Tell Them: The Essence of Effective Evangelism

Ryrie

• (7) “Thou this apparently was his first encounter with Jesus, this man knew who He was, such knowledge coming to him from the demons who indwelt him.”
• (9) “legion” is “the largest unit of the Roman army, 3,000-6,000 strong, indicating that many demons possessed the man.”
• (12) The demons' hope was that they would be sent into the pig, thus sparing them, at least for the time being, from their ultimate fate, the abyss.
• (17) Undoubtedly, [the natives] feared more financial losses if Jesus stayed.”
• (20) The Decapolis is so named because there were originally 10 cities.

Henry

• It's interesting to note that Jesus and co had just gone through the storm to get to the far side of the lake. They arrived there, delivered the demoniac, and then returned.
• It's interesting that this man was left alone among the tombs. Satan can go after you very easily when you're all alone.
• Self-mutilation is a common theme among those under the control of Satan. E.g, the priests of Baal did it.
• The demon recognized Jesus as the Son of God. The word he uses for God – Elion – is consistent with that which the Jews' neighbors used to refer to the Hebrew God.
• “those that are freed from the evil spirit, cannot but coven acquaintance and fellowship with Christ.”

Reflecting God

• (1) “the east side of the lake, a territory largely inhabited by Gentiles, as indicated by the presence of a large herd of pigs – animals Jews considered 'unclean' and therefore unfit to eat.”
• (1) “Gerasa, located about 35 miles se of the Sea of Galilee, may have had holdings on the eastern shore of the Sea, giving its name to a small village there now known as Khersa. About one mi south is a fairly steep slope within 40 yards of the shore, and about 2 mi from there are cavern tombs that appear to have been used as dwellings.”
• (3) “It was not unusual for the same cave to provide burial for the dead and a shelter for the living. Very poor people often lived in such caves.”
• (4) “Though the villagers no doubt chained him partly for their own protection, this harsh treatment added to his humiliation.”
• (5) “Every word in the story emphasizes the man's pathetic condition as well as the purpose of demonic possession – to torment and destroy the divine likeness with which man was created.”
• (7) “What do you want with me...?” was, essentially, “What do we have in common?” “Similar expressions are found in the OT (eg, 2Sa 16:10; 19:22), where they mean, 'Mind your own business!' The demon was speaking, using the voice of the possessed man.”
• (7) “The demon sensed that he was to be punished and used the strongest basis for an oath that he knew, though his appeal to God was strangely ironic.”
• (9) “A Roman legion was made up of 6,000 men. Here the term suggests that the man was possessed by numerous demons and perhaps also represents the many powers opposed to Jesus, who embodies the power of God.”
• (10) “The demons were fearful of being sent into eternal punishment.”
• (13) “Though Jesus seemingly consented to the demons' request, the pigs carried the demons into the depths of the sea – perhaps symbolic of the Abyss.”
• (16)”In addition to the remarkable change in the demon-possessed man, the drowning of the pigs seemed to be a major concern, no doubt because it was so dramatic and brought considerable financial loss to the owners.”
• (17) “Fear of further loss may have motivated this response, but also the fact that a powerful force was at work in their midst that they could not comprehend.”
• (19) Jesus' instructions to the demoniac stand in contrast to his instructions to other beneficiaries of miracles, who were instructed to remain silent. This may have been “because the healing of the demoniac was in Gentile territory, where there was little danger that Messianic ideas about Jesus might be circulated.”
• (20) The Decapolis was “a league of free cities characterized by high Greek culture. All but one, Scythopolis (aka Beth Shan), were east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. The league stretched from a point ne of the Sea of Galilee southward to Philadelphia (modern Amman).”