Matthew 8:28-34; John 20:30-31; 21:25, Evidence (6)

Ø Jesus’ authority over the spiritual world, 8:28-34.

Mark’s Gospel speaks of only one man, indicating that one of the men was in some way predominant over the other.  These men were outcasts (living in the graveyard), fierce and intimidating, all because they were possessed by demons (literally demonized).  There is no need to try to explain this in modern medical ways; Jesus and the Bible treat demons as real and very aware of Who it is who has come into their graveyard.  (Photo of mountain near Kursi where many think this event took place.)

What is critical is that the people of the area seemed to have an idea of Who Jesus was as well.  Jesus showed His authority in sending the demons into the pigs.  If the demons had some “right” to be embodied, this was compassionate in taking them from the men and putting them into the animals.  Many have raised the issue, wondering why there was a herd of pigs in Israel where pork wasn’t supposed to be on the menu.  In fact, the west side of Galilee is a Gentile area and it is probably not an issue.  What we see, however, is that the townspeople recognize that this Man has authority like no one else, able to solve the problem with the men in the graveyard when no one else could.  Do they submit themselves to this One?  No!  They want Him to go away.  They don’t want someone with His priorities and compassion in their midst.

Do you remember how John said that the stories of the supernatural that he chose (by the direction of the Holy Spirit) were chosen that people might believe (John 20:30-31)?  We can say the same thing of these stories in Matthew 8-9.  We see what the Savior is like, that He is the Creator and the compassionate God who cares for the people He created.  We also see the responses from everyone: the one who is healed or delivered, the ones who have earthly authority, the crowds of people, and the ones who have professed to follow Christ.  All of these are there for our own benefit.

In the case of the townspeople, they were intimidated by the demon-possessed men, calloused against them, willing to endure them as long as they stayed in the graveyard, and ultimately more interested in their pigs than their fellow-man.  That was enough for them to want to keep Jesus at arms-length.  We would do well to think about this ourselves.  What is truly important to us?  And again, the bottom-line issue for EVERY human is the relationship he or she has with the Creator, the One who made them.  If we keep Him at arms-length now we will be estranged from Him when we face our own beyond-my-ability situations.  And He will be at arms-length, by our choice, not His, when we stand before Him as the rightful Judge of all men.