Luke 8:28, commentary and pictures

When Jesus landed at Gadara in the early morning after crossing the sea, demon-possessed men rushed fiercely toward Him and the demons speaking through them fell down before Him crying out in a loud voice recognizing Him as the Son of God Most High and begging not to be tormented. In that falling down the afflicted men themselves also dimly recognized the One who could save and deliver them and sought mercy from Him. His authority and command forced the evil spirits, a legion in number and great in power and malignity, to release their victims and leave them calmly sitting at His feet, subdued, intelligent, gentle and restored to reason. The encounter thus proved His supremacy over Satan and revealed His power and mercy in freeing those bound by demonic control. The restored men obediently carried the good news of His saving power through Decapolis, yet the Gadarenes who witnessed it still asked Him to leave, choosing property and fear of loss over the Healer. The same real possession that drove men to violent fury and self-destruction can take hold today of one who yields soul and body to Satan, and deliverance requires thorough transformation by the grace of Christ until the person sits meekly at the feet of Jesus.

Cry and Setting

The cry belongs to Jesus' encounter with the demoniacs of Gadara, also called Gergesa, healed by Him and afterward left to witness of His saving power through Decapolis. It took place in the early morning just after He and the disciples landed from crossing the sea. Then two demon-possessed men rushed fiercely toward them as if to tear them in pieces.

The sufferers had been dwelling among the graves, had broken from confinement with parts of broken chains still clinging to them, and were cutting and bruising themselves with sharp stones and missiles. They were so violent that no traveler could safely pass that way, and with glaring faces, bleeding and disfigured bodies, distracted minds, and long matted hair they looked more like wild beasts than men. They were writhing, foaming, raging, filling the air with cries, doing violence to themselves and endangering all who approached them.

The cry and falling down before Jesus were the demons speaking through the afflicted men, with the possessed man falling before Him and pleading in a loud voice not to be tormented. In those words the demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God, the Son of God Most High, showing their awareness of His authority and their fear of His power to punish and torment them and to end their control. Their words expressed both hostility and resistance to His authority and fear in His presence.

At the same time the afflicted men themselves dimly recognized Jesus as the One who could save and deliver them from the spirits tormenting them, and in falling before Him sought mercy. The verse reveals the number, power, and malignity of the evil spirits, with the demons controlling the men marshaled in companies like an army and the single company involved numbering no less than a legion, three to five thousand.

Christ's Power and Mercy

Jesus came to free the men the evil spirits controlled, and as He confronted them their plea not to be tormented was forced from them by His approaching authority. That authority compelled the demons to release their victims, who could not remain in their grasp once He commanded their freedom. The encounter displayed His supremacy over Satan and made His power known to all who saw it. Even demonic powers in all their number and malignity are subject to Christ, and in this healing His power and mercy were revealed together.

At His command the evil spirits departed and left their victims calmly sitting at His feet, safe from the spirits that had tormented them. The men who had been raging and distracted were left subdued, intelligent, and gentle. Their minds and faces were restored to reason, and they praised God for deliverance.

He then permitted the demons to sweep a herd of swine into the sea. Satan meant that destruction to turn the people away from Jesus and hinder the gospel, but it instead drew attention to Christ. It stood as a rebuke to Jews who were raising unclean beasts for gain. At the same time He mercifully preserved the keepers and owners, whom the demons would otherwise have destroyed. He allowed this so the disciples might witness Satan's cruel power upon both man and beast and thus not be deceived and overcome, and so the people of that region might behold His power to break Satan's bondage and set captives free.

Witness and Warning

The deliverance at Gadara became the witness of the restored men, who in obedience carried to others the good news of Christ's saving power to free people from Satan's bondage. They told their households and neighbors and the people throughout Decapolis what Jesus had done and how He had set them free and shown mercy to them. When He departed they were left behind to declare the mercy of their Benefactor and remained as His witnesses. The destruction of the swine had been meant by Satan to turn the people away from Jesus and hinder the gospel, but it instead drew attention to Christ. Their work as His messengers helped convince the region that He was the Son of God and made His supremacy over Satan and His power known to the people.

The Gadarenes saw this evidence of His power and mercy in overcoming the powers of darkness and restoring the men to reason, yet still asked Jesus to leave and rejected His presence. They chose concern over property and fear of financial loss over the presence of the One who could cast out demons and heal. This warns that people may turn Christ from their hearts rather than sacrifice worldly interests.

The cry shows real possession by a demon that drives a person to violent fury, tearing and cutting himself. The same possession can take hold today of a person who gives soul, body, and spirit to Satan to rule others and please self. Such a one studies self, seeks admiration, works up into a perfect fury when wishes are crossed, and cares nothing for God, heaven, or hell. Deliverance requires a thorough transformation of character through the grace of Christ, with the determined will bent to put away the wicked spirit. Then the demon is dispossessed and the person sits meekly at the feet of Jesus learning in the school of Christ.