Epaggelia

Key Text: Mt 8:28‑34, 9:1, Mk 5:1‑21, Lk 8:26‑40

The entrance of Jesus into the world affected the spirit worlds’ activity.  The  O.T. acknowledges evil spirits, Lv 19:31, but in the N.T., they are  regarded as personalities within living bodies, Js 2:19.  The only occasion of  the activity of the spirit world recorded in the OT is ISam 28:8‑14.  However,  after Jesus arrives, demons possess people, hurting them and overtaking their  lives, ruling them, until Jesus meets up with them. Satan and Jesus were in a battle for the welfare of the human soul Lk 10:17‑20.  

The Demon’s attitude & request: Lk 11:24‑26, They want to rest and dwell in man, seeking arid places.  Taking over the mans life, turning him violent, Mt 8:28.  They had a sarcastic attitude toward Jesus who held  power they couldn’t do anything about, Mt 8:29‑31.  They know what is coming to  them and they are on a mission of spite & revenge, 2Pt 2:4ff, from which God can  deliver us from. But they are ignorant of God’s timing. They could only beg to be sent into the pigs and then the pigs were  destroyed, being sent into water and drowning, Mk 5:13. 

Jesus’ attitude: Mt 8:10, He differentiated from sickness and demon possession. He addressed them as persons and they reacted with super‑human knowledge, Mk  5:8‑12, Mt 8:29.  He silenced and ordered the offended demons, Lk 4:34ff. Thankfully he let them go into the pigs, instead of the pigs’ farmers, who would later reject Jesus. The naked man was clothed. Lk. 8:27, 35. Where did his clothes come from? The public couldn’t believe it and were terrified that the Jewish miracle worker Jesus may destroy more of their unclean business for the sake of a sick person. He was given the privilege of telling others about God’s mercy and power.  Acts 16:17-18, shows that God doesn’t want the truth put forward in unholy ways, or by contradictory means.  The Demon may have known the truth, but was not allowed to spread it for long.  Evangelism is a privilege.  Remember God used the Devil to test Job, (Job 1:17-19). If we keep feeding on the gospel of Christ, the Devil will lose in our life. This is one of the few times Jesus tells the healed to tell others, usually they were  told to be quiet, Lk. 8:55‑56. But outside Israel, it was safe to publicly make known His Messiahship, as He did in Samaria with the woman at the well.

The People: They had never seen such power and were wary of the unknown. Jesus made them very uneasy, to the point of rejection. They cared more for their dead pigs and the money they made, than the two people cleansed.  Humanities condition doesn’t have to be blind, Acts 13:9‑11, we too have a choice. God’s wrath will not wait forever…