Jesus, the Exorcist (Matthew 8:28-34)
Notes
Transcript
Jesus, the Exorcist
Matthew 8:28-34
October 6, 2024
Land O’ Lakes Bible Church
Scripture Reading & Prayer
Scripture Reading & Prayer
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Introduction
Introduction
As we continue to work our way through the Gospel According to Matthew, are you starting to realize how Matthew’s gospel is revealing to us who Jesus is? How we are beginning to see how Jesus truly is the one who fulfills all the law and the prophets? How he truly is the Son of Abraham, the Son of David? But not just that, throughout the Sermon on the Mount and the last couple of weeks, we have been seeing Jesus as one with great authority, a theme we pick back up in our text this morning from Matthew 8:28-34. So, please turn there with me in your Bibles if you are not already there. And if you are using one of the Red Bibles provided for you, you can find Matthew 8:28-34 on page #967.
It is one thing for Matthew to end his gospel with Jesus declaring all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. But, these are not empty words. Throughout Matthew’s gospel, he is giving us evidence, proof, testimony of this power that has been given to Jesus. We saw it first in Jesus teaching as one with great authority, even an authority greater than the Jewish religious leaders of the day, the Scribes and Pharisees. Then we have seen Jesus being one with authority to heal a leper and declare him clean with a touch. Jesus having authority to say a word from a far and a servant be healed. We have seen Jesus have authority to heal all who were brought to him and even cast out demons.
With each miracle, with each act of authority put on display, we who read these gospel accounts are being given proof that Jesus truly is who he says he is. But lest we doubt the greatness of his authority, the testimonies of this Jesus doesn’t stop, we have our passage here this morning showing yet another display of the authority that Jesus has. A display that continues to increase the question of the disciples from Matthew 8:23, what sort of man is this who not only has the wind and the sea obeying him, but one who has authority over the demons of the world.
Main Idea: As Jesus ushers in the kingdom of heaven, he is pushing back the domain of darkness regardless of its strength; victory is His! We are going to unpack this following the two scenes. First, the demons covering verses 28-32. And second, the city covering verses 33-34.
The Demons
The Demons
Verse 28. Jesus and his disciples finally are able to cross the sea, leaving Capernaum and making it to the other side where they land in the country of the Gadarenes. In so doing, they leave Jewish territory and entering Gentile territory. And in there arriving, they go from crowds in Capernaum to a different kind of welcome party, two-demon possessed men.
The two men here stands in contrast from parallel accounts of this as found in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39. Both of these parallel accounts only tell of 1 demon possessed man, the man with Legion in him. Because of this difference, we might be tempted to doubt the consistency and accuracy of our Bible. But let our hearts rest with ease that these three tellings of this story in Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39, and here in Matthew 8:28-34 are all indeed the same story. They simply have different details emphasized and given in their telling of the same story.
These different details and emphasis are similar to that of any situation where you have more than 1 eyewitness. If you are a police officer and you are working a case, even that of an accident, you take eyewitness statements, yet each of those statements can be describing the same scene, but with different details. Each eyewitness account testimony can be true, but depending on the angle and perspective, the eyewitness catches different details adding to the story. The same scenario can be true for a teacher or school worker with an incident at school, a fight or situation where multiple eyewitnesses give those different details. That’s whats happening here in Matthew 8:28-34, Matthew doesn’t zoom in like Mark and Luke on the one, he focuses on the two and a different angle of the same story.
Particularly, Matthew here zooms in on these two demon-possessed men who not only could not be bound by chains as Mark and Luke did, but on how they were preventing any from passing by this way because they were so violently fierce. These demons then are portrayed not only as strong and self-harmful, but harmful to any who would come along this way. They are those who seek to cause much harm as they oppose God. Verse 29.
The demons stand with that ancient serpent in rebellion against God. They despise the thought of being in the presence of Jesus, asking what does he even have to do with them. Their disgust with Jesus being despite recognizing who he is and his authority over them.
For did you catch that? The disciples wondered back in verse 23, what sort of man Jesus is, the demons understand that he is the Son of God. This being something that so far in Matthew’s account has only been stated and questioned by Satan back in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The disciples have not yet grasped this, though they soon will. This Son of God title is a declaration of Jesus’ unique relationship to the Father as the Begotten and Beloved Son. A Son that is from the Father, sent from the Father, yet has eternally existed with the Father. Jesus as the Son of God is therefore the one whom the Father has eternally loved.
Therefore as the demons have recognized who Jesus is as the Son of God, they recognize then as him having authority over them, authority to torment them in judgment. The demons grasp that they are in rebellion against God and that they will on the day of judgment be tormented in judgment. Yet, they do not think that time has yet come, hence their use of before the time, the appointed time for judgment.
Friends, let us not miss that the time of judgment is set by the LORD. A day is coming where all will stand before the good and righteous judge and face judgement. Judgement for every wrong we have done. A judgment that will condemn any and all for our filthy works of unrighteousness. There is not enough good that we can do. There is not even enough knowledge that we can have to save us. For remember here, the demons have the right knowledge of who Jesus is as the Son of God. They grasped better than his followers who he was, yet they knew torment awaited them in judgment.
Friends, we can rightly grasp who Jesus is, understanding him, even professing that he is the Son of God like the demons and still be opposed to God and his saving grace. For we must rightly grasp who Jesus is. We must not wonder what sort of man is this if we are to taste of God’s good grace of salvation. But we cannot stop at just getting right in knowledge, we must come to Jesus and submit to him as both King and Redeemer.
Jesus has come into the world to save his people from their sins. And he does this by becoming sin himself and enduring the torment of the cross, the torment that we deserved in order to wash away our iniquities and transgressions making us clean and righteous for the day of judgment. A righteousness not coming from our works, but from Jesus, our Redeemer.
This is what the Son of God has come to do for all who would repent and believe in him. Friend, if you are here this morning and you have yet to believe, I plead with you to come to Jesus and not only grasp who he is as the Son of God, but to put your trust in him as the Son of God who is also the Lamb of God to take away your sins. Make today the day you believe. If you want to know more about this, at the end of our time this morning I will be at the door and would love for you to grab me and talk. Or grab one of the Christians around you this morning and they too can help you understand what this means. But see your need to believe today, do not continue in your rebellion like that of the demons.
For again they grasped who Jesus was, they knew their end in torment, yet they continued in their rebellion against God. They continued to seek to foil God’s plan of redemption to whatever ends they can. Verses 30-31.
Pigs were considered unclean for the Jews. But remember, Jesus and his disicples are now in Gentile territory, not Jewish. And so, Gentiles who were not under the law of God would not think pigs unclean. Therefore they would herd them and raise them and use them for food. So, a herd is being kept at a distance here, a herd that according to Mark’s gospel account is near 2,000. A herd that the demons beg Jesus if he must send them out of these two men to at least send them into the herd. To borrow from Charles Spurgeon, “Devils would sooner dwell inside swine than be in the presence of Jesus.” [1]
The demons knowing their end, grasping who Jesus is could have submitted to Jesus willingly, but they refused. Yet, despite their violent fierceness, despite their ongoing rebellion, they could not even depart their hosts and enter unclean pigs apart from King Jesus’ permission. They were left to beg the King to depart and enter such swine.
Therefore let it be made clear to us, it matters not how violently fierce the demons are, they may do much harm to man, but against the Son of God they will not stand. Though the demons may roam in these evil days, their days are short and their end is torment. The Son of God will prevail against the domains of darkness, and even now the darkness is being pushed back as it is brought to its knees in obedience to him. Verse 32.
The demons begged, but only by Jesus commanded to go are they able to go and enter the swine. And when Jesus said go, the demons left. They left as they had desired entering a herd of pigs. Yet in their entering the swine, the demons in their continued raging against God drove the herd of pigs down the steep bank and into the sea where they met a watery grave. Nearly 2,000 pigs lost.
I think John Calvin has it right when he says, “But it is certain that they (the demons) had a more remote object in view, to excite the inhabitants of that country to curse God on account of the loss of the swine. When the devil thunders against Job’s house, he does so not from any hatred he bears to timber or stones, but in order that the good man, through impatience at suffering loss, may break out against God.” [2]
Though the demons seek to cause the people to turn and curse God, their is a great irony here. For though the demons drove the pigs into a watery tomb, they soon will face the same fate. For their end is with that of the devil and false prophet and the beast and all whose name is not found in the book of life. Their end is to be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur (Revelation 19:20). They will soon meet the same fate as their short-lived host of the pigs. These demons though trying to cause havoc now will not prevail. Their end is sure.
There is much to apply here for us. First and foremost we must remember a foundational truth, demons are real and fierce and violent as they rage against our Great God. And therefore they seek to corrupt men such as the two here. To quote J.C. Ryle,
“It is an awful truth, and one too much overlooked. There is an unseen spirit ever near us, of mighty power, and full of endless malice against our souls. From the beginning of creation he has labored to injure man.” [3]
Therefore we must remember to be alert in the watch over and the care for our souls. We have a real enemy, and it is not our fellow men in the world, it is the devil and his demonic dominions lurking around the corner seeking to destroy us.
But we also see here that though demons are very real and are violently fierce, their is one whom they are brought to their knees in submission to, one in whom they must beg to go about, and the man Jesus. The man who is no normal man, but who is the Son of God!
Beloved, this should give us much comfort! We who are united to Christ! Our bridegroom is over the devil and his demon dominions. And like a good bridegroom, he will protect his bride when we call out for his aide. Let this be of comfort to us:
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus is able to intercede on our behalf and give us aide and strength and victory over any threat of our enemy. Therefore let us not fear the enemy, let us look to he who is our hope, our rescuer, our victor, Christ Jesus! Jesus is the Son of God who has come to push back the darkness of even the darkest and most vile such as the demons. And the darkness has not now nor will ever overcome him. Victory belongs to Jesus, the King of Glory!
The City
The City
It was not just those in the boat with Jesus, his disciples, who saw these events regarding the authority of Jesus, for the pigs that were far off were being herded. Verse 33.
The herdsmen were likely caring for the pigs in similar ways to the shepherds who cared for sheep, just a bit stinkier of a job. And these herdsmen saw all that happened in the casting out of the demons to the herd of pigs going over the cliff into their watery grave. A sight that caused them to flee away from Jesus and the location of these events. So they flee to their city there in the country of the Gadarenes and they tell those in the city. How many dwelled in the city we do not know. Likely the city is more like a small town, more similar to our town here in Land O’ Lakes than something like even Green Bay or Wausau. Regardless, the size, all were told of what happened. Curiosity was peaked and all the city wanted to come and see for themselves. Verse 34.
Matthew again uses this word, behold, wanting our attention, ensuring we don’t miss what is being revealed. All the city came out to meet Jesus. They were amazed at the story they heard from the herdsmen. But in seeing him, their hearts turned from him and they begged him just as the demons had done. They begged him though not to enter swine, but to depart from them and their region. They went from running out to him to begging him to leave.
In Luke’s gospel account, he says those from the city were afraid (Luke 8:35). But maybe it was because they feared Jesus’ effect on their economy, for though he removed the demons from two of their own, it cost them 2,000 pigs. We learn the number from Mark’s gospel account (Mark 5:13). That’s a great loss of pork. Think of all the missed pork sandwiches, bacon, and sausage lost out on. Maybe it was this great economic loss that was the root of their fear?
But whatever was the root of their fear, notice what happened, the demons sought to cause the people to turn and curse Jesus as they entered the herd of pigs and caused them to run off the cliff to a watery grave. And the people came out to meet him in hearing of the events, but then their hearts are turned against Jesus. We might be tempted to think here that the demons were successful, yet they were not. For this event did not turn these hearts against Jesus, it revealed that they were already hardened against Jesus. That the hearts of these men were not won by the compassion of Jesus healing their own. They were more consumed with the things of the world than they were the things of Christ.
Many in the world around us are more consumed with profit and swine and all other things of this world rather than with the one who has come to right every wrong. Jesus has not come to make our lives better in this world, he has come to make all things new again as it was in the very good beginning.
Christian, we must examine our hearts and what troubles us more, the loss of profits or the bondage of men under the powers of darkness. What causes us more troubles in our heart? Our comforts and profits or that our neighbor lay bound by the demons in unbelief? Beloved, if our neighbors and fellow man must go to hell, to paraphrase Spurgeon, may they then leap over us trying to get in their way. Let us not be as those of the city who were not relieved that their fellow man were set free from their demon-possession but only troubled at their profit-loss which leads to them casting Jesus away.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Who is this Jesus? He is the Son of Man who has great authority, even over the demons. The demons roam, they lurk in the present darkness, but we should rest assured their days are numbered. Let us take heart then and keep our eyes on Jesus, the King of Glory, calling upon him to come to our aide as we seek to follow the path of light and flee from the darkness.
Let’s pray…
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Endnotes
Endnotes
[1] C. H. Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom: A Commentary on the Book of Matthew (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1893), 54.
[2] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 433.
[3] J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew (New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1860), 80.
