Matthew 8:28-34 Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

Jesus decides to pass by Gadara, a Gentile town near the sea of Galilee. He chooses a path that seemed to have been guarded by two demon-possessed men for quite some time. They were so fierce that no one dared to go that way. When they meet Jesus, they are able to identify that he is the Son of God who will send them to be tormented on the day of judgment (Rev.20:10) and wonder if his presence on earth is to torment them before their time. The demons begged to be sent into a herd of pigs that was nearby and Jesus casts them out of the two men and into the herd of pigs. Unfortunately, the herd rushed into the sea and drowned. The herdsmen fled to the city and told everything. The people came out to meet Jesus, but they asked him to leave their region.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is sovereign over diseases. He is in control of nature. He rules over the spirit world as well. These demons give testimony to the reality of a future judgment and hell. During his temptation, Jesus overcame the devil. Such event represented his victory over sin and evil in the world. Now again, he confronts the powers of darkness to demonstrate his sovereign control of the spirit world. The drowning of the herd of pigs gives us a picture of the reality of the spirit world. Many of us have fallen into the belief that evil is simply bad choices devoid of the reality of personal, spiritual entities who roam upon the earth to oppress us even possess us if possible. While Jesus is the Son of God who has sovereign control over the spirit world, he is rejected by the very people he came to save.

Father, may I always welcome Jesus, your Son, into my life and believe that he has sovereign control over the spirit world. Instill in me that I have nothing to fear today or on the day of judgment if I continue to follow him.