And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
At Gadara two men possessed and controlled by many evil spirits speaking through them begged Jesus not to send them out of the country but to let them enter a great herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountainside. Jesus granted and permitted their request, and as soon as permission was given the demons left the men calm and sane and drove the herd in panic headlong down the steep place into the sea where they perished. The destruction was Satan's work to cause financial loss to the owners so that Jesus would be blamed, hindered, and turned away from preaching the gospel in that region. Even demonic power remains under the control of Jesus, and the evil was overruled for good to display His supreme authority and power to deliver, to rouse the whole country, and to show the supremacy of the Prince of Light over the Prince of Darkness. The keepers and people counted the loss of property greater than the deliverance of the captives and asked Jesus to depart, but the healed men remained as living witnesses sent to proclaim throughout Decapolis what He had done and His power to save.
Context and Request
The verse belongs to the account of Jesus crossing the lake to the eastern shore, a relatively desolate region where He sought rest from the crowds. At Gadara two men were possessed and controlled by many evil spirits acting together as a legion. Those spirits spoke through the men, using them as mediums of communication with Jesus. Showing their presence and destructive intent, they begged Jesus to release the men and not send them away out of the country. They pleaded to be sent into a great herd of swine feeding nearby on a mountainside, that they might enter the animals.
Jesus granted and permitted their request to enter the swine. As soon as permission was given, a panic seized the herd. They rushed madly headlong down the steep cliff or precipice. Unable to check themselves on the shore, they plunged into the lake or sea and perished by drowning.
At once the evil spirits were forced to release the men they had tormented. Light dawned on their minds and they became calm, sane, mild, and intelligent. Their hands became quiet and they gratefully praised God for deliverance from bondage. The healing of the demoniacs was finished before Jesus returned across the sea, where Jairus came to Him pleading for his dying daughter.
Satan's Design Overruled
The plea to be sent into the swine was Satan's move to obstruct the work in that region, to hedge up the way, turn the people from Christ, and prevent the preaching of the gospel there. The means was the ruin of the herd and heavy financial loss to its owners, so that Jesus would be held in disfavor and hindered in His reception throughout the country. The driving of the swine to their destruction was Satan's own work, displaying the cruel power and malice of the demons over animals as well as over people.
Jesus permitted the entrance into the swine yet restrained the demons from destroying the keepers and owners also, and that restraint displayed His supreme authority over them, His mercy, and His power to deliver those held in Satan's bondage. It was a power that human wisdom and strength alone could not overcome. Even the power of demons is under the control of Jesus, and the working of evil was overruled for good. The event roused the whole country as nothing else could have done, directed attention to Christ, awakened interest in His kingdom, and displayed the supremacy of the Prince of Light over the Prince of Darkness.
The setting reveals the conflict between Christ's power over evil and people's attachment to worldly interests, and the loss rebuked the keeping of unclean animals for gain. The same full possession by a demon seen in the man who tore and cut himself takes hold when a person gives soul, body, and spirit to Satan in order to rule another person's mind and body.
Response and Witness
The loss of the swine stirred the keepers and owners to spread the news through the country, and the people weighed the destruction of property as greater than the deliverance of the captives from torment. Fearing further financial loss from His presence, they resisted His Spirit, asked Jesus to depart from them, and drove Him away. Their rejection showed the conflict between Christ's power to free those bound by evil and attachment to worldly interests, for the healed men stood before them as living evidence of mercy yet property mattered more.
The destruction nevertheless brought Jesus publicly to the notice of people who had cared chiefly for worldly gain and would otherwise have given Him no attention. Their indignation over the loss stirred public notice, awakened interest in His kingdom, and directed attention to Christ as nothing else could have done.
Though Jesus Himself departed across the sea, the men He had healed remained behind as witnesses to His saving power. Restored with calm, sane and clear minds, they were sent to tell their households and neighbors what He had done for them. They obediently carried the good news through Decapolis, proclaiming how He had freed them and had power to save, and their testimony helped convince the region that He was the Son of God.
At Gadara two men possessed and controlled by many evil spirits speaking through them begged Jesus not to send them out of the country but to let them enter a great herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountainside. Jesus granted and permitted their request, and as soon as permission was given the demons left the men calm and sane and drove the herd in panic headlong down the steep place into the sea where they perished. The destruction was Satan's work to cause financial loss to the owners so that Jesus would be blamed, hindered, and turned away from preaching the gospel in that region. Even demonic power remains under the control of Jesus, and the evil was overruled for good to display His supreme authority and power to deliver, to rouse the whole country, and to show the supremacy of the Prince of Light over the Prince of Darkness. The keepers and people counted the loss of property greater than the deliverance of the captives and asked Jesus to depart, but the healed men remained as living witnesses sent to proclaim throughout Decapolis what He had done and His power to save.
Context and Request
The verse belongs to the account of Jesus crossing the lake to the eastern shore, a relatively desolate region where He sought rest from the crowds. At Gadara two men were possessed and controlled by many evil spirits acting together as a legion. Those spirits spoke through the men, using them as mediums of communication with Jesus. Showing their presence and destructive intent, they begged Jesus to release the men and not send them away out of the country. They pleaded to be sent into a great herd of swine feeding nearby on a mountainside, that they might enter the animals.
Jesus granted and permitted their request to enter the swine. As soon as permission was given, a panic seized the herd. They rushed madly headlong down the steep cliff or precipice. Unable to check themselves on the shore, they plunged into the lake or sea and perished by drowning.
At once the evil spirits were forced to release the men they had tormented. Light dawned on their minds and they became calm, sane, mild, and intelligent. Their hands became quiet and they gratefully praised God for deliverance from bondage. The healing of the demoniacs was finished before Jesus returned across the sea, where Jairus came to Him pleading for his dying daughter.
Satan's Design Overruled
The plea to be sent into the swine was Satan's move to obstruct the work in that region, to hedge up the way, turn the people from Christ, and prevent the preaching of the gospel there. The means was the ruin of the herd and heavy financial loss to its owners, so that Jesus would be held in disfavor and hindered in His reception throughout the country. The driving of the swine to their destruction was Satan's own work, displaying the cruel power and malice of the demons over animals as well as over people.
Jesus permitted the entrance into the swine yet restrained the demons from destroying the keepers and owners also, and that restraint displayed His supreme authority over them, His mercy, and His power to deliver those held in Satan's bondage. It was a power that human wisdom and strength alone could not overcome. Even the power of demons is under the control of Jesus, and the working of evil was overruled for good. The event roused the whole country as nothing else could have done, directed attention to Christ, awakened interest in His kingdom, and displayed the supremacy of the Prince of Light over the Prince of Darkness.
The setting reveals the conflict between Christ's power over evil and people's attachment to worldly interests, and the loss rebuked the keeping of unclean animals for gain. The same full possession by a demon seen in the man who tore and cut himself takes hold when a person gives soul, body, and spirit to Satan in order to rule another person's mind and body.
Response and Witness
The loss of the swine stirred the keepers and owners to spread the news through the country, and the people weighed the destruction of property as greater than the deliverance of the captives from torment. Fearing further financial loss from His presence, they resisted His Spirit, asked Jesus to depart from them, and drove Him away. Their rejection showed the conflict between Christ's power to free those bound by evil and attachment to worldly interests, for the healed men stood before them as living evidence of mercy yet property mattered more.
The destruction nevertheless brought Jesus publicly to the notice of people who had cared chiefly for worldly gain and would otherwise have given Him no attention. Their indignation over the loss stirred public notice, awakened interest in His kingdom, and directed attention to Christ as nothing else could have done.
Though Jesus Himself departed across the sea, the men He had healed remained behind as witnesses to His saving power. Restored with calm, sane and clear minds, they were sent to tell their households and neighbors what He had done for them. They obediently carried the good news through Decapolis, proclaiming how He had freed them and had power to save, and their testimony helped convince the region that He was the Son of God.