1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome back to how to Say the Bible. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 2: I am so glad to be with you today wherever 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 2: you find yourself, whether you're here on YouTube with us 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 2: and you're getting ready to open up your Bible and 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: you've got your journal and you're ready to study with me, 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: or you're doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, driving your 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: kids around. However you're finding time to spend time in 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 2: God's word. What's so amazing and what I love so 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: much about my job is you can never waste time 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 2: in the Bible. You can never waste time in God's word. 12 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 2: It says. Specifically, the prophet isaiahs said God's word will 13 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 2: never return void, meaning when God sends out his word 14 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 2: into the world, it's going to do its job. So 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 2: if you are faithful and available and you're just willing 16 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: to listen and be present to what God has for you, 17 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 2: God wants to know you. He wants to speak to you, 18 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 2: He wants you to know him. He wants you to 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 2: feel and experience the Kingdom of God right here on earth. 20 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 2: No matter your circumstances, no matter your troubles, God is 21 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: here and wants us to know him. So we get 22 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: to enter in with faith as we go to scripture. 23 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 2: It gives us the confidence and the freedom to enter 24 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: into a chapter and just say, okay, what questions do 25 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 2: we have, what do we understand, what do we not understand? 26 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 2: And that's okay. We can engage the mystery that is 27 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: the Bible. Remember that a lot of the Bible would 28 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: have been heard audio like you would have listened to 29 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 2: the stories of the Bible. You have learned by listening 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 2: back in this time, and so it's pretty modern that 31 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 2: we have what we have today where we've got a 32 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: very written out book with lots of study notes and 33 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: a concordinance. If you don't know what a concordance is, 34 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 2: it's in the back of your Bible and you can 35 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 2: look up a certain word. You can find the ways 36 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: that the Bible connects to each other. You've got these 37 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: cross references in the middle. If you're here on YouTube, 38 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 2: you can see I've got my big study Bible here 39 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: in these cross references. There's some maps. You can also 40 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 2: see how many cross references actually are shown in the Bible. 41 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: You may have wondered what that is. What those cross 42 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 2: references are is. There's times when there is a theological 43 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: principle or a historical piece of context that connects to 44 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: another place in the Bible, and those cross references will 45 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 2: help you find those other places. So, for instance, if 46 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 2: this story that we're going to read today, or the 47 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 2: parable of the Sewer that we read last week, we're 48 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: going to get a cross reference that shows us where 49 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: it was also spoken about in the other Gospels. That's 50 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: an example of what a cross reference is. So keep 51 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 2: in mind that in the original listening of the passage, 52 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 2: you didn't get this big book with all of these 53 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: study notes, And we just sometimes need to remember that 54 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: because it can feel very academic when we come to 55 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 2: the Bible like this, and there's a part of that 56 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: that's good. God's given us a mind, He's given us 57 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: the ability to understand and discern and to learn. So 58 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 2: we want to know that, but we don't want to 59 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 2: miss just the beauty and the richness of the stories. Yes, 60 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: we don't want to miss the part of it where 61 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: we're supposed to have an emotional response, like a story 62 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: is meant to evoke in us a feeling, and that 63 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: there's tone to the words that are being shared and 64 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 2: the stories that are being told, and specifically today that's 65 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 2: really going to come into play as we get into 66 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,119 Speaker 2: Mark chapter five together. So I've titled Mark chapter five 67 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: the Precious Gift of Humanity. And today we're only going 68 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 2: to do the first twenty verses of chapter five. We're 69 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 2: going to save the rest as we get into chapter 70 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: six next week. So we're going to do these first 71 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: twenty verses. And because it's a little bit shorter and 72 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 2: we're not doing quite as big of an overview, I'm 73 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: actually going to read you the story. And while I 74 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: read you the story, I want to invite you to 75 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: maybe not think so much academically, not think so deeply 76 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: about a study or what questions you have, which we'll 77 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: get to in a moment, but I want to invite 78 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: you to just feel this story and maybe picture it 79 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 2: as almost like a video in your mind, if you 80 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 2: are imagining a movie and a moment that playing out, 81 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 2: to see if you can picture what happens here. So 82 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: let's go together to Mark chapter five, starting in verse one. 83 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: Remember we always have the disciples moving like there's a 84 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: lot of moving and shaking in the Gospel of Mark. 85 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: Jesus is always moving around, he's teaching, he's healing, he's 86 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 2: doing miracles in all these different places. If you recall 87 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 2: from the last chapter where we ended, we didn't talk 88 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: about it a whole lot, but where we ended is 89 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 2: that Jesus has calmed a storm. So he's told those 90 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: parables of abundance to his disciples, and then they go 91 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: across the lake, and as they're going across the lake, 92 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: there's a huge storm that kind of rises up, and 93 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: the disciples are terrified. They feel like they're gonna die. 94 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: They say to Jesus, teacher, don't you care if we drown? 95 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: Because Jesus was sleeping in the boat at this time. 96 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 2: And Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and the waves. 97 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,119 Speaker 2: He actually says to the wind and the waves be still, 98 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 2: and the storm completely calms. And we end that chapter 99 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 2: with Jesus saying who or the disciples saying about Jesus. 100 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: Who is this? Who is this man? Who is this Jesus? 101 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: And this is really the question of all of our hurts. 102 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 2: The real question is who is Jesus? To you? Jesus 103 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: was a historical figure. It's widely known and accepted that 104 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 2: Jesus is not a fable. Jesus is not a mythical 105 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: creature that was created by people who wanted to create 106 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,239 Speaker 2: a religion. Many texts outside of the Bible, historical texts 107 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: that we have access to, show that there is a 108 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 2: man named Jesus who walked the earth. That it's a 109 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: real thing, and that's not disputed at all. We do 110 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 2: have to ask the question who is Jesus to us 111 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 2: and the disciples in this moment of amazement, as Jesus 112 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 2: has been teaching and healing, he rebukes the wind, he 113 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 2: calms the storm, and the disciples are like, who is 114 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 2: this man? And now we pick up in chapter five. 115 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: It starts and says they went across the lake to 116 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: the region of the garriceness. When Jesus got out of 117 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from 118 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, 119 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 2: and no one could bind him anymore, not even with 120 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 2: the chain, for he had often been chained hand and foot. 121 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 2: But he tore the chains apart and broke the irons 122 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 123 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 2: Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, 124 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 2: he would cry out and cut himself with stones when 125 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 2: he saw Jesus from a distance. He ran and fell 126 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 2: on his knees in front of him, and he shouted 127 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: at the top of his voice, what do you want 128 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God, in 129 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: God's name, don't torture me, For Jesus had said to him, 130 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 2: come out of this man, you impure spirit. Then Jesus 131 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 2: asked him, what is your name? My name is Legion, 132 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 2: he replied, for we are many, And he begged Jesus 133 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: again and again not to send them out of the area. 134 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 2: A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 135 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 2: The demon begged Jesus, send us among the pigs, allow 136 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: us to go into them. He gave them permission, and 137 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 2: the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. 138 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 2: The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the 139 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,679 Speaker 2: steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending 140 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 2: the pigs ran off and reported this in the town 141 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 2: and countryside, and the people went out to see what 142 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 2: had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the 143 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: man who had been possessed by the legion of demons 144 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 2: sitting there, dressed and in his right mind, and they 145 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 2: were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people 146 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: what had happened to the demon possessed man, and told 147 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: about the pigs as well, And then the people began 148 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 2: to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus 149 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 2: was getting into the boat, the man who had been 150 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: demon possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not 151 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 2: let him, but said, go home to your own people 152 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 2: and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, 153 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 2: and how he has had mercy on you. So the 154 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 2: man went away and began to hell in the decapolists 155 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 2: how many how much Jesus had done for him, and 156 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: all the people were amazed. Okay, lots to unpack here, 157 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 2: But first all I wanted you to do was hear 158 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 2: the story, and I wanted to ask you what did 159 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 2: you notice in this story? What do you notice about 160 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,679 Speaker 2: what's happening here. We've got a very dramatic story happening. 161 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 2: We know that there must be tombs nearby. And as 162 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 2: Jesus lands in the boat, this man, who is so 163 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: broken and so violent and so completely possessed that he 164 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 2: cannot be with other people, comes out and falls at 165 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: Jesus's feet right, And then we have this interesting interchange 166 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 2: where you sense that there's a we speaking, but it 167 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: says that he is speaking, and we know that we're 168 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 2: entering into this place where Jesus is speaking to these 169 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 2: impure spirits. Then on top of all that, these demons 170 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: go out of the man and they go into these pigs, 171 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 2: and the herd of pigs runs off of the cliff 172 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 2: and drown in the lake. This is very dramatic stuff 173 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 2: that's happening here, So let's break it down and talk 174 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 2: about what we need to know. And I'm just going 175 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: to start with what's the backstory because it's going to 176 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 2: help us bring this story to life. But without any backstory, 177 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 2: if you don't hear anything else and you just feel 178 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: this story, I just want to remind you of what 179 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 2: this man would have been like. He was bound for 180 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: some reason. People would bind him with a chain. He'd 181 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 2: been chained hand and foot, but he was so powerful 182 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,599 Speaker 2: he could break the chains, and it says that he 183 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 2: would cry out and cut himself with stones. This is 184 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: almost the exact opposite of what we would think of 185 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: when we think of abundant life. This feels like a violent, hurting, 186 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: helpless person who is so overcome by pain that they're 187 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 2: just expressing pain in the world. It is so powerful, 188 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: powerfully difficult to think about the desperation of a person 189 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 2: who's in this position. Now, let me give you a 190 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 2: couple of backstory elements, all within your study notes, that 191 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 2: are going to help you understand what this story really about. 192 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 2: The first is this, we know that when Jesus crosses 193 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: over the lake, he actually is going into Galilee. He's 194 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 2: going to excuse me, he's not going into Galilee. He's 195 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 2: going into a territory where there were gentiles. Most of 196 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 2: the people there were gentiles. Now, what's a gentile. A 197 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 2: gentile is anyone who's not a Jew. So this is 198 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 2: a person who is not God's righteous people, God's chosen 199 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 2: people by birth, by nation. This would be anyone outside 200 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: of the Jewish faith. So we're entering into a whole 201 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 2: different experience. Now, because Jesus came to Jesus was Jewish. 202 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 2: Jesus was a rabbi. He came to the Jewish people. 203 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 2: He would be teaching in synagogues. He was with the 204 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: Jewish people. And now we've got a turn of the 205 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 2: story where now he is with the gentile people. He's 206 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 2: with people who don't know God in any way, who 207 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: aren't following God the Father, and he's now engaging in 208 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 2: them and giving them the story of who he is 209 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 2: and what it means to follow God. The reason that 210 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 2: we know that this was gentile region would be also 211 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 2: because of the pigs. Jewish people do not eat pork. 212 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 2: It would be considered not kosher to eat, and unclean 213 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 2: animal pigs were considered unclean. So the fact that there's 214 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 2: this massive herd of pigs, which would be a source 215 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 2: of the economy, it would be a source of commerce 216 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 2: for that group of people says that this is gentile territory. 217 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 2: So the pigs mean that this is not Jewish. And 218 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 2: then the third thing that we get here is this possession, 219 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 2: this demonic possession. And we have Jesus asking about the 220 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 2: names of these demon and the answer is legion. Legion 221 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 2: was the size of a Roman force, like a word 222 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 2: we would use in the military would be like a battalion. 223 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 2: Our legion was a size it would be like five 224 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 2: or six thousand men. So the fact that when Jesus 225 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 2: asks who are you and the answer is we are 226 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 2: Legion tells us how desperately possessed this man was, and 227 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 2: what a desperate place he was in. And it's just 228 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 2: a huge reminder again, as it says in Ephesian six, 229 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 2: that our struggle on earth is not against flesh and blood, 230 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 2: but it's against the powers and principalities of this evil world. 231 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 2: Now you might ask the question, is demon possession real? 232 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: Like I don't know anyone who's possessed by a demon. 233 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: I haven't seen any of that. And it is an 234 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 2: interesting question to ask, how does the enemy manifest himself 235 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 2: in our world today? And I think that people can 236 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 2: kind of go one of two ways when they ask 237 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 2: this question. On the one hand, people can get way 238 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 2: into this world and everything is demonic and everything is evil, 239 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 2: and everyone is possessed or pressed by a demon, and 240 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: there can be an over emphasis on the work of 241 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: the enemy. On the other hand, which is where many 242 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 2: people fall in many camps, is we act like the 243 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 2: enemy's not real at all, that there is no such 244 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 2: thing as a spiritual realm, there is no such thing 245 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 2: as good and evil. And I want to invite us 246 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 2: into a middle space where we ask the question, Okay, 247 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 2: how much how much time did Jesus give? How much 248 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 2: airtime did Jesus give the enemy. We should probably land 249 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: about there, and what do we see to be true 250 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 2: in this time? And how do we understand it in 251 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 2: our time. So one of the things that I've heard 252 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 2: said about the way the enemy works is it is 253 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 2: a great deception to have people believe that you are real. 254 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 2: That's a wonderful way to work. It's a wonderful way 255 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,079 Speaker 2: to do your work in the world. But what we 256 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: know about the enemy is what Jesus tells us in 257 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 2: John chapter ten, verse ten. He says, the enemy comes 258 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 2: to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that 259 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: they may have life and have it to the full. 260 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: So the note that I wrote to myself is that 261 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 2: any place where we see dehumanization is evil. Jesus said, 262 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 2: anything where there exists the lack of a precious understanding 263 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 2: of the worth of human beings is a place where 264 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: evil exists. Dehumanization is taking the humanity out of a person. 265 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: And what we see here is one of the most 266 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 2: pitifully dehumanized people we could ever see. We see a 267 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: man being treated worse than an animal. We see a 268 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 2: man who's been cast out from his community, who is 269 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 2: so is experiencing life and is in so much pain 270 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 2: and is so oppressed that he can't even be in community. 271 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: Often people would live in tombs because it would be 272 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 2: like a place where you could find shelter. So if 273 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 2: you were very poor or like this man, very isolated, 274 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 2: and he's been given up on obviously, everyone is given 275 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 2: up on this man being anything but insane. And this 276 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: insanity that he's experiencing is so dehumanizing that he's hurting himself. 277 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 2: He's in so much pain that he's hurting himself. And 278 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 2: so what we see here is this is what evil 279 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 2: looks like. And whether evil is manifest in obvious demonic possession, 280 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 2: or if evil is manifest in the very subtle ways 281 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 2: that people dehumanize other people, both are evil. It's just 282 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 2: a matter of whether it's subtle or obvious. And so 283 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: Jesus has this obvious moment where he wants to Like 284 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 2: we said, Jesus is always healing, he's always restoring life, 285 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: he's always bringing life, he's always about life. And so 286 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 2: he immediately calls these demons out of this man and 287 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 2: before but they won't, you know, they don't leave right 288 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 2: then they know who Jesus is that's the other thing 289 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: that's really interesting. They say, they call him the son 290 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 2: of the most High God. They know who Jesus is. 291 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 2: They recognize that they that he has more power than 292 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 2: they have, and they ask him to not cast them 293 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,359 Speaker 2: into the abyss, meaning like a place of eternal punishment, 294 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: but to let them go into these pigs, which again mystery. 295 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 2: We don't know why Jesus does what he does. But 296 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: what's interesting about this happening, if you think about it, 297 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 2: is that two thousand pigs are a lot of pigs. 298 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 2: That is a lot of commerce, That is a lot 299 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 2: of wealth. And what I read from this when I 300 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 2: think about what's happening here, is that Jesus is putting 301 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 2: such a precious a human being, is such a precious commodity, 302 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 2: is so important, is so valuable that there is there's 303 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 2: no amount of pigs that could ever be more valuable 304 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 2: than this human being, and that Jesus is like, yeah, 305 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 2: it's better to let these two thousand pigs jump into 306 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 2: the lake than to have this man not restored disanity. 307 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 2: His life life is so precious, his life is so important. 308 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 2: We see this incredible gift that God has given when 309 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 2: he says that he has made us different than the 310 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 2: rest of creation. It says in Psalm's eight that God 311 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 2: has set us a little lower than himself, that we've 312 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 2: been given this ability, it says in Genesis to rule 313 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: over this world, and that only humanity is made in 314 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: the image of God. That God has given us all 315 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 2: these beautiful gifts in his creation, and we have all 316 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 2: of this beautiful, wonderful things, but only men and women 317 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 2: are made in the actual image of God, really represent 318 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 2: God's DNA. And we see that present here when Jesus 319 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 2: is like this, one man's life is so precious that 320 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: there's no amount that's not worth that, and we're going 321 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 2: to see Jesus continue to show us that in future chapters. 322 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 2: The financial loss was nothing close to the worth of 323 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 2: this human being. So dehumanization appears in our world. Evil 324 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 2: appears in our world in small and big ways. On 325 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 2: the very small end of the subtle end of the spectrum. 326 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 2: We have stereotyping and name calling and tropes and all 327 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 2: of these ways that we make someone any less human 328 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: than they are. My kids laugh. We were just talking 329 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: with our kids who are in their twenties now kind 330 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 2: of growing up and out, and recently I asked them, 331 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 2: did you think we were strict parents or lax parents? 332 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 2: And the immediate response from the two older ones was strict. 333 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 2: The youngest one las I'm sure some of you guys 334 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 2: understand what it's like for the baby of the family. 335 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 2: But one of the places that we were really strict 336 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 2: was on name calling, Like it was an absolute no 337 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 2: go in our house, and no one was allowed to 338 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 2: be called stupid, to be called an idiot. In fact, 339 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 2: I would say, like you can say to your sibling 340 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 2: you did a stupid thing, you cannot say that they 341 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 2: are stupid. When we name call, when we label, we 342 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 2: remove the humanity from people. It is the most subtle 343 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 2: form of evil. It is absolutely evil. It is the 344 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 2: place that's the place where evil starts. And I'm going 345 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: to let you find your own make your own conclusions 346 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 2: about where we see that in our culture right now. 347 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 2: But any time that the humanity of people is removed 348 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 2: and it's replaced with name calling, with tribalism, with stereotypes, 349 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 2: with tropes, it is evil. When you see that on 350 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 2: the spectrum over here, that is a subtle form of evil. Evil. Nonetheless, 351 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 2: all the way over to war, genocide, trafficking, that is 352 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: is what this where it leads. Evil is inherently destructive. 353 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 2: Evil is always about stealing, killing, and destroying. Whether it 354 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 2: looks like demon possession or not, we know that. It 355 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 2: says in Ephesians, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. 356 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 2: It is against the powers and the principalities of this 357 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 2: heavenly realm. So that is what we're about and what 358 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 2: we see Jesus being about. Here. Okay, let's move to 359 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 2: the really cool part of this story. So all of 360 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: this happens, this man is completely restored to sanity, and 361 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 2: then it says that the people who see this happen 362 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,479 Speaker 2: are terrified by Jesus. Let's remember we can often think 363 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 2: of Jesus as like our friend, and Jesus is a friend, 364 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: but don't be confused about what it means that Jesus 365 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 2: is in friend. He's also lord. He is the one 366 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 2: who has authority over all creation, over all forces, and 367 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,719 Speaker 2: it's really powerful. And when you get around that power, 368 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: it is overwhelming. And these people are experiencing Jesus and 369 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 2: it's terrifying. It's terrifying to think that a person has 370 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 2: that kind of power. There is this mystical mysterious part 371 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 2: of the presence of Jesus that is hard to explain, 372 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 2: but you know it when you're in it, and it 373 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 2: is overwhelming. It is overwhelming because that is the kind 374 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 2: of power and holiness that Jesus possesses inside of himself. 375 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 2: That's why we understand that Jesus is fully God and 376 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 2: fully man. And so this man is completely restored to 377 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 2: his right mind. He's sitting with Jesus. He begs to 378 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 2: be able to travel with Jesus. And now Jesus does 379 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 2: something different than he's done any other time in the 380 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 2: chapter so far. He says, go and tell everyone what 381 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 2: I've done for you. Now, remember we just talked about 382 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 2: the Messianic secret. We just talked about this idea that 383 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 2: Jesus keeps saying that people don't tell anyone who I am. 384 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 2: And so commentators are off a like why now. And 385 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 2: one of the things that we know that's different right 386 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 2: here is this is the pivotal point where now Jesus 387 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 2: is bringing the message of the Kingdom of God to 388 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 2: the gentiles. And if you were a gentile, if you 389 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 2: didn't weren't raised in the Jewish faith, you wouldn't have 390 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 2: all of these ideas about who this Messiah was going 391 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 2: to be. You wouldn't necessarily think that Messiah was going 392 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 2: to bring reign, overthrow the government, and establish an earthly kingdom. 393 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 2: You would just be experiencing Jesus, who's you know, taking 394 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 2: a man from insanity to complete sanity, taking a man 395 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 2: from removed from his community to a guy who's now 396 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 2: like going through all ten cities of that gentile territory 397 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 2: talking about this man Jesus, and Jesus sets him free 398 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 2: to do that. So we asked the question what does 399 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 2: this mean for us when we think about this story? 400 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: I think that when we ask what does this mean? 401 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 2: Clearly a huge part of this story is about evil 402 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 2: and good and how that moves in our world. But 403 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 2: the thing I think that we can really take from 404 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 2: this and we think about it for our own lives, 405 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 2: is think about this gift that this man now has 406 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: for the rest of his life. Our greatest gift, our 407 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 2: greatest weapon of good in this world, is our testimony. 408 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 2: It's our understanding of who we were before Christ and 409 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 2: who we are after. And your story might not be 410 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 2: as dramatic as this man who had a legion of 411 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 2: demons that was violently oppressing his sanity and his peace 412 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 2: and his goodness. But you do have a story. You 413 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 2: do have a time before Christ, and you do have 414 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 2: a time after Christ. And perhaps the great miracle of 415 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 2: your testimony is something that's happened in your heart. Maybe 416 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 2: it's a place of forgiveness. Maybe it's a place of freedom. 417 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 2: Maybe it's a place where you've been set free from fear. 418 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 2: Whatever that might be, that is your testimony. It is 419 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 2: our greatest weapon of good in this world, is understanding 420 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 2: that we are people who can say that we have 421 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 2: been set free by the power of Jesus Christ. It 422 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 2: is the witness of this man that begins to spread 423 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 2: the message of Jesus into all of these ten cities 424 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 2: in this gentile territory. And it is the witness of 425 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 2: your story that will spread the goodness of God in 426 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 2: the places that He's called you to be. It is powerful. 427 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 2: If you haven't thought about it in a while, ask 428 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 2: yourself the question, where would you be without Jesus. Maybe 429 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 2: you have grown up in the church, Maybe you became 430 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 2: a Christian when you were twelve or thirteen at a 431 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 2: youth group camp or at VBS, or I want you 432 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 2: to think about if you had an if you had 433 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 2: an unrestrained life in which you have not known the 434 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: love of the Father, where would you be Because that 435 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 2: is your testimony. Knowing who you are. Knowing who you 436 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 2: are in Christ is the powerful weapon of good that 437 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 2: God has given each one of us. All Right, you guys, 438 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 2: we'll talk next week. 439 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: How to Study the Bible with Nicole Unis is a 440 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 1: production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If you like 441 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: what you heard today, please take a second to rate 442 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: and review the podcast in your favorite podcast app so 443 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: that more listeners like you can find the show. For 444 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at live audio 445 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: dot com. 446 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 2: Mhmm