. He seeks to divide and conquer. But we have the victory in Jesus’ name.
Those four questions came immediately to my mind. Perhaps you can think of others. But here is something I want you to notice about our text. Notice how very cruel Satan and his demons are. Notice where they lead those who come under their power. Satan is a very cruel and harsh taskmaster. Following after him will lead only to darkness, despair, and death. The Scriptures tell us that this demon-possessed man wore no clothes but went around exposed to the elements. He was driven by these demons from his home. The text tells us, “he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.” In this way, the demons robbed this man of life and caused him to dwell in a place of darkness and death. From time to time the man would be bound by the people of the town but with superhuman strength, he would break the chains and be driven into the desert by the demon.
Look at where following after Satan leads. Those who have been demons possessed in the past or the present are a testimony to where following after Satan will lead you. Satan is a cruel master. Spiritually speaking, he will leave all who follow after him unclothed, naked, and exposed. He will drive those who follow after him further and further away from their home with God. He will rob them of their sanity as he leads them further and further down the path of darkness and death.
Friends, there are only two options. We are either following after God or we are following after Satan. Granted, not all who follow after Satan are demon-possessed, but some are. Perhaps the Lord has permitted this to show his people how cruel a taskmaster the Evil One truly is so that they would turn from their sin and to Christ. And Christ is a very kind master, as we will see.
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Jesus Has Authority Over The Forces Of Darkness And Death
So, we have been reminded of the spiritual realm. More than this, we have been reminded of the dark forces that exist there. Now let us consider Jesus and the authority that he possesses over the forces of darkness and death.
Verse 27 tells us, “When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons.” You almost get the impression that Jesus traveled across the Sea for the purpose of meeting this man and confronting these demons. Indeed, I think this is the case.
In verse 28 we read, “When [the man] saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’” It was the man who spoke, but I think we are to see that it was the demon – perhaps the chief of the Legion of Demons – who spoke through him.
Notice this – the demons knew who Jesus was. When on the sea, the disciples asked, who then is this that the wind and waves obey him? When they get to shore, demons answer the question. Again, we are told that the man “cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Who is Jesus? He is the Son of the Most High God. In other words, he is the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Triune God.
How did they know him? Well, let’s just say they have a history. It was through the eternal Son that these angels who fell were created. It was against the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that they rebelled. And it will be the eternal Son incarnate who will crush them under his feet. The incarnation was a new thing. These demons did not have much of a history with the man Jesus. But the Son of the Most High God – him they knew. And they knew what he was up to. He became incarnate to defeat them, to crush them, to judge them eternally, and so they cried out. “What have you to do with me” and “I beg you, do not torment me.”
It was after Jesus asked for the name of the demon and received the answer, Legion, that “they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss”. What is the abyss?
To understand what the abyss is, you must first know what Sheol (or Hades) is. Sheol (or Hades) is a spiritual place of punishment and torment filled with the souls of sinners. When men and women die, their bodies go into the grave, and their souls go either into the blessed presence of God in heaven or to the torments of Sheol (or Hades). What makes the difference? It is Christ who makes the difference. Those who in this life turn from their sins and trust in Christ will go to heaven when they die. Those who die apart from Christ and in their sins will go to Sheol (or Hades). On the last day, there will be a great resurrection. Bodies will be raised from the graves and Hades will give up the souls imprisoned within to be reunited with the body. And these whole persons will stand before God Almighty to be judged. This is what Revelation 20:11-15 describes, saying,
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11–15, ESV)
Sheol (or Hades) is the temporary place of punishment where the souls of the wicked go when they die. But it is also a place of imprisonment and torment for the demons. The Abyss is the deepest pit of Sheol or Hades. It is where Satan is bound now so that he might not deceive the nations any longer. This is what Revelation 20:1-3 says:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit [ἄβυσσος – the Abyss] and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit [ἄβυσσος – the Abyss], and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1–3, ESV).
The Abyss is a place of temporary imprisonment and torment for Satan and his demons. In 2 Peter 2:4, this place is called Tartarus. There we read, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell [ταρταρόω – Tartarus] and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment”, etc. Jude 1:6 teaches the same, saying, “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day…” (Jude 6, ESV).
The final place of punishment for all of God’s enemies, of angels and of men, will be the lake of fire. Sheol (or Hades) is the temporary place of punishment for the souls of men who pass from this earth apart from Christ. Fallen angels are imprisoned there too. They have been cast into the Abyss, that is to say, into the pit, which is called Tartarus, a place of gloomy darkness.
I can hear the critics now. But Satan is still active! He prowls around like a roaring lion! Yes, this is true. But we must account for all of the passages that speak of the binding of Satan at Christ’s first coming, and of the imprisonment of demons in the abyss before and during Christ’s earthy ministry. 2 Peter 2:4 says that demons were cast into Tartarus when the sinned. Jude 6 also speaks of a binding of demons that took place long ago. And notice this: the demons who revealed themselves to Jesus as Legion clearly thought that the abyss was a place that Jesus Christ could cast them into at that very moment. “[T]hey begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss” (Luke 8:31). They were not yet bound in the abyss. They knew of the abyss. And they thought that Christ could cast them into the abyss at that very moment.
I will admit, there are mysteries here that I do not fully understand. But when all that Scriptures have to say on this subject are considered, one is left with the impression that the overthrow of Satan’s kingdom has been and will continue to be progressive. It seems that with the passing of time, and with every advancement in the accomplishment of our redemption, there is more damage done to the kingdom of Satan. There is more ground taken, if you will. There is more conquering and binding of the kingdom of darkness by the kingdom of light. Certainly, the greatest advancements were made at Christ’s first coming through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. And the Apostle reminds us that the end will one day come “when [Christ] delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24–26, ESV).
In verse 31 we are told that the demons “begged [Jesus] not to command them to depart into the abyss.” And in verse 32 we learn that the demons made a strange request. “Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission.” I cannot say that I fully understand what is going on here. It seems that these demons needed somewhere to go. They knew that Christ was evicting them from the man of the Gareasenes. They did not want to go to the abyss. And so they requested that Christ allow them to enter the filthy and unclean swine. And Christ gave them permission. Matthew 12:43-45 is also mysterious, but it seems to agree with this text. There Christ says, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation” (Matthew 12:43–45, ESV).
What happened next got everyone’s attention. Verse 33 says, “Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.” What a strange and frightening scene! Mark tells us in his gospel there were about 2,000 pigs in this herd. Can you imagine it? The question we must ask is, why? Why did Christ permit the demons to enter these pigs? And why did they rush down the hillside into the water and drown?
The commentaries I read all seem to assume that it was the demons who drove the pigs into the sea. As it pertains to the question of why, they suggest that it was because the demons were very cruel and only wished to do damage to God’s creation. I didn’t find that explanation to be very satisfying. As I reflected on this text the thought occurred to me that it was not the demons that drove the swine into the sea, but Christ himself. And if it was Christ who drove these demon-possessed pigs into the sea, the answer to the question of why becomes more clear. The demons begged to not be cast into the abyss. It seems to me that their request was denied.
The depths of the sea have always symbolized the abyss. The depths of the sea in the story of Jonah symbolized Sheol! After Jonah was cast into the stormy sea and swallowed by that great fish, “Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me”, etc. (Jonah 2:1–3, ESV). In the Scriptures, the sea signifies Sheol and the deep pit of the abyss.
Not long before this encounter with the demoniac on land, Jesus saved his disciple from the abyss by calming the wind and the waves with his word. “Master, Master, we are perishing!”, they said. “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.” (Luke 8:24, ESV). Christ saved his disciples who were with him in that little ark from perishing in the abyss of the sea! And once on land, Christ demonstrated his power and authority even over the demons. They begged to be spared from the abyss. As I have said, it appears to me that their request was denied, and Christ wanted everyone to know it. He permitted those filthy demons to enter those filthy pigs, and he drove them into the depths of the sea in order to demonstrate to all that he has the power and the authority to cast Satan and his demons into the abyss of Sheol now, and into the lake of fire on the day of judgment, to bind them there to be justly punished forever and ever. When the demons entered the swine, and when the swine rushed into the sea, it was a visible demonstration of the power of Christ over Satan and his demons. He has the power to cast them out and into the abyss. Is this not a picture of the redemption that Christ has accomplished? He came to save those who trust in him from the abyss of hell, and to conquer every evil principality and power.
Let us briefly return to the man out of whom these demons were driven. Verse 34: “When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.” The description of this man who had been delivered from such terrible oppression is marvelous. Notice, he is no longer fighting or fleeing, he is sitting at the feet of Jesus. The demons are no longer his lord – Christ is, and he is finally at peace. Furthermore, the text says that he is clothed. Yes, Christ does clothe and cover all who come to him by faith. Finally, the text says that he was in his right mind. So here we have a picture of what Christ does for all of his redeemed. He frees them from bondage to sin and Satan, he subdues them so that they honor him as Lord, he reconciles them to God through himself, so that they are at peace, he clothes them with his righteousness, and he renews their minds so that they might think rightly about God and their relationship to him in this world.
It is no wonder that the man begged to go with Jesus when Jesus got into the boat to return. Those who have been delivered from the domain of darkness by Jesus want nothing more than to be with him. But Christ sent him away saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” And so we see that even at this early point in Jesus’ ministry, the gospel of the kingdom began to spread out from Jerusalem and Judea to far-off places.
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Conclusion
Who then is this who commands the wind and the waves and they obey him? Who then is this who has the power to cast even a Legion of demons out of a man and into the abyss? His name is Jesus. And he is no ordinary man, but is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. He is the Messiah. He is the Savior. He is the only mediator between God and man. To be delivered from the domain of darkness, and to be saved from the abyss of hell, one must turn from their sins and trust in him. Have you?
And if you have, can you see what Christ has saved you from? Can you see his deliverance? Granted, the condition of this man of the Gerasenes was very extreme. Not many have been as opposed by demons to the degree that he was. But all who are not in Christ do in fact belong to the kingdom of Satan. And those in Christ have been delivered. Thanks be to God, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV)
