What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. And it is reveals a great deal comparing the reactions of the Gentiles in the two towns. For you Tolkien fans it reminds me of a character in the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. Such a contradiction in character! You can bet your bottom drachma there is. Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: Gerasene. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gerasene. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. Pastor MacArthur would do well to learn from his Jewish counterparts. He was Jewish and tragically lost. Even city officials who were Pauls friends were scared for Pauls life (Acts 19:31). Very interesting. But now this is an extraordinary case. Now you understand what sitting at the Savior's feet means? Years earlier, when the ancient Israelis came to the border of the Promised Land, part of the eastern shore was controlled by the Geshurites (and the Maakathites) but Joshua told Israel to possess their land (Joshua 13:11-13). Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? There is no captivity that you can be captive to that is not captive to Jesus Christ for He has ascended on high and led captivity captive and He makes a sport and a spoil of the forces of darkness which are arrayed against God and against heaven. May God grant us the liberation through Jesus Christ to become what that nameless man became. Because of his righteousness and his love for God, Peter and Andrew and John and thousands more loved Jesus and followed him. Throughout the book, the author uses direct quotes, various and mostly verifiable place names and clear descriptions of mostly plausible actions. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Mark and Luke call it Gerasenes and some English versions translate it as Gergesenes. It is all the same place. This is the Just-believe-and-receive Hypothesis and the advocates thereof like to stretch Jesuss words, I came to fulfill the Law, and make it say that Jesus needed to destroy or replace the nasty Law, but hope to heaven it still sounds Biblical heres an example of stretchy talking from GotQuestions. Mr. Hippo read Mark 5 and convinced himself that Jesus did not care about swine, or any other animals, and therefore, spread a church doctrine that Christians have no genuine duty to animals. Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its application could mean. Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. Its inconceivable that the pigs were owned by Gentiles. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. Therefore we know that when Jesus helped the Syrophoenician woman (not a Jewess, but she came to him), he and the woman were both in Israeli territory. Perhaps even ask who might that future group of individuals be to whom Jesus will say, Depart, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22) because even though they called him, Lord, Lord [and had gone to seminary and made dispensational charts] they somehow were on the wrong path. The prophet Jonah is held up as the merciless messenger of God; not a great title. Additionally, it would have been foolish for the Apostles to claim hundreds and thousands of witnesses (1 Cor 15:1-6). All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and gravity (Matthew 8:22-27, Mark 4:3541 and Luke 8:2225, passages immediately before the pig-demon accounts! Derek Thomas was reminding me this morning that Ridderbos, in his famous book, The Coming of the Kingdom, records seventeen different interpretations that he had found of this particular parable. His fellow citizens tried to restrain him in chains a horrible way to treat mental illness, by the way but he always broke free. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. Our ways are not as Thine. Jesus helped a Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith ( Matthew 15:2128 ). Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Put pork on your fork. The distinction between the two is clear (now). The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. And from what I have heard, preferrably pig blood. He also makes excursions into Gentile territory, such as when he exorcizes the Gerasene/Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). That is how valuable human life is." The borders are fairly clearly drawn up. In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. And he said that a good and virtuous man could not have allowed something like that to happen and therefore, Jesus was not the best and most virtuous of men and therefore Christianity was disproven. Do you remember? It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a, Sixth Fact: True identity of the pig farmers. And then finally, and very, very sadly, I want you to see in contrast to him, the reaction of the majority of the people in his city and country to what Jesus has done. Over the years, Ive had to prove all this to myself first, and it took soul-searching and tons of Scripture research. Well the first thing I want you to see is this picture of a person in the thrall of sin. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis; the inhabitants of the city. and what Jesus showed here was a love and a grace towards a man in captivity to sin who didn't deserve to be freed and didn't deserve to be forgiven, but Jesus did it anyway. Just as God defeated Pharaohs army at the Red Sea, so Jesus defeats Satans army in the land of the Gerasenes. In fact, they are, Yet the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke actually report that the towns people many would have been the owners or friends of the pig owners or people who were connected to the trade in the swine were, Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have, All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were, Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (, Answering, he said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (, As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the, Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (, Besides this Biblical evidence that Jesus and the woman were within Israels inheritance, there is also a prophesy that God will settle His People in the future in Gilead (a sizeable part of todays Kingdom of Jordan) and in, The real-estate on the east side of the lake of Galilee where Jesus met the demons and the swine was also part of Israel-proper. 3
But there are many reasons why Im not keen on the idea of the Gospels as non-historical. The excavations uncovered what is to date the best preserved Rom. Instead, his conscious act of casting the demons into the swine resulted in the entire herds destruction. So these four miracles show Jesus reaching out to Gentiles, either in Galilee or even in even more Gentile territory across the river. ___________________________________________________________________. Its odd that dispensationalist preachers dont preach this obvious, permanent truth. No products in the cart. Rabbi, begone! The Psalmist states that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills Because to me belong every beast of the wood, every herd on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10, and were assuming Jesus the Second Person of the triune God had equal rights to those hills and those cattle.). Well, Ill try and explain that before the end of the sermon, but there were several titles that didn't get included in the sermon bulletin today. And while its not true God pairs animals with people every where in Scripture, He does in this statement. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. God designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His chosen people. The demons, who in this man have terrified the whole countryside to the point that they had tried to retrain this man with chains they were so frightened of Him, those demons are now afraid of Jesus because they know who Jesus is and they know where Jesus can cast them. He loves our souls. Notice how Gods, Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (. What about sheep? were badly damaged in major WebWho do you care more about, people or pigs? Herod had massive building projects all over Israel. Working with the Law, and not against it, Jesus is shown to be completely in character and not out of his mind. Christians never finish reading the chapter. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. And if I remember correctly, I think there is some tradition about other Apostles going to Spain. Thats right, adding or subtracting from Scripture, according to Scripture, is illegal. Luke doesn't think that it's an every day occurrence for a person to be possessed by a host of demons. Them there pigs were trying to hog Jesus limelight! [] Top ten reasons why there were pigs in Gerasenes, (Linear Concepts, 17 October 2012), http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011 []. Am I forgiven by saying, I just allowed the kids to have the grenade? They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. But when Jesus explained that the commandment was the old one from Leviticus, Love one another, they signed with relief, seeing how he was just underscoring the command that God already gave (Leviticus 19:18). Israels real enemy is Satan. Thou lovest men, we love swine. Do you see how Jesuss Gentiles dont act like Gentiles! If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? So how on earth could they dictate to the Son of God where they wished to go? He was getting everyone on board with what was started at Sinai. The Word of God cant change any more than God can. (So much for those latter revelations or new religions arriving centuries later.). Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. This page from an Orthodox website partially shows how Judaism views their responsibility. The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Theories of men that attack statements made by God evolution for example are sadly creeping into the minds of Christian leaders. But if one cared to examine all of Gods Word, the only possible reason for Jesus to destroy the pigs in the exorcism seems to be connected to Gods opinion about ham. Its a weird story, but its in the Gospels a couple of times, so we have to accept it as truth. Its not clear exactly who is doing more killings, the LORD or Melchizedek, but the picture overall fits the image of Son of God cleaning the land of swine. Why does the herd of swine go over the cliff? Almost there. * If one believes demons exists, why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demons? If we agree Messiah wrote the Law of God, we should then wonder why on earth he would come to Earth to take what he authored out of circulation or to annul it? Once there, Jesus encounters a man possessed by demons. WebThey land in the country of the Gadarenes which is on the North-east shore of the Sea of Galilee about 6 miles southeast across the sea from Capernaum. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? His actions now make sense in this new light. Am I forgiven by saying, I just, The Land of Israel is/was no place for two thousand pigs. His soul, what care we for his soul? Well Ill explain that too, later on. "It became one of the proudest cities of Syria." From the brook beside the road he will drink and for this reason, he will lift high his head. Owning those defiling animals was illegal and having two thousand head, the farmers were more than flouting the Law that Jesus had not came to destroy but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). 6 ) There were lots of laws they didnt keep. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) Then again, who needs to imagine anything? Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. The Spectators probably from all over the world! The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. When they ask Jesus to leave, he does so without any objection; Jesus ministry will not be imposed on those unwilling to receive it. Because the writer of the story wanted to make sure that everyone would know that the Garasenes were not Jewish. Jerash (aka Gerasa, Gerash or Gerasha) is the capital and the largest city of the Jerash Governorate in Jordan, but in ancient times it was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient Near East.Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic period (c. 7500-5500 BCE) and founded as a Hellenistic city in the 2nd century BCE, Jerash is I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a grand doctrine, all with the hopes it will magically annihilate one hundred clear, unambiguous verses which say the Law is permanent. Actually, killing the pigs was also out of his mercy because instead of judging the farmers directly, the Messiah threw his anger against the pigs. The miracles that are recorded here, just like the one that we saw last week, are seen by that small circle of disciples that is following Jesus around. Cute little silver goddess dolls would have sold for the same price as a full-grown boar or sow in those days. These authors were Biblical (Peter, James, Paul, Hebrews, etc) and to a lesser extent, non-biblical (Josephus, Pliny, etc). Why explain something that is as plain as the nose on your face? He has stabbed the heads of many lands. The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. This means that these miracles are especially meant to teach believers something. Money Maker Software is compatible with AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. I beg You, do not torment me. For He (that is, Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. And then they beg to go into the herd of pigs. He showed mercy to the men who were possessed and brought judgement on the pig farmers. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. What happened to the demons when the pigs died? The textual evidence shows that the MSS preserve three variant spellings of the name in each gospel. It is a logical thesis based on historic accounts (Josephus, etc) Feel free to challenge this thought or pursue it from another angle. viii. It's this man who doesn't even remember his name who's possessed by a host of demons. And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the , Everyone's wondering why the pigs got the raw end of the deal. being the eternal Son of God. Two Sundays ago Take care then, how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. They thought those pigs were theirs. The gospels. (wait for it) turning the swine to the water! Gerasa. But let me just suggest that one thing that might be happening here is a picture of Jesus future judgment on the demonic forces that are arrayed against God. But it struck me as interesting that Bertrand Russell had the exact same reaction to this miracle that the people of the Gerasenes had. Acting as Israels Messiah, Jesus was carrying out actions that were predicted by the prophets, like when Zechariah said that no merchants in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 14:21).. Ba-dum-tsss.). Compared to the accounts of the same event in Matthew and Luke also written in simple narrative prose some details vary. This has been a long blog thanks for sticking with it but because Im going to ruffle feathers, Ive gone the extra mile to explain myself clearly and to plug any holes in my argument. Pork is the most infamous of all-things-not-Jewish and the bad press that pigs receive in Scripture, and in contemporary Western society, is another reason why I accuse both pastors of being less than honest in their explanations about Mark 5. Echoes of Exodus in the Land of theGerasenes, Wesleys Eschatological Optimism Explains itAll, The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg, The Methodist Million Dollar Appeal in World WarII. Now that's interesting isn't it? Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? Yet a complete interpretation of Mark 5 needs to clear up one last point: the pigs were forbidden but did they have to be destroyed? Secondly, theyre forgetting that Jesus also says that people are more important than sparrows. And they are no more capable of liberating themselves than this man was capable of liberating himself from this host of demons. Add to that that recent. It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. Instead of recklessly freeing the doves into the air (as erroneously shown in The Jesus Film and other Bible movies), Scripture records with precise detail that Jesus only knocked over the chairs of the pigeon owners, and/or told them to take their feathered property and leave (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:16) he didnt use his whip on the birds or fling them into the air to be attacked by falcons or eagles. Only this interpretation explains the farmers restrained reaction over the slaughter of the swine, and their tremendous terror of the Messiah. Looking back over the entirety of Gods Word, we do indeed notice many plagues rained down on the wicked in other books. It's His person and His power that we're having our attention draw to and there are four things in particular that I want you to see in this passage. Or are we with those who love what we want and what we have more than we love the Word of life from the only One who can give life? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Johns Entertaining LOL Interpretation shows me that he sees cracks in his theology, but is unwilling to own up to them. At this distance from the Sea of Galilee, Gerasa could not have been the site of the healing of Legion. It is doubtful that Jesus ever visited it. Would you not agree that theres a certain permanent feeling about a law like that? A wonderful verse that reveals Him to us and probably the most heartwarming is the commandment in the Torah that mother animals are allowed to stay with their newborns for at least seven days before the offspring can be taken for food or for sacrifice (Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 22:27). He was possessed of extraordinary strength but he was aware that there was a man of God in his presence. All we know now is that the demoniac could have been either: Jew or Gentile. So why pigs? It deeply disturbed Bertrand Russell that Jesus allowed a herd of two thousand pigs to be destroyed. There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). However, it is anticipated that the following verses will be thrown up as excuses, as pat answers, and as proof that God has changed, the Law is fulfilled (a.k.a. It was like, And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent for He is not a man that He should relent. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. 11:78). R.C. This story is a technicolor picture of Luke 8:18, and my friends, there don't have to be demons around for us to be facing the same challenge. The victorious Lord made life good again for one embattled soul. Surely He could have demonstrated real power over real demons, right?
. And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was a Jew. Seven facts why Jesus cast the demons to the pigs in Mark 5, but pastors still miss the point, We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? We have it all down on paper exactly how gentle Gentiles can get when they get annoyed by a Jew. Therefore, when it came to sacrifices on it, the menu was even shorter. Also in a side note theres a rock with what looks like a human footprint in it, it is said this is Christs footprint. Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, [Let me just pause right there. That sure does smell good! Some of Jesus's reputation for being normally meek and merciful comes from statements like: From Jesus's own mouth, we are informed of Gods special love and attention for defenseless animals and we know Jesus has the same heart for the weak. David did the same to a bear that took a sheep. "Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged [Jesus], saying, 'Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.' e. 3). Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything ritually impure or defiling (Acts 10:14). Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. My question is: Now the big-mouth irking this Greek artisan was our good friend, the Apostle Paul. Part of the reason for such a short list is due to the fact that Gods People are special (Exodus 19:5-6) and separate (Deuteronomy 7:6) and unique from others on the earth (1 Peter 2:9). That's even more unexpected than not being angry because in Paul's case, it was the other way around. Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Third Fact: Not a fickle faithless Father. (, Its not clear exactly who is doing more killings, the LORD or Melchizedek, but the picture overall fits the image of Son of God cleaning the land of swine. This Priceless People Interpretation comes from another sunny California pastor, John Piper. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true.
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