He Delivers Hope | Jesus Heals a Demoniac Mk 5:1-20 | The Pulpit Commentary Exposition
Service
Invocation:
Holy Father, teach us about your heart. Lead us in the everlasting way, the truth,
and life of Jesus the Christ our Lord. Amen.
Opening
Word:
 |
| Buddy Bishop in his Library (Ai Enhanced Photo) |
The Buddy Bishop Library’s
Pulpit Commentary includes twenty-three volumes covering exposition,
homiletics, and homilies. Today, I
reference Volume 16 alongside Mark’s account of the Gerasene miracle, where the
town lost 2,000 swine but gained a transformed man through Jesus (Cite 1). The library, curated by a former Pastor, is
now dedicated to supporting future pastors and lay leaders.
 |
| Jesus Delivered Hope at Gadarene |
Song
Service
Chorus Lyric:
“I sought the Lord
and He heard, and He answered” x3.
“That’s why I trust Him” x2 (Trust In God by
Elevation Worship)
Sermon
Our Hope is anchored in Jesus
the Blessed Hope
Main Text/Topic
Both textual and topical.
Each text primarily comes from Mt. Mk. Lk. Concentrating upon Mark’s text 5:1-20 (Note
2). The topic is Deliverance Ministry.
Intro:
Part of the Sermon Series Titled: “He Delivers Hope.” Which has 4 Sermons: “More Jesus, more miracles,” “Delivered,” “Sanctified” and “Charged.” Three more plausibly coming soon
Titled: “Convicted”, “Sentenced” & “Commissioned.”
Delivered, Sanctified, Convicted and Sentenced—commissioned to mission. Jesus heals a demoniac in Mark 5:1–20. Kingdom purpose ignited through testimony.
This is further examination of the contents of Mark’s
Gospel according to scholastic contributors of The Pulpit Commentary (Cite 1).
Transcription | “The Gospel According to St. Mark Volume 1
Introduction
 |
| Four Creatures Ezekiel 1:10 | John 4:7 |
The four living creatures mentioned in Ezekiel [(1:10)], and which reappear in a modified form in the Apocalypse of St. John [(4:7)], are interpreted by very many Christian writers to signify the fourfold Gospel, the four faces representing the four evangelists.
- The face of a man is supposed to denote St. Mathew, who describes the actions of our Lord more especially as to his human nature.
- The face of an eagle is understood to indicate St. John, who soars at once into the highest heavens, and commences his Gospel with that magnificent declaration, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- The face of an ox symbolizes St. Luke, who commences his narrative with the priesthood of Zacharias.
- While, lastly, the face of a lion represents St. Mark, because he opens his Gospel with the trumpet voice, like the roaring of a lion, the loud call of the Baptist to repentance.
These four carried the chariot of the gospel throughout the world, and subdued the nations to the obedience of Christ, the mighty Conqueror (Cite 1).
Analysis: Mk 5:1-20 “On landing on the eastern
coast, our Lord is met by a man who is possessed (Note 3). Our Lord heals him and suffers the
dispossessed evil spirits to enter into a herd of swine.” (Cite 5)
 |
| E.H. Bickersteth (Ai Enhanced Portrait) |
1.
Exposition (by Edward Henry Bickersteth)
“Ver. 1. —And they came to the other side of the sea. The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gerasenes, which is now [1950] generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.
There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. The ruins of the Gerasa, here referred to, have been recently discovered (by Dr. Thomson, ‘The Land and the Book’). Immediately over this spot is a lofty mountain, in which are ancient tombs: and from this mountain there is an almost perpendicular declivity, literally (Greek) corresponding accurately to what is required by the description in the narrative of the miracle.
Dr. Farrar (‘Life of Christ’) says that in
the days of Eusebius and Jerome, tradition pointed to a “steep place” near
“Gerasa” as the scene of the miracle.
The foot of this steep is washed by the waters of the lake, which are at
once very deep.”
“Vers. 2-5. –There met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. St. Matthew says that there were two. St. Luke, like St. Mark, mentions only one, and him “possessed with devils,” The one mentioned by St. Mark was no doubt the more prominent and fierce of the two. This does not mean merely a person with a disordered intellect (Note 6).
No doubt, in this case, as in that of insanity, physical causes may have helped to lay the victim open to such an incursion; and this may account for cases of possession being enumerated with various sicknesses, though distinguished from them. But our Lord evidently deals with these persons, not as persons suffering from insanity, but as the subjects of an alien spiritual power [(supernatural)], external to themselves. He addresses the unclean spirit through the man that was possessed, and says, “come forth, thou unclean spirit” (ver. 8).
There met him out of the tombs. The Jews did not have their burial-places in their cities, lest they should be defiled; therefor they buried their dead without the gates in the fields or mountains. Their sepulchres were frequently hewn out of the rock in the sides of the limestone hills, and they were lofty and capacious; so that the living could enter them, as if into a vault. So, this demoniac dwelt in the tombs, because the unclean spirit drove him thither, where the associations of the place would accord with his malady and aggravate its symptoms.
St. Matthew, speaking of the two, says that they were “exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass that way.” The demoniac particularly mentioned by St. Mark is described as having been possessed of that extraordinary muscular strength which maniacs so often put forth; so that all efforts to bind and restrain him had proved ineffectual. No man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain (Greek). Chains and fetters had often been tried, but in vain. Frequently too, in the paroxysms of his malady, he would turn his violence against himself, crying out, and cutting himself with stones.”
“Vers. 6. –And when he saw Jesus from afar. These words, “from afar,” explain the fact of our Lord being immediately met by the man as soon as he left the boat. Vers. 3—5 inclusive must be regarded as parenthetical.
They describe the ordinary condition of the demoniac, and his sad wild life from day to day. From the high ground which he frequented he had seen the boat, in which Jesus was, nearing the shore. He had seen the other boats. Perhaps he had seen the sudden rise of the storm and its equally sudden suppression; and he, like others who witnessed it, was affected by it [(Calming the Sea Miracle Mk. 4:35; Mt. 8:23; Lk 8:22)].
So, he hastened to the shore; he ran and
worshipped him. He felt the power of
his presence, and so he was constrained through fear to do him reverence, for
“the devils also believe and shudder (Greek)” (Jas. [2:19]).”
“Ver. 7. –He cried with a loud voice; that is, the evil spirit cried out, using the organs of the man whom he possessed. What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? From hence it appears that although at the great temptation of our Lord in the wilderness, Satan had but an imperfect knowledge of him; yet now, after the evidence of these great miracles, and more especially of his power over the evil spirits, there was a general belief amongst the hosts of evil that he was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah.
I adjure thee by God, torment me not. The torment which he dreaded was that which he might suffer after expulsion. So, St. Luke says that they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Great as this mystery of evil is, we may believe that the evil spirits, although while they roam about upon this earth they are in misery, still it is some alleviation that they are not yet shut up in the prison-house of hell, but are suffered to wander about and in their depraved pleasure in tempting men; so that, if possible, they may at last drag them down with them into the abyss.
For
they are full of hatred of God and envy of man; and they find a miserable
satisfaction in endeavoring to keep men out of those heavenly mansions from which,
through pride, they are themselves now for ever excluded.”
“Vers. 8, 9. –For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man; literally, for he was saying (Greek). The unclean spirit endeavored to arrest, before it was spoken, that word of power which he knew he must obey.
So, in what follows, He was asking him (Greek), What is thy name? Why does our Lord ask this question? Clearly to elicit from him an answer that would reveal the multitude of the evil spirits, and so make his own power over them to be fully known.
And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. The Roman legion consisted of six thousand soldiers. But the word is here used indefinitely for a large number. St. Luke so explains it where he says (8:30), “And he said, Legion: for many devils were entered into him.”
This revelation is doubtless designed to teach us how great the number is as well as the malignity of the evil spirits. If one human being can be possessed by so many, how vast must be the host of those who are permitted to have access to the souls of men, and if possible lead them to destruction!
Satan here imitates him who
is “The Lord of hosts.” He too marshals
his hosts, that he may fight against God and his people. But “for this purpose was the Son of God
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” [(1Jn
3:8)]
“Ver. 10. –And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. It would appear as though this evil spirit felt (speaking in the name of other evil spirits) that if they were driven out from their present dwelling-places, their condition would be changed for the worse; and that until the time should come when they were to be cast into the abyss, their best relief was to possess some materialism, to occupy flesh and blood, and that flesh and blood tenanted by a spiritual being, through whom they might torment others.
They could
find no rest, no relief, but in this.
“The unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through
waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not” (Mt.
[12:43]). Even the swine were
better than nothing; but that dwelling did not serve the evil spirits long.”
“Ver. 11. –Now there was there nigh unto the mountains—literally, on the mountain side (Greek)—a great herd of swine feeding. St. Matthew says ([8:30]), “There was a good way off from them:” our Lord’s interview with the demoniac was on the seashore. “The herd of swine,” two thousand in number (as St. Mark tells us, with his usual attention to details), were at a distance, feeding on the slopes of the mountain.
The Jews were not allowed to eat swine’s
flesh. But Jews were not the only
inhabitants of that district. It had
been colonized, at least in part, by the Romans immediately after the conquest
of Syria, some sixty years before Christ.
It was in this district that ten cities are said to have been built by
the Romans, whence the territory acquired the name of the “the Decapolis.” And though the Jews were forbidden by their
Law to eat this kind of food, yet they were not forbidden to breed swine for
other uses, such as provisioning the Roman army.”
“Ver. 12. –Send us into the swine, that we may enter
into them. And he gave them leave. They could not enter even into the swine
without Christ’s permission; how much less into “the sheep of his pasture”!”
“Ver. 13. –The unclean spirits came out, and entered
into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place (Greek)—literally,
down the steep—into the sea,…and were choked in the sea. By this Christ shows of how little worth are
earthly possessions when set in the balance with the souls of men. The recovery of this demoniac was worth far
more than the value of the two thousand swine.”
“Ver. 14. —And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. St. Matthew mentions only the city. St. Mark’s narrative is more full. No doubt man of these swineherds lived in the country districts; and so the fame of the miracle was spread far and wide. The swineherds would take care that the owners should understand that it was through no fault or carelessness on their part that the swine had perished; but that the destruction was caused by a power over which they had no control.
And they—i.e., the owners—came to see what it was that had come to pass. Their first care was to see the extent of their loss; and this was soon revealed to them. They must have seen the [carcasses] of the swine floating hither and thither in the now calm and tranquil sea; and when they had thus satisfied themselves as to the facts, “they came to Jesus.”
St. Mark here uses
the historic present, “they come to Jesus,” that they might behold him of whom
these great things were told, as well as the man out of whom the evil spirits
had gone when they entered into the swine.
They were, of course, concerned to know the magnitude of their loss, and
the mode in which it had happened, that they might see whether there were any
means by which it might be made up to them.”
“Vers. 15. –And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with devils sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion; and they were afraid.
 |
| Gerasene Clothed in his Right Mind |
St. Luke adds that they found him sitting at the feet of Jesus. It is likely enough that the man, as soon as he found himself dispossessed, had cast himself at the feet of Jesus, and was worshipping him; but that, when bidden by Christ to sit, he chose to place himself at his feet. “He was clothed, and in his right mind.”
What a contrast to the previous
description! “And they were
afraid.” They dreaded Christ’s
power. They saw that he was almighty;
but they did not seek to know his love, and so to attain to that love which
“casteth out fear.”[1Jn 4:18 KJV]
Vers. 16, 17. —How it befell him that was possessed with devils, and concerning the swine. The loss of the swine. They could not get over that. They thought far more of the worldly loss than of the spiritual; and they began to beseech him to depart from their borders. St. Luke ([8:37]) says that “they were taken (Greek) [literally, were holden] [(not my edit)] with great fear.”
This was the dominant feeling. They did not entreat him to depart out of humility, as though they felt themselves unworthy of his presence; but out of servile, slavish fear, lest his continued presence among them might bring upon them still greater losses.
They saw that
Jesus, a Jew according to the flesh, was holy, powerful, Divine. But they knew that they were Gentiles, aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel.
Wherefore they feared lest he should punish them more grievously, both
on account of their being Gentiles and on account of their past sins. It was not, therefore, so much on account of
hatred, as out of a timorous fear, that they besought Jesus that he would
depart out of their borders.”
Vers. 18—20. –And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with devils besought him that he might be with him. It was natural that he should desire this. It would be grateful and soothing to him to be near to Christ, from whom he had received so great a benefit and yet hoped for more.
And he suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. Our Lord here takes a different course from what he so often took. He saw, no doubt, that this restored demoniac was fitted for missionary work; and there was no reason to apprehend any inconvenience to himself in consequence from a people who wished to get rid him.
And
he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis—in Decapolis i.e
through the whole district of the then cities—how great things Jesus had
done for him. This would bring him
into contact alike with Gentiles and with Jew; and so, this dispossessed
demoniac became a missionary to both Jew and Gentile. Here he planted the standard of the cross.”
Sermon Summary & Conclusion:
Jesus delivered, sanctified, and charged this man with the
gift of Apostleship, convincing him to stay with the community and sentencing him
to share testimony of what God had done for him. This man delivered of the legion of demonic
influence was empowered to plant the standard of the cross.
This validates and helps us further understand the lesson to
help us prevent spiritual malpractice in Deliverance Ministry. In Mt. 12:38-45; (Lk
11:14-36; Lk 24-26) the religious scribes of the Pharisees desired to “see a
sign from” Jesus. Jesus warns them and
shares with us the next crucial step for the delivered person. The Charge, Conviction & Sentencing to
serve God.
Sermon Exhortation:
{Spur them on!}
Jesus exposes darkness, heals you and makes you whole then gives you
purpose from the pain you once held. A
new creation with new hope. A new
creation with a defined purpose, promise & providence.
Sentencing to "mission” is not punishment—it is purpose. This demoniac’s testimony begins not with freedom alone, but with divine assignment.
Sermon Altar Call to Action:
"Prepared for
Glory—Commissioned for Good"
Is there anyone here today
feeling helpless, hopeless or Mendless? Mendless—no
plausible healing; chronic affliction.
Jesus is ready to meet you—not just with
compassion, but with purpose. You are
not forgotten. You are not disqualified. In fact, you may be exactly who He wants to
raise up next.
Romans 9:23 reminds us that we are the objects
of His mercy, prepared in advance for glory. That means your story is not over—it is just
beginning. What may feel like sentencing
is actually sending. What may feel like
conviction is part of His sanctifying call.
And Ephesians 2:10 declares that you are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for you to do. You
were not just saved from something—you were saved for something. The work is
waiting. And so is your charge.
So, let me ask again: Are you seeking
conviction? Have you received your
sentencing?
Then come—take His yoke of righteousness. Be delivered.
Be sanctified. Be sent. Because the hope He gives is not passive. It is prepared. And it is powerful.
Sermon Prayer & song:
Enter Prayer for action, following, understanding. Song to sing?
Enter Hymnal Page or Refer to Song Service a chorus or song.
Service
Benediction:
Most gracious & merciful God, we love you and thank you for the positional sanctification by your One and Only begotten son. His blood is upon us, and we thank you for this atonement of sin. We are covered by His generous love, and we love you back. Have your way in us that we may grow to an incredible conviction that you are sovereign and in control of all things. Let us become contagious Christians. We need you to help us mature into trees that bear good fruit. You are faithful to prepare us for your promises. You are trustworthy to empower us with the right set of priorities that we will not sin against you hindering your daily bread for us. Thank you for this forgiveness through Jesus the Christ our Lord. As we grow closer with thee may we in turn grow authentic relationships with the people in our sphere of influence. We have the power to be led not into temptation but away from evil. We Your people, thank you for the privilege to praise you, our One and only true God. Amen.
Next
Week:
I anticipate a return to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount but may have the message titled "In the Book of Life" ready. Come on back now, yaw hear?
Sources,
Credits, Citations & Notes:
- Cite. From the library of Rev. William S. “Buddy” Bishop. Gift from surviving spouse Cecily Bishop | The Pulpit Commentary Edited by H.D.M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell | Vol. 16 | Published in 1962 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan | Exposition by E. Bickersteth | Homiletics by J. R. Thomson | Homilies by Various Authors: A. Rowland, A. F. Muir, J. J. Given, E. Johnson and R. Green. The MARK 5:1-20 Pg. 208-211. Now curating in the Buddy Bishop Library at Dove Creek Assembly of God.
- Note. What translation did the Expositor use in The Pulpit Commentary? Brief investigation resulted in no clear answer. I suspected that it was KJV, but I was not convinced of this. Volume 1/23 and Vol. 23/23 didn’t provide the answer either. Moving on by categorizing this as a cold case for further investigation later perhaps. A brief skim side by side comparison of the KJV to the bold text from the Expositor will likely match the KJV. The NKJV was not published at the making of this Exposition by E. Bickersteth. This isn’t cold for me anymore, how about you?1.
- Note. An excerpt about the word possessed from
The Full
Armor of God by Larry Richards. In chapter 3 Understanding Spiritual Forces
Pg. 22 Larry shares
“One special note. The danger from demons is not being “demon possessed.” The word possessed is not found in the gospels. The Greek word is daimonizomai, which simply means “demonized.” Demons do not “possess” their victims, in the sense of gaining control.
What demons do is influence us. They tempt us, twist our thinking, and cloud our understanding. They lie to us about our identity in Christ, telling us we are useless and hopeless. Demons encourage bitterness and anger and destroy healthy relationships. They stimulate our fears and cause panic. They drown us in depression and despair. They tell us that we cannot risk stepping out in faith to respond to God’s Word. Demons push us toward addictions that can ruin our lives. And sometimes in the process demons ruin our health.
In all these ways demons can and do oppress believers. It is no wonder Paul uses one of his letters to spell out God’s defense against demons. And to set God’s people free.” – Larry Richards
Go Deeper "were possessed" occurs five times in five verses in the KJV. BLB
Possession Ephesians 1:14
Cite 1 Introduction pg. i; Introduction pg. x.
Note. Use of the underlines throughout this document is tribute to the former owner of the book attributed from Rev. Buddy Bishop’s time in this text.
Note [INTRO] my use of the brackets is to indicate editorial change or transliteration along the path of these transcriptions. There is one transcription of the original Cite 1 Text.
Who are William "Buddy" Bishop & Edward Henry Bickersteth? More about the library and this Pulpit Commentary contributor HERE.
Comments
Post a Comment