Jesus the King

Kyle Johnston

Mark: The Coming King • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Welcome! Kyle; working through Mark’s Gospel. As we’ve worked our way through this Gospel, the main thing we’ve seen again and again, is that Jesus is God’s King. The King who has come to bring in the Kingdom, but a King like no other. An unexpected King, a surprising King, and our passage today highlights that again. In this passage, we see three different scenes and each scene highlights something different about what kind of King he is. So we’re going to look at this episode through those three scenes. And the thing we learn about him from the first scene is that He is...

The ‘unclean’ King (v 1-5)

Because of the place he chose to go: verse 1—the Gerasenes. We know that it’s an unclean place because it is a gentile area, known as the Decapolis (which means 10 cities). These ten cities were showcase cities of pagan Hellenistic (Greek) culture, and occupied by the unclean Gentiles.

Now, the term ‘unclean’ is a technical word in the sense that it means ‘defiled’. Now, there’s a big biblical backstory to this: according to the OT worldview, there was a fundamental contrast between holiness and uncleanness. God is holy, whereas those who oppose him are considered unclean. And who are those who oppose him? The Gentiles (anyone who wasn’t Jewish). So Jesus the King, God’s Holy King, arrives in an unclean place, occupeied by unclean Gentiles: the Romans who had occupied Israel—wrongfully so. Their very presence in the Holy Land would have been considered illegitimate and their very way of life viewed as wrong. So the King, surprisingly, goes to an unclean place in Gentile territory.

We know that it’s an unclean place because it is a gentile area, known as the Decapolis (which means 10 cities). These ten cities were showcase cities of pagan Hellenistic (Greek) culture and ideals, and occupied by the Gentiles. Now, in this particular case, the gentiles in question were the Romans who had occupied Israel—wrongfully so. And their very presence in the Holy Land would have been considered illegitimate and their very way of life viewed as wrong. So the King, surprisingly, goes to an unclean place in Gentile territory.

So the place was unclean, but it gets worse: the theme includes not just the place but the Pigs! This is an area that had around 2,000 pigs. That’s a lot of uncleanness in one area. This may surprise you because we like pigs. But by Jesus’ day the pig had become a symbol of paganism (cf. ; ), and so something to be avoided, whether it was alive or already someone’s food, at all costs. This, in part, is because Torah classifies the pig as an unclean animal and so forbidden for food (; ). In fact, not just the law but also the prophets spoke against pigs. For example, take a look at . God spoke against the Jews...

Isaiah 65:4 NIV

who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;

So pigs were considered defiling. Furthermore, the revulsion towards was increased by the strong-arm tactics of the Seleucids, who attempted to force Jews to sacrifice and eat pigs. Finally, the boar was the symbol of the 10th Roman Legion. The point is, not only was this an utterly unclean place it was filled to the brim with utterly unclean animals.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001), 179.

, economy, Romans being fed and profits being made. Yet Jesus goes there.

And yet it is the place where the King chooses to go. The disciples, I imagine, were less than thrilled. Having just survived a near death experience in a horrible storm, the disciples now find themselves in unclean territory surrounded by unclean animals. As they disembark from the boat the smell of the pigs must have filled their nostrils and sunk their hearts.

Pigs, economy, Romans being fed and profits being made. Yet Jesus goes there.

But perhaps, thinks Peter, Jesus has come to this unclean place to meet with the influential culture-shapers. Yes, why, look at all these pigs—there must be about 2000 of them. Perhaps the owner is nearby and Jesus will convert him so that he can use his wealth and influence for the Kingdom.

Well, a person does come along. But probably not the person the disciples were hoping for. You see, not only are they in an unclean place with unclean pigs, but they also meet an unclean person (verse 2).

Notice the details of the man Jesus encounters:

Verse 2: He has an impure, or unclean, spirit. Remember, the essence of uncleanness is opposition to God—and this impure spirit is certainly opposed to God.

The man with the unclean spirit lives in the unclean tombs. Tombs, where dead people were placed, were also considered unclean in Jewish Law. That’s because holiness doesn’t just mean purity, it also means life. God himself is full and perfect life, so that death is the very antithesis of holiness—so uncleanness is often associated with death. Being in the tombs defiled you; living in the tombs made you unclean.

A naked man

This man had superhuman strength: read verses 3b-4. This may seem implausible but there are recorded stories of superhuman strength when people are under duress. Here’s just one example, posted by a well-regarded magazine, The Scientific American. It’s about a man called Tom Boyle, who lifted a car off a cyclist:

A strong man

It was about 8:30 P.M. on a warm summer evening in Tucson. Tom Boyle, was sitting in his pickup truck, waiting to pull out into traffic when a Camaro ahead of them hit the gas, spun his wheels, and jerked out onto the avenue with a squeal of rubber. Boyle saw a shower of red sparks flying up from beneath the chassis of the Camaro. And something else: A bike, folded up from impact. The Camaro had hit a cyclist, and the rider, an 18-year old boy, was pinned underneath the car. Boyle threw open the door of the truck and started running after the car. After 20 or 30 feet, the Camaro slowed and stopped. The cyclist screamed in agony, pounding on the side of the car with his free hand. Without stopping to think, Boyle reached under the frame of the car and lifted. With a sound of groaning metal, the chassis eased upward a few inches. "Mister, mister, higher, higher," the cyclist screamed. Boyle braced himself, took a deep breath, and heaved. The front end lifted a few more inches. "'OK, it's off me," they boy called out, and the driver of the car pulled him free. At last, about 45 seconds after he'd first heaved the car upward, Tom Boyle set it back down.

Of course, there was a lot of celebration. But the mystery was how Tom Boyle could lift something so heavy for so long. To put it in perspective. The world record for lifting a barbell is 1,008 pounds. A Camaro weighs 3,000 pounds. When we find ourselves under intense pressure, fear unleashes reserves of energy that normally remain inaccessible. We become, in effect, superhuman.

An unclean man

This man was also violent: read verse 5.

It is an awful description of someone at their worst, at their most tormented, and their most helpless. Unclean, violent, presumably naked, and alone. This is the person that Jesus meets.

Mark wants us to know what kind of King we are dealing with: the kind of King who would travel across the sea to meet a man with an unclean spirit, who was living among unclean tombs, surrounded by unclean animals, in unclean Gentile territory.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Creation from Chaos (5:1–20)

Thus Jesus meets a man with an unclean spirit living among unclean tombs surrounded by people employed in unclean occupations, all in unclean Gentile territory.

Who is this King? He is the King that will come to find you. He is the King who isn’t scared of the dirt. Where will he go? He will go to wherever you are. He will travel across an ocean to get to you. In your shame. In your uncleanness. In your guilt. he hasn’t come for the healthy but for the sick; he hasn’t come for the clean but for the defiled; he hasn’t come for the popular but for the marginalised and the forgotten.

Brennan Manning: One of the mysteries of the gospel tradition is this strange attraction of Jesus for the unattractive, this strange desire for the undesirable, this strange love for the unlovely.

Jesus is the unclean King who has come for you. And for me.

I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion. CS Lewis, Surprised by Joy

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

Jesus crosses boundaries to make people whole. Ethnic boundaries are set aside in the reign of God. Jesus comes not to the “well” but to the “sick” (2:17), to those the majority population has marginalized and forgotten.

Jesus goes to the unclean places and people; he did back then and he does today. That’s the kind of King he is—a King who is merciful, a King who reaches out, and a King who touches the unclean.

The Powerful King (v 6-13)

Let’s pick up the story in verse 6 (read to verse 8). The man with the demons meets Jesus and it’s a picture of contradiction—he is both submissive and aggressive. He aggressively uses the name of Jesus (perhaps to establish control?), but the use of the name highlights the supremacy of Christ.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark Authority over Demonic Power (5:1–20)

It is certainly an attempt to establish control over Jesus, and in this connection it may be significant that it is preceded by a mention of Jesus’ name and title (as in 1:24). There is plenty of evidence in the magical papyri that to know and declare the name of a person or spirit was believed to give power over them, and similar naming formulae are quite common.7 In v. 9 Jesus will in turn elicit the name of the demon(s) before effecting the exorcism. But the title here given to Jesus is such that its use could hardly encourage the demons to expect to establish control over him.

The demons recognise the supremacy of Jesus; the title “Most High God” is typically Gentile because in a polytheistic worldview, it highlights the unique power and majesty of God. Yet in his encounter with Jesus, the demons deny the very thing they affirm.

Well, they might be collectively weaker than Jesus but they are stronger than their host. Notice the name, verse 9: Legion. Now, that’s not a value-neutral term in 1st Century Israel. Legion referred to the largest unit in the Roman army—anywhere between 4000-6000 soldiers. The term Legion smacked of oppression and tyranny. And I think the name of the demons speaks both to their number (there were many of them), and to their effect on the man (they were oppressive and destructive). As a legion of Roman soldiers might destroy a town, so these demons were destroying this man. We cannot fathom the depths of suffering, distress, humiliation, and torment this poor man would have experienced.

Well, Jesus brings the year of Jubilee with him wherever he goes. He is always ready to preach good news and set the prisoner free, and that’s exactly what he does here. He gives the demons permission to go into the nearby herd of pigs, all 2000 get a demon or two each, and the unclean animals, filled with unclean spirits, rush to their destruction. Jesus, in a demonstration of regal power, has set this man free. According to verse 15, instead of running around naked self-harming, he is sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed, and in his right mind. It’s a picture of salvation, and discipleship. Jesus has saved him.

Now, I

And Jesus can do the same for us. He can restore us. He can change us. Regardless of our problems, our sins, our demons—Jesus is our powerful King.

I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

The matter of the swine is problematic if Jesus is in Jewish territory. Wherever Gesara was, it must have been a predominantly Gentile area. If that is the case, when Jesus removes both the unclean spirits and the unclean animals, he is symbolically making unclean territory ritually clean. And since the boar was the symbol of the Roman Tenth Legion, Jesus has metaphorically triumphed over imperial power as well

I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.

CS Lewis, Surprised by Joy

Maybe that describes you: if you are honest enough, you look within and you see a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, and a harem of fondled hatreds. Our sins and demons are legion. Jesus is the powerful King, who can restore and cleanse us.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus can change you? That he can change others? If there’s one thing we learn from this passage, it’s this: Jesus has the power to purify and cleanse us. Let’s not underestimate Him. He is the powerful King, who uses his power to restore.

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

we must recognize that, when they come to Jesus, people do change. How many people have we consigned to be zombies, to a living death, because we will not allow that they might be different?

Pastoral excursus: self-harm, exorcisms, and the death of pigs

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

Self-harm: the self-cutting in this passage is not referring to the type of self-cutting that is common today. It’s possible to misread this psychologically, and think that it’s giving us a way to understand self-harming. It’s not. So it would be incorrect to apply this passage to those who are self-harming.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark Authority over Demonic Power (5:1–20)

The whole narrative therefore constitutes a striking example of the way the NT presents demon possession not as a psychological problem of the one afflicted, but as a matter of alien occupation. It is with the demons, not with the man, that Jesus must deal; only after the exorcism is complete will Jesus address the man in his own right (vv. 18–20).

So it would be incorrect to apply this passage to those who are self-harming.

Secondly, just as this passage can be misunderstood psychologically, I think it can also be misunderstood demonologically. This passage is not a manual on how to do exorcisms. In fact, it’s worth noting that the NT gives no command that Christians should be performing exorcisms. This is not a manual on how to do an exorcism.

2 Timothy 2:22–26 NIV

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:24–26 NIV

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:25–26 NIV

Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

So if that’s the normal way, what is the exceptional way? Well, of course, there will be moments, more rarely, in pastoral ministry, where a demon needs to be cast out. But this needs to be done with discernment. I am very uncomfortable with the way in which idols and strongholds are demonised and given names like a spirit of lust or whatever.

Finally, perhaps an ethical concern: the death of all these pigs seems inhumane: what answer is there for that? Well, we must remember that from a Jewish perspective,

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

when Jesus removes both the unclean spirits and the unclean animals, he is symbolically making unclean territory ritually clean. And since the boar was the symbol of the Roman Tenth Legion, Jesus has metaphorically triumphed over imperial power as well (see Mark 3:27).

Bonnie Bowman Thurston, Preaching Mark (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2002), 62.

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

The point Mark is making is that Jesus is the powerful King—and so we should run to Him for mercy and cleansing.

Bonnie Bowman Thurston, Preaching Mark (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2002), 62.

The Merciful yet Rejected King (v 14-20)

The Merciful King

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

the narrative confronts us with our own priorities. Are we more interested in “business as usual” (our pigs) than we are in the power of God to deliver our disordered lives and the ones of those around us?

Jesus is the merciful King who has delivered this man from a terrible life. Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to him. And so it’s no surprise, verse 18, that the man who had been demon-possessed, begged to go with him. The surprise is that Jesus refuses. Rather, verse 19 (read): go home and proclaim the Lord’s mercy.

Response #2: Begging to be with Jesus

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark Authority over Demonic Power (5:1–20)

The reason for refusal is rather the positive one that this man has an opportunity, which is uniquely his, to spread the news of what God is doing through Jesus of Nazareth among those who have known what he was before, and who therefore cannot ignore the dramatic change which has resulted from his encounter with Jesus. In emphasising this motivation Mark no doubt expects his readers to understand that the same principle applies to others whose lives Jesus has changed, even in less dramatic circumstances.

That’s the point: if we’ve experienced the power and mercy of Christ, then we too should spread the good news. The Jesus who delivers us is also the Jesus who sends us; he says to us: Go home; go to your people; tell them how much the Lord has done for you; tell them how he has had mercy on you.

This man has had an experience of grace, and it’s enough for him to put it into words. Have you experienced the power and mercy of Christ? If so, are you telling others? Is your life a testimony? Has your encounter with Jesus resulted in visible change, so that your friends and family know that something has happened?

I really feel for this man—he begged to go with Jesus (a phrase that echoes another phrase used to denote discipleship; cf. ). He wanted to be a disciple. But in an important way, he did become a disciple. Although not physically with Jesus, he proclaimed Jesus and, take a look at verse 20, the people were amazed. What’s so cool is that in , when Jesus returns to the Decapolis, people come to him expecting him to heal. I think it’s because this guy laid the foundation, and so when Jesus returns, people are ready for him. Jesus is the merciful King, and those who receive his mercy love him and become his disciples.

But as we close we are going to look at the most disturbing part of this passage. And we will see that Jesus is not only the merciful King but also the rejected King.

The Rejected King

Read verse 14-17. Their response is a real headscratcher. Now, I understand the fear in some ways—Jesus is clearly very powerful (and their fear reminds us of the fear the disciples had in the boat after Jesus calmed the storm. Here Jesus has calmed another storm, if you like, and they are afraid).

But it’s still a weird response because this guy was in absolute torment. And while the man who had been demon-possessed is begging to stay with Jesus, they are begging Jesus to leave! The contrast could not be more striking: they want Jesus out of there. They reject him. Why?

Well, I think the text hints at it: in verse 15, we see them get scared (I think in response to Jesus’ superior power). But then what happens? They find out about the pigs. And when they find out about the pigs, verse 17, then they plead with Jesus to leave.

Here’s what’s happened: Jesus, in saving this man, has tanked the local economy. I think that this region had a pig-based economy. And by saving this man, Jesus has brought in an economic catastrophe. And they don’t like it—they want him out. They would rather have the man with his demons, along with their pigs, than a man set free without their pigs. Their priorities are revealed; their values are laid bare; their idols exposed.

And idols always deform your values, we always become what we worship. So if you idolise an economy based on swine, then it’s no surprise that their values were a pigsty. It’s a scary response, and I think a searching one too. What about us? We can all be very enthusiastic about the Kingdom of God but when it encroaches on our economy, our money, our finances, well then we become less enthusiastic. Are we more interested in our pigs than in the power of God, who can deliver us from our disordered lives?

The merciful King is ultimately rejected, because his ministry exposes our idolatry. His holiness exposes our uncleanness. And this rejection will continue in Mark’s Gospel. Ultimately, Jesus will be killed, as he gets crucified, naked, on a cross, tormented by the Roman soldiers and defiled in the most humiliating way. By the end of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is treated even worse than this demon-possessed man: they left the demon-possessed man alone, but they will attack Jesus. He gets cut, stripped naked, beaten. He takes the punishment for our uncleanness that we deserve. He becomes unclean for our cleansing. He goes into the tomb, so that we could get out of the tomb. He gets stripped naked, so we can be clothed in righteousness.

Do you see that? Do you see what He’s done for you? To rescue you? To restore you? If you do, if you know he has delivered you, then share his love with those around you.

Amen.

Preaching Mark 5:1–20

the Jesus who delivers is also the Jesus who sends. If we are honest, we admit that we are the ones who have been exorcised. In any given congregation, there are people who have been delivered from the “demons” of loneliness, grief, sin, doubt, confusion, prejudice, and fear. And to us Jesus says, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”

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