By the power of his word - Mark 4:39
When they awakened Jesus, he did not grab a bucket and start bailing out the boat. By the power of his word he exercised his authority over the forces of nature and calmed the storm. Since Adam's sin Satan had often used nature as his own tool. Jesus had bound the strong man and was reclaiming his rule over nature.
They feared a great fear. Mark 4:40-41
The disciples had thought that they knew who Jesus was. At that moment they realized that he was far greater than they had imagined. They were rightly filled with
fear in his presence. Mark emphasized their fear with an expression that could be literally translated,
they feared a great fear. But as understandable as it was to be afraid at the display of the awesome power of Jesus over the storm, that fear was not the
faith that Jesus came to elicit.
The region of the Gerasenes - Mark 5:1
The exact location of the region of the
Gerasenes is not known. Most likely it is near a small town on the eastern shore of the lake and not the larger city of Gerasa that is about 35 miles from the coast. Perhaps it is to be associated with the village that today is called Koursi (Kersi). This region was largely populated by Gentiles.
Unclean spirit - Mark 5:2-5
The
unclean spirit gave this man super human strength, but was destroying him. He was making him more like an animal than a human being. The man was living among the
tombs. He was cut off from other human beings and
cried out during the night like a wild animal. The demons acted consistent with their nature. Forcing the man to
cut himself was just another part of the demonic attempt to destroy the image of God. The people of the town feared this wild man. They tried to shackle him, but he broke the
shackles. They could not control him and all they could do was drive him out of their town.
Worshipped - Mark 5:6
The Greek word translated
bowed down is most often translated
worshipped. Of course the demon was not giving Jesus true worship, but this word does present the entire event as a spiritual battle.
What do I have to do with you? - Mark 5:7
The question
What do I have to do with you? is almost identical to that found in 1:24. It translates a Greek idiom which in this context probably has the sense of
Why are you interfering with me? The phrase
Most High God is found more often in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. More specifically, it was used by non-Israelite polytheists. Coming from the mouth of the demon possessed Gentile it probably has magical connotations. It was an effort to use Jesus' name to gain control over him. The clause
I beg you by God himself can also be translated
I adjure you by God. The demon is confronting Jesus in spiritual warfare.
Legion - Mark 5:9
The word
Legion was drawn from the Roman military. A legion had around 6,000 men. If it was the name of the group of demons, the group was probably very large. It may not, however, have been a name at all. Instead it may have been an effort to avoid giving his name so it could not be used against him in magical spiritual warfare.
Herd of pigs - Mark 5:13
Jesus needed no magical spells. He
allowed the demons to go into the herd of pigs. Jesus was in control and did not allow the demons to continue destroying the man. Instead they
drowned the 2000 pigs. By doing so Jesus allowed them to show their true nature. It is the nature of the demonic to destroy. (The large herd of pigs fits the fact that this was a Gentile area.) Jesus had not let them destroy the man. Jesus reversed the bestializing of a human being.
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