Category: The Book Of Mark

Book of Mark – The Response of The Saved

And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Mark 5:17-20

We can see the two different responses in this passage. The first one from the people of the city, they knew about what Jesus has done however they refused to believe in Him instead they rejected him and begged him to go. On the other hand, the man who was possessed by Legion did the opposite, he begged Jesus that he might be allowed to follow Jesus. From the same event, we can see 2 different responses. From the same salvation event and forgiveness, there can be 2 different responses, rejection and repentance, which one is your response?

Book of Mark – The Cleaned Man

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.

Mark 5:14-16

The man was cleaned from the evil spirit, and the people were astonished at the sight of the man now in his right mind. How can someone get rid of the strong evil spirit?

Book of Mark – The Subtitute

And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

Mark 5:10-13

Jesus displayed another feat of God’s sovereignty, that God can do what others can’t. While others couldn’t do anything about the possessed man, not only that Jesus placed his attention to this possessed man, He displayed his dominance over the unclean spirits. The unclean spirits were immediately scared of Jesus, they know that Jesus has the power to drive them away and they were afraid that they will be cast away very far away, and they begged Jesus to be sent to the herd of pigs instead.

Now if you ask, how much is someone’s life worth? It’s invaluable, even more than 2000 pigs! Jesus see it this way, but we’ll see on the next passage whether other thinks that way or not.

Book of Mark – The Legion

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

Mark 5:6-9

Book of Mark – The Man from the Tomb

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Mark 5: 1-5 ESV

Now that the boat journey is over, Jesus reached Gerasenes. and in there they met a man who is possessed by a demon. Nobody in the village can handle this person anymore, and he is now left to live in the tombs.

Book of Mark – Jesus Calming The Storm

And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4:38-41 ESV

As our church is going through the Book of Jonah, I remembered a similar event that happened in the Book of Jonah, there was a big storm as well and the ship was almost drowned. But then none of the men can do anything even Jonah. Only God was able to calm the storm in the end as Jonah was thrown into the sea as he was running away from God. When this event happened to Jesus and the disciples, we can see that Jesus had God’s authority over the water, sea and wind for He is God Himself!

The response from the disciples and the mariners were similar as well, they were filled with great fear! For the wind and the sea obeyed Jesus!

Book of Mark – The Storm

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

Mark 4:34-38 ESV