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Luke and the Man Whose Name Was Legion

Published March 14, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: demon possession, Legion, Luke

Luke 8:26-39

The record of this wonderful miracle is found in all three Synoptic Gospels. Mark gives us the most detailed account, Matthew the briefest. Luke’s version of the story follows Mark’s closely, differing in wording but very similar in fact.

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. (Luke 8:26 NIV84)

This seems like such an uneventful verse. In our minds we picture a most serene scene; Jesus and the 12 gently sailing across placid blue lake. But glancing back a few verses we realize what a terrible sequence of events led to this:

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. (Luke 8:23-26 NIV84)

How much wiser and stronger were the disciples after this experience? It must have been a terrifying experience and they must have learned a great lesson.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11 TNIV)

As Jesus and His friends entered the area of the Gersaenes, they were confronted by a sight might have put the faith of the 12 to the test, had they not just witnessed the power of Jesus manifested.

1. The man’s awful state

The description of the possessed man paints a terrible word-picture far worse than any Hollywood movie could depict.

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. (Luke 8:27 NIV84)

For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. (Luke 8:29 NIV84)

(a) Shameless

Here is the classic description of a demon possessed person. The symptoms appear to be very similar to certain types of mental illness, but the text does not say the man was mentally ill, it says he was demon possessed. The Jews knew the difference and certainly Luke – a physician – knew the difference. We can be absolutely certain that this man was not mentally ill, but spiritually possessed.

How bad off was this man? He ran around a graveyard completely naked. He was so occupied by evil spirits that he was either unaware or unconcerned that he was naked. Adam and Eve, the first sinners ever, knew they were naked and sought some kind of covering. But here is evidence of how far this man had sunk into his sin and degradation. He lived shamelessly.

(b) Friendless

Being completely in league with the Devil, he was cut off from anybody he ever had a relationship with and who cared for him: family and friends. Sin always isolates us from each other. Any parent knows this; when their child becomes distant and unusually quiet, that parent can be sure junior is into things he shouldn’t be.

Look at how pathetic this man was: he had no fellowship with his friends or family, so he was drawn to living among the dead in a cemetery. Even there, he could find no fellowship among the dead. What a miserable person this man had become.

(c) Helpless

He was “seized” or “driven” by the demon. The possessed man was completely wild and unmanageable. He had become like a wild beast, driven by the powerful impulses of the demons within. There was nothing anybody could do for him.

2. His attitude toward Christ

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” (Luke 8:28 NIV84)

In a word, the demon possessed man’s attitude toward Christ was: surprising.

(a) Fear

The man “fell at [Jesus’] feet.” The KJV gives us a different flavor:

But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him… (Mark 5:6 KJV)

The closer one gets to Christ – even a sinner as bad as this demon possessed man – the more the thoughts and intents of that sinner are revealed. Those who are stuck under the dominion of their sins know who Christ is; they are conscious of His presence and they know they cannot escape Him.

Was this man “worshiping” Jesus as we think of what worship is? Or did he simply fall down, or perhaps he threw himself down, at Jesus’ feet? The KJV may have overstated what the man did, but one thing is certain: the demon possessed man, as sinful and as “totally depraved” as he had become, understood something the disciples hadn’t: he knew who Jesus was: the Son of God. The disciples only got this far:

“Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:25b NIV84)

(b) Opposition

The demon possessed man cried out defiantly: “What do you want with me?” Obviously the demons infesting this man knew that Jesus was bad news for them. The demons feared Jesus and they were defiant to His face. But what was the “link” that drew the sin-loving man to the sin-hating Christ? What was the thing that connected the two? It was the love of God in Christ. These two men had nothing in common. Jesus, from above, the demon possessed man, from below. Separated from each other by an impassable gulf of sin. But the love of God bridged that gulf and placed Jesus in the way of this man.

(c) Entreaty

The demon possessed man came close to Jesus, and the demon(s) begged Jesus not to torture him (them). Again, we are struck by the knowledge of the demons versus the ignorance of the disciples. The implication in Luke is that Jesus had commanded the demon(s) to come out of the man and they were “scared to death” of where they would go. Likely the demon(s) thought they were to be sent to the bottomless pit to be tortured for all eternity.

At this point, it would be beneficial to point out that not one, but multiple sentient beings are dealt with here. First, and most obvious, the demons are being dealt with by our Lord. Almost every teaching and sermon dwells on Legion. Often overlooked is the man himself. While the demons cried out to Jesus, it was the man who approached Him. Why would a man suffering greatly under the influence of demons, come close to Jesus? He was hoping for help. What other reason could there have been? This demon possessed man, though possessed by many demons, still had presence of mind to recognize the possibility of help when he saw it.

Most of us are not demon possessed, but we are all sinners, and we all know the desire to live right but the seeming inability to do so. Both Christians and non-Christians struggle with this. The Christian is often torn. He is dead to sin, yet he is still tempted to sin and sometimes gives in to that temptation. The unbeliever, though not saved, may still want to live moral and ethical lives but they are torn between the desire to do that and the overwhelming urge to sin.

There is a school of theology that teaches the sinner must stop loving sin before coming to Jesus for salvation. If this story teaches anything, it’s the opposite. This “totally depraved” man, full of demons, still had the presence of mind to come to Jesus for help. What a helpful, encouraging lesson. Though no man can bring about his own salvation, Jesus can see the heart of any man and He, through a mysterious work of the Holy Spirit, is able to “draw all men to Himself.”

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32 NIV84)

3. The man’s complete deliverance

(a) Confession

Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion, ” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.” (Luke 8:30 NIV84)

Clearly Jesus knew all about the demons. Why did He ask them an unnecessary question? Jesus wanted to make the demon possessed aware of the seriousness of his present condition. This man had been “lost in himself” for so long; now he needed to be brought back to his real self; he needed to have his consciousness strengthened. This man, after all, though he had come to identify himself with the demons that inhabited him, was not a demon. He was a man.

Jesus was able to get the demons to make a startling confession: they were many! They say “confession is good for the soul,” and when it comes to God, it never does anybody any good to hide anything from Him! The demons needed to be taught to obey The Lord, and the man needed to hear the truth. He was full of things not natural to human beings.

(b) Emancipation

…and the people went out to see what had happened. 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; and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35 NIV84)

The demons were driven completely from the man’s body and into a herd of pigs. Many Bible readers get stuck on this point: why pigs? And the answer everybody thinks is so clever is: pigs are unclean animals, so who cares about the pigs? But there is a greater issue at work here, one that Jesus was aware of, which is why He sent the demons into the pigs. Somebody owned these pigs; they belonged to somebody. The owners of these pigs needed to be taught a lesson: all things belong to God. Besides, the owners of these pigs, like everybody else in the community, were selfish. They considered a herd of pigs of greater value than the salvation of one man. Upon learning that the demons went into the herd of pigs, the people responded like this:

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. (Luke 8:37 NIV84)

They were overcome with fear; fear that they might lose even more property!

But this man, for his part in the story, was set gloriously free. The salvation that Jesus provides is complete and lacks nothing. When you are saved, you are delivered from whatever sin held you in is its grip. Not only that, a born again individual wants to follow Jesus, like this man did:

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him… (Luke 8:38 NIV84)

A newly born again person wants to be in the presence of Jesus all the time. That may make the newly saved person feel good, but what good does that do anybody else? Jesus drives the point home:

“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. (Luke 8:39 NIV84)

(c) Witness

There was no denying that God had done a great thing for this man, and this man had to testify; he had to tell people what God did for him. It’s all part of being a Christian: bearing witness for Jesus Christ. People need to hear about the goodness of God, so why not from you? Even though Jesus Himself heeded the town’s people request to leave, the man Jesus set free became the first Gentile missionary!

A funny thing happened in the Synagogue…

Published November 13, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: demon possession, Luke

Luke 4:31—37

Historian Luke records a number of incidents in 4:31—44 that take place in Capernaum, which was Jesus’ home base during His work in and around Galilee. Bible scholars note that here we see the power Jesus has over demons and diseases. But in the incident in the synagogue, we learn something about those who attend “religious services.” It’s not always saints who attend “religious services.” In the synagogue this particular day was one possessed by an unclean spirit. Right at the outset of this story, then, we learn that not everybody is what they seem. Who would have dreamed that a demon-possessed person would want to go to church?

Both Luke and Mark tell a similar story. In Mark, the story is found in 1:21—28. Luke, writing to Theophilus, a Greek, adds a detail Mark, writing to people familiar with the territory, left out.

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. (Mark 1:21)

Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. (Luke 4:31, 32)

Once again, Jesus, as was His custom, went to the local synagogue. Clearly Jesus was known well enough for those in charge of that synagogue to ask Him to teach. His teaching was so profound, those in the congregation that Sabbath were literally “struck out of themselves,” or as we might say, “the couldn’t believe their ears.” Now, their state of amazement didn’t last long, but amazed they were with Jesus’ teaching. What did Jesus say that was so amazing? Consider:

Jesus spoke the truth. The teachings of the scribes and Pharisees were marked by corruption and evasion (Matthew 5:21ff).
Jesus taught about important things; matters of life and death, time and eternity. The Pharisees often wasted their time on trivial matters (Luke 11:42; Matt. 23:23).
Jesus taught systematically; He often reasoned with His listeners. The religious leaders often rambled on and on, as evidenced by the writings of the Talmud.
Jesus engaged His listeners by using parables and illustrations. Their “speeches” were dry and old.
Jesus preached and taught as One concerned with those in His audience. Jesus cared about them and addressed their needs. The religious types were cold and had no love for people (Luke 20:47)
Jesus spoke with authority because His message came from His heart; it was part of who He was. The scribes, though, always took their teachings from the fallible doctrines of man; scribe quoting scribe, never saying anything original or from their heart.

No wonder those in the synagogue that Sabbath were astonished. Jesus’ message and His presentation must have been so refreshing!

1. The enemies of Jesus

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice… (verse 33)

Actually, there were two in opposition to Jesus this day: the demon and the man possessed by the demon. An innocent person is never indwelt by a demon. Only those who are already opposed to God and in league with the devil can be possessed.

An interesting observation should be made at this point. Many, if not all, primitive people attributed physical illnesses and mental abnormalities to the influence and operation of evil spirits. But not the New Testament writers. They recognized when a person was ill because of a physical disease and very often they were healed by Jesus or other apostles. But, as Luke himself notes, they also recognized when a person was inhabited by a foreign spirit; an “unclean” or demonic spirit.

“Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (verse 34)

Notice what the demonic spirit said to Jesus:

It knew who Jesus was.

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!

The demon knew exactly who Jesus was. Naturally it would know who Jesus was! Jesus is the Son of God; divinity in the flesh. This demon, as all demons are, was subject to the Son of God from all eternity. But what’s really significant here was that the demon acknowledged both of Jesus’ natures, referring to our Lord as “the Holy One of God,” Jesus’ divine nature, and “Jesus of Nazareth,” acknowledging Jesus’ human nature. The demon may have been wicked and evil, but it was not ignorant on this point.

It knew why Jesus was there.

Have you come to destroy us?

Did the demon have a complete understanding of Christ’s mission? Did Jesus come to destroy demons and those possessed by them? Here we see the ignorance of the demon on display. In fact, Jesus mission was clearly spelled out in Luke 19:10—

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Yes, Jesus did come to destroy all evil and end all opposition to God, but the Son of God was made flesh to seek and to save the lost! But neither God nor Jesus is unjust. That’s why our Lord drove demons out of people in order to save the person.

It shunned His presence

What do you want with us…

There is absolutely nothing similar between light and dark; between good and evil. The devil and all who serve him will always shun and hate the light because it shows them for what they really are.

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:15)

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (John 3:21)

The demons knew who Jesus was and they knew He would never have anything good to do with them!

Do the demons of Hell know you as a child of God? Would they ever say to you what they said to Jesus, “What do you want with us?”

It wanted to be left alone

Let us alone (KJV)

Not only do demons want to be left alone in their sin, but all those leaning in their direction want nothing to do with God and God’s people. It’s the exact opposite with people of God; those who love Christ want to spend time with Him and be in His presence and associate with God’s people.

2. The word of Jesus

God’s Word is quick and powerful. God’s Word is:

A word of conviction

Be quiet!

Jesus does not acknowledge anything the demon said; He had no interest in hearing a single, corrupt word. Besides, what right had that demon to interrupt our Lord in a synagogue on the Sabbath? So Jesus sternly rebukes the demon with a terse authority that must have caught the attention of all onlookers.

The very first work of Jesus is to silence the sinner:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. (Romans 3:19)

What silences the mouth of a sinner? The Word of God! It turns self-justification into self-conviction. When the sinner stands in the light of God’s grace, mercy, and justice, what can he possibly say?

A word of conversion

Come out of him!

Jesus issued a simple command which the demon obeyed immediately, without question. The Word of God is the only way of salvation. This demon possessed man needed to be set free; obviously just sitting in a religious service did him no good at all! What he needed what an authoritative dose of the Word of God.

Going to church week after week, going to Bible studies, or sitting in counselling sessions will not save anybody; what saves an individual is the Gospel.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

The Word of God is stronger than any evil spirit and is more than strong enough to save even the vilest sinner. No soul is so polluted that the blood of Jesus can’t clean it. There is no thought, no matter how corrupt or profane, that God cannot cast out. Jesus Christ is THE Savior; He is THE deliverer; He is the only who can set the sinner free.

3. The work of the devil

Then the demon threw the man down before them all … (verse 35)

Even though the demon left immediately, he tried to harm the man, which he was not allowed to do. We get the impression that it took a few moments for the demon to completely leave its host, and while it was leaving it wanted to harm him. This is the end goal of all Satanic activity: to harm human beings. Satan hates man with ever fibre of his being because he sees in us the image of God. This evil prince of darkness does all he can do to hurt human beings.

We are living in the end times, and the closer we get to the Second Coming of Christ, the closer Satan gets to his inevitable end. He will do all he can to take as many human beings down with him just to spite God. Is it any wonder why, in these last days, we see an increase in evil and demonic activity on Earth?

4. The triumph of Jesus

...[It] came out without injuring him.

See the care and compassion of Jesus on display! He would not allow this demon to harm its host. The hapless, helpless possessed man could not stop the demon from trying to harm him; Jesus had to step in and make sure he was left alone.

The demonic spirit came out of the man without injuring the man in any way; physically and spiritually. The man was left whole; his soul cleansed. When Jesus saves, He saves completely and effectually.

No demon can stand against the Word of God because all spiritual forces are bound by the Law of God. That’s why God will always triumph of the devil.

5. The audience reacts

All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” (verse 36)

Not only were these people astonished with Jesus’ teaching, they were amazed with what they saw and heard Jesus doing in exorcising this demon. What a stark contrast between His teaching and that of the religious leaders, and between His exorcism and the useless, mindless ritualistic activity of the peddlers of religion. Jesus, unlike those selling religion, was a “Man of action.” He was on a mission to save and to set people free.

Just as Jesus called men to follow Him, He commanded demons to leave people. He calls, He saves, and He sets people free. The only power that can do this is the power of God’s Word. God is the God of hope. The devil is the spirit of despair.