MARK

Mark Chapter 5

• Mark 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
• 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
• 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
• 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
• 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

Gadarenes according to Dake notes: Gadara was a city south of the Sea of Galilee and east of Jordan in Decapolis, a region east of Galilee and Samaria. The country of Gadara simply refers to the parts outside the city reaching to the Sea.

Unclean means a foul or evil spirit. The man was totally possessed by an evil or unclean spirit.

He had such supernatural strength that no one could bind him. Notice that his strength did not come from our holy God but from the power of Satan. This was something that enslaved the man. It was not something that was given to profit him or others. Though it was supernatural it was not a good thing. The desire to harm oneself is not a trait of a normal sane person but a desire that comes from an evil spirit influencing a person.

• Mark 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
• 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
• 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

The man himself was not worshipping Jesus but the evil spirit that possessed the man knew who Jesus was and feared Him. He cried not to be tormented before the time of judgment was to come. Evil spirits are aware of their final judgment.

Jesus desired that the man be free from this evil presence at once. God wants us to be free from these types of things. It is not His will that any should perish.

• Mark 5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
• 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
• 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
• 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
• 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

The man had more than one evil spirit which even had a name. The evil demons did not want to leave the country which shows that they had preferences as to where they wanted to dwell.

Swine is a herd of hogs or pigs. This shows that demon spirits have feelings and desires and preferred to go into a herd of swine rather than be without any body to dwell in. It also shows that hundreds can possess one person. The main point though is that Jesus desires His creation to be free and not bound by demonic spirits.

The swine could not tolerate the indwelling of the demons so that ran violently into the sea. The owner of the swine witnessed these events and made it known.

They witnessed the man totally healed and in his right mind. This brought fear to them. Some spiritual manifestations will cause fear instead of comfort.

• Mark 5:14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
• 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
• 16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
• 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

They wanted Jesus to leave. This is the same reaction that some have toward the gospel and the preaching of the word. Some reject and prefer not to hear. Some receive the gospel but reject the spiritual manifestations out of fear.

There might have been more concerned with the loss of the pigs rather than the deliverance of the poor possessed man. Before we reject an event or occurrence of supernatural manifestations we must search our hearts to find out what motive we have for our rejection. Are we jealous that God did not use us so we act like the Pharisees when they followed Jesus around just to find fault? Do we really care that people may be deceived and what to turn them in the right direction? We should always have the right motives.

• Mark 5:18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
• 19 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.
• 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

The man who was delivered wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus instructed the man to go tell his kinfolk and household what had happened and be a witness. Notice that in some places Jesus instructs people to keep quiet but here He tells this man to tell his friends.

Some later believed because of the man's testimony. This was the method the Lord chose to deliver the message of the gospel, which was rejected earlier by those that witnessed the miracle of deliverance. So by sending this person, others that had not have witnessed anything previously might have a chance to hear the gospel.

• Mark 5:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
• 22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
• 23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
• 24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Some gather to hear the words of Jesus with desire to know God burning within their souls. Others come out of curiosity maybe bored with everything else. Some may come because their friends and family urged them to come, some come because they like to be in on anything new and some come to find fault and tear down the work of God.

We see here others coming because they are desperate and have a need. Notice that Jesus never refuses to grant a request of healing.

There were crowds crowding in upon Jesus as He went to heal the little girl.

• Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
• 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
• 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
• 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
• 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Notice the determination of this little woman. She wanted to be healed and was determined to get it. She knew that Jesus could and would heal her and she would not be denied. Faith arose up within her. She felt that if she could just touch the hem of the garment of Jesus, she would be healed. According to her faith, it was done. The very touch was the action needed to confirm her faith. She was healed immediately. Jesus even felt the virtue of healing go from Him unto her.

• Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
• 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
• 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

Even though the crowd pressed upon Him from all sides, still Jesus knew the moment someone touched Him for the purpose of healing because He felt the healing go forth to the woman. That woman was healed by faith. She simply believed.

• Mark 5:33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
• 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Jesus comforted the trembling woman and gave her the assurance that she was healed by her faith.

• Mark 5:35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
• 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

People thought that Jesus had come too late to save the little girl. Jesus encouraged them not to be afraid but believe. To God a resurrection from the dead is no different that the healing of the sick. After all He is the resurrection and the life. We will all be resurrected eventually, why be surprised that He can do these things ahead of time. This is nothing to God.

I haven't seen this in these last days myself but have heard of incidences of these types of things occurring. It mostly occurs in places where people are not taught that it can't happen. I've heard of people being raised from the dead in Cuba, Indonesia, Bosnia etc. Naturally I have no way to confirm these things, I am only taking the word of what was reported to me. Whether it is true or not, I don't know but I do believe it is possible.

Jesus only chose a small few to accompany Him into the house where the little child lay. The scoffers and unbelievers had to leave at this point.

• Mark 5:38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
• 39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
• 40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

He got rid of the mocking unbelieving crowd first before attempting to heal or raise the girl from the dead. Unbelief hinders healing. Jesus stresses over and over that it takes faith to receive anything from God. Unbelief is powerful and stronger than we realize. He removes the unbelievers first. The parents were so full of hope that they did not appear to be a hindrance because Jesus took them inside where the girl lay.

• Mark 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
• 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Jesus commands the little girl to arise and she did. If we could only see as God sees. He does not see death as permanent but only as sleep. He said that the damsel was not dead but was sleeping. She was what we call, legally dead because others laughed at the possibility that she was only sleeping. To God the little girl was only sleeping. Death as we see it is not permanent.

The soul does not actually sleep but leaves the body and goes either to heaven or hell. The body lies in wait until the resurrection when it is reunited with the soul and spirit. The body will be changed into an incorruptible body that cannot die anymore. Jesus was the first to receive the new body. This little girl was raised from the dead but with her old body not a new resurrected body because it was not the time for new bodies to be given. I assume that is because the death and resurrection of Jesus had not yet taken place. She was revived into her natural state.

If we could see with the eyes of Jesus, we would not grieve as the world grieves when our loved ones go to be with the Lord. The thing to do is to make sure all our loved ones are saved and in fellowship with the Lord as their savior in order to receive the promise of eternal life. There is no other way to receive this. Jesus is the way to eternal life. If there had been another way, He would not have had to die on the cross.

• Mark 5:43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Here again they are commanded to not tell it. I wonder what the motives of Jesus are when He gives these types of instructions. In one place He told a man to go and tell his family and friends what the Lord had done but here and other places He instructs them to keep silent.

I know that Jesus had come to die for sins and not to rise to fame and popularity. Maybe that was the motive He had at that particular time not to be made known in that place. Another thought may be that to publish it abroad may bring persecution to the family who received this miracle. Maybe Jesus felt that they were not up to that yet. DC