The life of Jesus · Mark 5
The Demon-Possessed Man of Gadara
Jesus lands in the country of the Gadarenes. A man with an unclean spirit comes out of the tombs to meet him. No one can bind him: he tears the chains apart, breaks the shackles, and cuts himself with stones, night and day. Jesus commands: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then he asks his name: “My name is Legion, for we are many.” The demons beg to enter a large herd of pigs; Jesus allows it, and about two thousand animals rush down into the sea and drown. The people see the man who had been possessed sitting there, dressed and in his right mind. Seized with fear, they beg Jesus to leave. The healed man wants to go with him, but Jesus says: “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” He spreads the news throughout the Decapolis.
What happens
- A possessed man lives among the tombs, and no one can subdue him Mark 5:2–5
- “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Mark 5:6–7
- “My name is Legion, for we are many” Mark 5:8–9
- The demons enter the pigs, which drown in the sea Mark 5:12–13
- The man is sitting, dressed and in his right mind; the people beg Jesus to leave Mark 5:15–17
- “Go home… and tell them how much the Lord has done for you” Mark 5:19–20
Who is in this story
The lesson
No power of evil can stand before the word of Jesus: he gives the man back his freedom, his dignity, and his right mind. The one he sets free becomes his witness, beginning with his own people: “tell them how much the Lord has done for you.”
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
Quick quiz on this story
Where does the man with the unclean spirit whom Jesus meets live?
This man “had his dwelling among the tombs,” and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. Mark 5:2–3
What name does the unclean spirit give when Jesus asks for its name?
When asked, “What is your name?” he answers: “My name is Legion: for we are many.” Mark 5:9
How many pigs rush into the sea and drown?
The unclean spirits enter the pigs, and the herd rushes into the sea: “they were about two thousand; and were choked in the sea.” Mark 5:13
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