Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). You could hear alarm in their voices. Can you relate to the people who sent Jesus away? Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. 3). And the people went out to see what happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Jerash, ancient Gerasa T. H. Huxley, in his Essays upon some Controverted Questions (1892), made merry over the escapade of the Gadarene swine, running the seven miles between Gadar and the lake of Galilee, crossing the deep river Yarmuk en route. The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Marks readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. Nevertheless, for consideration. Then he put his reassuring hand on the man's shoulder again and said, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.". These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. Gergesa [probably a variation of GerasaCC] was a city about 12 miles to the south-east of Gadara, and about 20 miles to the east of the Jordan. It is a fascinating by Matt Slick | Apr 4, 2023 | Genesis - Deuteronomy, Bible Difficulties. The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. Now appreciate the reaction - another God was messing with their god - and demonstrating authority! Where Did Jesus Miracle Occur? Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. And that Jesus did not actually "send" the devils into the pigs, He merely allowed the demons to go where they themselves chose to go.[3][13][14]. Luke 8:26-38 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (). The precise place where the miracle occurred is not as essential to our understanding of the narrative as is the realization that Christ has control over the spiritual realm (Lenski, 1946, p. 205). Country of the Gerasenes:The town itself is not named in Scripture, and is referred to only in the expression, "country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37; see Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Appendix, 11). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Jesus' Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac - Matthew 8:28-34; Mark Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work), under the condition that you must give appropriate credit to The High Calling, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 13ff.). The story of Jesus casting out the demons from a human and into a herd of swine is well-known, but where it happened, and what it means, are more contentious questions and deserve fuller analysis and discussion. In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why - eBible Archeologists identify it with the modern Jarash. And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to depart from them; for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat, and returned (Luke 8:35-37). Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. From this it is clear that demon-possession is a phenomenon which occurred almost exclusively, but then to be sure on an amazing scale, during Jesus appearance on earth and to a lesser extent during the activity of the apostles. Luke 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. GERASA, GERASENES (, ). 9. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) | Bible.org Gerasa. This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. I realize that opening myself fully to you threatens my comfortable status quo. 8; Mark vi. Although his symptoms would have appeared to be those of an insane man,113 the Gospel writers inform us that he was demon-possessed.114. It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. It was, in fact, his demons that had recognized Jesus. Bibliography W. A. Thomson, The Land and the Book (1882), 333-338, 353, 359; C. H. Kraeling, Gerasa, City of the Decapolis (1938); The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1946), 64, 117; M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the NT (1962), 139-141; E. Lohmeyer, Das Evangelium des Markus (1963), 93f; C. F. Pfeiffer, The Biblical World (1966), 252-254. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. Youngblood, Ronald F., ed. War II. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. Did the scribes realize that God gave Jesus the authority in Mark 11:33? Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. 23, 24, viii. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. This topical nine-session Bible study contains tips and encouragement to live a life of generosity and fruitfulness, helping us to redeem our use of resources by nurturing biblical attitudes. In my head, I know that your ways are always best. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, XLIX(4), 567588; Burdon, Christopher. Gerasa was a city situated near the Jabbok River about eighteen m. E of the Jordan, about twenty m. SE of Pella, and twenty m. N of Philadelphia. The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). We don't want any more trouble here!" In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). Instantly he recognized the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God (verse 7).116 There was a source of spiritual insight beyond human capabilities here. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. If you are able tosupport usthis month we will invest your gift in making the hope of the gospel freely available to others who are wandering in the tombs of despair. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were writing of the same general area. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. The Secret behind Jesus Healing the Gerasene Demoniac AMP - The three passages that describe the incident with the demoniacs in the country of the Gerasenes, also called Gadarenes, are Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, and Luke 8:26-39. What is the significance of Decapolis in the Bible? recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel. Be my Lord! The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. Albert Barnes explained the difference between Gadara and Gerasa: Gadara was a city not far from the Lake Gennesareth, one of the ten cities that were called Decapolis. Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). Amen. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. The man looked out on the Tiberius. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. john kiuta masuka, December 19 2016 And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 13; Luke iv. Who do you care more about, people or pigs? Are we welcoming him into our lives? 4, p. 102. The presence of holiness and, moreover, the most intense divine holiness is undesirable; I mean, unless you are an angel or a saintly recluse in his ascetic toils in a cave or a top of a pillar. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. He is the author of. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!". It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. 2ff., xvv. The New Testament speaks of those who had a spirit, or a demon, or demons, or an unclean spirit, or the spirit of an unclean demon, but chiefly of persons who were demonised. Edersheim, Life and Times, I, p. 479. [3], The earliest account, assuming the theory of Marcan priority is correct, is in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 5:120). Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. Those demons were terrified of Him! 14ff. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. That is not the choice at all. It is also a possibility that in the handing down of New Testament manuscripts over many years, slightly different readings of the same word have developed. McGarvey, J.W. xviii. The ruins are wide and imposing and are better preserved than any others on the East of Jordan. 16ff., xix. What scares you away from being fully sold-out as a disciple of Jesus? and thank you for your contribution. First, the man is hunted, then stoned, and finally he is killed; this is why the possessed lived among the tombs. As to the candidate for the location of the Gospel event, the most common consensus[weaselwords] is that the miracle took place near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kursi, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and therefore in the country of Gergesenes. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? It was significant. noted the official establishment of Christianity and discontinuance of pagan worship in the 5th cent. Our children would probably understand best if I said that his appearance must have been somewhat like that of the television creation, The Incredible Hulk. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. Evil is self-defeating in the end. In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost? When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. 16, x. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. iv. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. Catholic Daily Mass - Daily TV Mass - April 23, 2023 - Facebook Most scholars today would agree with Origen that near Gergesa was the precise site for the healing of Legion. It was a small village about midway along the E shore of the Sea of Galilee. Life & Ministry of Jesus: Demoniacs of Gadara - Associates for Biblical But Jesus told him to go back. But having recalled a passage in Ephesians, I realize now that this man is a reminder of the dilemma of every man, woman, and child who have not come to a saving dependence upon the work of Jesus Christ for sinners on the cross. He had thought he'd been living in hell already. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How do you respond to this story in Luke? War III. Lenski, Robert C.H. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. What is the 'age of accountability' and is it Biblical. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? He himself earnestly desired to stay with Jesus, knowing that Jesus had saved him an otherwise completely hopeless and unremediable condition. Did they open their hearts to hear the good news of the kingdom of God? The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? We greatly appreciate your consideration! The triumphal arch to the South of the city is almost entire. The man jumped up and said to him, "Sir, please, may I go with you? Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? Before the war it was a Gentile settlement. This describes the district in which Christ met and healed the demoniac from the tombs, where also took place the destruction of the swine. We tend to think of following Jesus as leaving behind the familiar for the unfamiliar. If Mark or Luke said that only one demoniac came to Jesus while Matthew says that two came out, that would be a contradiction. As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. On Girard's account, then, the uneasy truce that the Gaderenes and the demoniac had worked out was that the evil power in him was contained and thereby neutralized. We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. went through a storm to help one person, that is, the wild man of Gadara. Apostles return from preaching tour; Jesus feeds 5,000 men. (Jos. Jesus was potently kind. 17, pp. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This town is not to be confused with either Gerasa or Gadara. Thus, all the circumstances lead us to regard the healing of the demonized at Gerasa as a night scene, immediately on Christs arrival from Capernaum, and after the calming of the storm at sea. Alford Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), I, pp. He recognized most of them. As a herdsman recounted what happened, they kept looking at him and then to Jesus. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. 1 Response This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). ( Luke 8:39) Excavations at the modern Jarash (by the British and American Schools of Oriental Research and Yale University) clearly show that Gerasa was a large and important city already in Jesus time. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 1. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. Why was God angry with Balaam for going with the Moabites. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. The gospels. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. 184-185. Those possessed are depicted throughout as unfortunate sufferers who by no fault of their own are dominated by evil spirits and who, when the spirits are cast out by Jesus, accept their deliverance with joy and gratitude (Mark v. 18-20, Luke viii. [4], The Gospel of Matthew shortens the story dramatically (Matthew 8:2834) and writes not of one possessed man, but of two. But dont mess with my whole life. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. It only takes a minute to sign up. (1) Severe personality change. The man is grateful. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. What was it that they saw? Other textual variations include "Gadarenes" and "Gergesenes". Thats why also Peter having realized who Christ was, was dreaded and asked Him to leave him for he said to be a sinful man (Luke 5:8). Vector Projections/Dot Product properties. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. Were on a mission to change that.
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