God is Greater

Series: The Gospel of Mark

Summary

God is Greater
06/30/2024

Mark 5:1-20
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

While the crowd continues to grow, the miracles and astounding teaching of Jesus continues as well. This time we Jesus demonstrate His complete, divine power over the powers of spiritual darkness.

I. The power of darkness is real, and it is crippling.

See Mark 5:1-5

A. While Mark and Luke focus on the one man whom Jesus spoke to, Matthew indicates that there were two men. Matthew 8:28 - And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.

B. This isn’t a mistake; it is simply a matter of focus for the author(s). While Luke and Mark focus on the one man, in no way do they indicate that there weren’t others in a similar state.

C. The man who was tormented by the unclean spirit were living miserable lives. Lived in a cemetery – had supernatural strength and couldn’t be bound with chains – crying out and cutting himself…

D. People in the area must have been terrified of him.

E. Spiritual darkness is real and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

II. The power of God is greater.

See Mark 5:6-13

A. As soon as the demons saw Jesus from afar, they knew they were in trouble!

B. His name was legion – for there were many… a legion in the Roman army is thought to have been at least 5,000 men – so this was a lot of demons.

C. Jesus had already withstood the temptation of Satan and stood victorious. But, the demons knew Him of His power long before then.

D. Jesus had been casting demons out of people and the dark world knew full well that they could not stand before His power.

E. But why did the demons want to stay in that geographical area? There are places that the power of darkness wreaks havoc on people who play with that power.

F. Jesus permits them to enter into the herd of pigs and they run them into the water – this demonstrated the power of darkness – but it also illustrated how much greater the power of God is…

G. Scripture reminds us that we fight against the power of darkness:

Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

H. It also reminds us that we were saved from darkness:

Colossians 1:13 - He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

I. Again, spiritual darkness is real, as is its destructive power and as such, it should not be played with. However, it cannot stand in the face of the power of God!

III: When those in the darkness are exposed to the Light, they can embrace it or retreat from it.

See Mark 5:14-17

A. The herdsmen were not super excited about the day’s events.

B. After seeing what had taken place – they feared Jesus even though before Jesus came and saved the demon possessed man from his torment, there were two demon possessed men tormenting other

C. People will often choose evil they are familiar with over grace they haven’t experienced. There is a strange comfort in what is known.

D. Instead of seeing this display of power and grace and wanting to know more about Jesus, they wanted Him gone.

E. We have a choice to whether we will dwell with the Lord and enjoy His many benefits, including His protection from the forces of darkness – or we can try to do it on our own…

IV: When the power of God disrupts your world, you become a compelling ambassador.

See Mark 5:18-20

A. Jesus didn’t allow the man to come with Him – He had other plans for him.

B. The Decapolis – a group of (about 10) cities - so the man became an ambassador of hope in his region.

C. The account ends with the words “and everyone marveled”.

D. Who has marveled at the difference the power of God has made in your life?

Conclusion:

In what way has God’s power been demonstrated in your life?
Are you moving toward the light, or sticking with the known darkness?
Who have you told about the power and mercy of God that has been demonstrated in your life?

Speaker: Dan Krause

June 30, 2024

Mark 5:1-20

Dan Krause

Lead Pastor