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Jesus … God and saviour!
‘It’s all happening’ (‘Almost Famous’, 2000)
A stormy sea, terrified disciples, naked mad men, thousands of demons, stampeding pigs, fearful townsfolk. There is so much going on in this 2 part story it is very easy to miss Mark’s point.
Hamish last week spoke of the classic Mark Sandwich … two slices of narrative with the meat, key to understanding the passage, in the middle. The calming of the storm is one slice; the exorcism, the other; and the key to understanding the passage? … The terrified disciples question in (v.41) ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.’
‘Who is this?’
JI Packer, ‘Knowing God’ …
‘Mark makes it clear that the more Jesus gave himself to his disciples, the more of an awesome enigma they found him – the closer they came to him, the less they understood him … as their acquaintance with him deepened they were brought closer to his own understanding of himself as God and saviour, and this was something of which they could make neither head nor tail.’ (P.173)
Who is Jesus?
Jesus’ miracles clearly demonstrate he is God … displaying his total control over both the natural and the supernatural worlds, easily and effortlessly he exercises his authority.
Jesus’ death clearly demonstrates he is saviour … Saving his people from God’s judgement and Satan’s enslavement
The apostle Peter …
‘ransomed (delivered) … with the precious blood of Christ’ (1 Peter 1:18, 19)
The apostle Paul …
‘Christ died for our sins’. (1 Corinthians 15:3)
As ‘a propitiation by his blood’ (Romans 3:25)
‘The son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20)
The apostle John …
‘To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood’. (Revelation 1:5)
Today
We meet Jesus, God and saviour…
We’re left with a choice … just one
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Three key salvation truths …
Do you remember the 2018 Thailand cave rescue …
Twelve junior soccer players, Thai boys aged 11 – 16, and their 25 y.o. assistant coach, trapped in an extensive cave system in northern Thailand. They were trapped, prisoners, unable to save themselves. Someone else had to take the initiative, or else they would perish.
Same with the demon possessed man; someone else must take the initiative. That is exactly what Jesus, God and saviour, does.
It is evening by the shore at Capernaum, at Jesus direction, his initiative, a small flotilla heads SE, across the Sea of Galilee to ‘the other side’. On the way, sometime in the night, they encounter a furious squall. A storm so violent the disciples thought they would die, so terrifying they accused Jesus of not caring they were perishing.
JI Packer … with ‘breathtaking naturalness, Jesus assumed absolute authority’ over the wind and the waves, demonstrating that he is none other than the LORD of the OT.
Psalm 107 says this of the LORD … ‘He made the storm be still, the waves of the sea were hushed, and the waters were quiet.’ (ESV))
Jesus the LORD, great I AM, ‘the reality behind all reality, the underlying cause of all causes and all events … self-existent, and sovereign.’ (Packer, P. 183)
Jesus is the God who seeks, who takes the initiative … to set the captive free.
(5:1) ‘They went across the lake (the Sea of Galilee) to the region of the Gerasenes‘ …
They travelled 10 km or so, to gentile Gerasenes on the eastern shore.
(v.2) ‘When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him’ …
Barely out of the boat Jesus is met by a demon possessed mad man who has rushed from the tombs to meet Jesus.
There is no doubt this man was demon possessed. Mark describes a real person under the control of real evil spirits.
With the coming of Jesus the Gospels show increased, outward demonic activity. The disciples with other 1st C. Jewish people understood very well the difference between demon possession and illness. They did not, in ignorance, categorise all mental and physical ailments as demon possession (Hendriksen, P.64).
Mark 1 … ‘That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon possessed … Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons … ‘ (Mark 1:32-34)
There were the sick and there were the demon possessed. The people knew the difference; and Jesus, has power and authority over both.
Now Jesus, having first bound Satan in the wilderness temptations, begins to plunder Satan’s house, setting the captives free (Mark 3:27)
Mark continues verse 3 and 4 …
(v.3 – 5) ‘This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain … he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones’.
However it happened this man was now the prisoner of evil spirits. Totally under their destructive influence and control, driven from the life he once knew, dead even as he lived, a prisoner though none could chain him.
Night and day among the tombs and in the surrounding hills his cries echoed, in his despair and desperation he would cut himself with stones.
No one could save him, he certainly could not save himself, he was without hope, alone, tormented, and abandoned … except by Jesus, the God who seeks, the God who takes the initiative, the God who sets the captive free, the God who saves.
The story continues …
(v.6 – 8) ‘When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus Son of the Most High God? Swear to God you won’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man you evil spirit!”
Jesus is Son of the Most High God
A second thing that stands out about the Thai cave rescue is that its success depended on the unique abilities of one person
Australian Dr Richard Harris, medical doctor, specialist anaesthetist, experienced in natural disaster response and body retrieval, and cave diver with over 30 years’ experience, a man whose efforts throughout the rescue have been described as essential. (Wikipedia)
Our salvation is dependent on the unique abilities of one person, Jesus, the Son of God.
The man has been watching from a distance. From up among the tombs he could see out over the lake and the approaching boats. Off he ran toward them meeting Jesus just as he stepped out of the boat.
The Jewish religious leaders are conspiring against Jesus, His disciples are confused about him, but the evil spirits know and declare exactly who he is … ‘Son of the Most High God’.
Jesus as ‘Son of God’ can mean 4 things in the NT …
(‘A Theology of the New testament’, George Eldon Ladd, from P. 160)
Which meaning does the evil spirit have in mind here?
The evil spirit recognising Jesus responds in awe, throwing the man down before Jesus’ divine majesty. Then, realises Jesus is also God’s saviour king …
“What do you want with me Jesus, God’s conquering king, I beg you do not throw me into the pit before it is time.’ (paraphrase)
Jesus, Son of God, God’s divine and conquering king will cast Satan, and all evil spirits, into the lake of fire and sulphur, where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev 20:10). This will happen on the day Jesus returns and God’s work of salvation is complete.
Demons are orthodox in their theology…
It is we human beings, under their destructive, deceptive influence that get it wrong; and how wrong we have got it. The apostle John calls Satan, ‘the deceiver of the whole world’ (Rev 12:9)
Jesus is the higher power …
Notice Jesus does not call on the name of God, or some higher power to cast out the demons, as is the usual formula (Acts 19:13). He simply says, ‘Come out … ‘
Jesus is the higher power.
‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter)
Mark continues from v.9 – 17 …
‘Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion”, he replied, “For we are many”. And he begged Jesus again not to send them out of the area.’
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs, allow us to go into them”. He gave them permission and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd about 2000 in number rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.’
Those tending the pigs 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, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon possessed man, and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.’
God saves by his spoken word …
God’s word expresses his will and causes his will to be done. (‘Knowing God’, P. 98)
Jesus’ first sermon … ‘The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news’. (Mark 1:15)
Believe the good news and you will be saved … that in Jesus God’s kingdom has come.
Repent … turn from your sin and acknowledge Jesus as king.
If you do you will be saved from God’s judgement and enslavement to Satan, sin forgiven, restored to God, enemy no more.
A third thing that stands out about the Thai cave rescue is every one of the boys and their coach were saved… None were left behind.
All those Jesus died for will be saved.
None of those given to him by his father will be lost.
Whoever believes in him will be saved.
What about the pigs?
Most of us get hung up on the pigs at this point … those poor, cute, little floppy eared pigs, how could Jesus be so cruel? And what about their owners … Someone just lost a lot of money!
No one knows all that took place here. Some things we can say though …
Firstly, it was only Jesus who could set this man free. No one else was able. Only Jesus could save him, free him from bondage to Satan.
Secondly, the people present were not primarily concerned about the pigs. No one was demanding Jesus reimburse them for their pigs. Their response was fear; they begged Jesus to leave their region.
Surely the biggest concern and question we should have is …
What about the people?
They were happy enough amongst demons; it was Jesus they wanted to get rid of. A demon possessed man they could live with, not though a man set free, or the one who set him free.
Remember how the apostle John puts it …
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life… this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their works were evil … lest his works be exposed’ (John 3:16 – 21)
So we have a choice.
One choice, many ways to frame it …
Jesus is the God, who sets the captive free
‘As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who was demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you’. So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.’
‘No longer Satan’s prisoner, the man finds himself transferred to a position of trust in the service of God … Jesus found him, called him to himself, took him into his confidence and enrolled him as his agent to declare to his friends and family the kingdom of God’. (‘Knowing God’, P. 33)
Meet the first Christian missionary. What a message … ‘I was in bondage, under the destructive sway of evil spirits. No one could help me. I was alone; despairing, then one day Jesus came to me and set me free. Jesus is God and my saviour. He can be yours too’
Naturally, the man wanted to be with Jesus. But Jesus says no. It wasn’t just you I came for, go tell your friends and family your story, how much the Lord has done for you, how I have had mercy on you.
Tell them about grace; tell them about God’s saving mercy in Jesus.
That’s the gospel message and as followers of Jesus, our experience.
It can be yours too.
Jesus is God and saviour.
Repent from your sin; believe the good news of Jesus.
Run to Jesus, there is no other saviour, fall before him, worship him, he will not abandon you.
So who will you choose?
Satan or the saviour? Demons or the divine?
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