In brief
The Gerasene demoniac is a man who lived among the tombs, across the Sea of Galilee, in the country of the Gadarenes or Gerasenes. Possessed by a multitude of demons who called themselves Legion, he broke his chains and cut himself. Jesus freed him by his word. Found sitting, clothed and in his right mind, he wanted to follow Jesus, who sent him instead to testify among his own people in the Decapolis.
What does the name The Gerasene Demoniac mean?
The Bible does not give his name. When Jesus asks “What is your name?”, the answer comes from the demons that fill him: “My name is Legion, for we are many.” A legion was a large unit of the Roman army. The name Gadara points to the country of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:1); Luke speaks of the Gerasenes.
The story of The Gerasene Demoniac
The man of the tombs
Mark 5:1-5Jesus arrives on the other side of the sea, in the country of the Gadarenes. A man with an unclean spirit comes out of the tombs, where he lives. No one can bind him any more: he has often broken chains and shattered fetters. Night and day, among the tombs and on the mountains, he cries out and cuts himself with stones. Luke adds that he wore no clothes.
Bowing before the Son of the Most High God
Mark 5:6-10Seeing Jesus from afar, the man runs and bows down. He cries out: “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God?” Jesus commands the unclean spirit to come out and asks its name. The answer comes: “My name is Legion, for we are many.” The demons beg Jesus not to send them out of the country.
The pigs rush into the sea
Mark 5:11-13A great herd of pigs is feeding near the mountain. The demons ask to enter them, and Jesus gives them permission. The unclean spirits leave the man and enter the pigs, and the herd, about two thousand animals, rushes down the steep bank into the sea and drowns. The power that held this man captive bows to Jesus' word.
Sitting, clothed and in his right mind
Mark 5:14-17The herdsmen spread the news and the townspeople come running. They find the former demoniac sitting, clothed and in his right mind. Luke adds that he is sitting at Jesus' feet. Seized with fear, the people of the country beg Jesus to leave their region. They prefer to see Jesus go away rather than welcome him.
Sent to testify in the Decapolis
Mark 5:18-20As Jesus gets back into the boat, the freed man asks to stay with him. Jesus refuses and gives him a mission: “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.” He leaves and proclaims in the Decapolis what Jesus did for him, and all are amazed.
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What The Gerasene Demoniac teaches us
- No life is too broken and no power of evil too strong for Jesus: his word is enough.
- Jesus crosses the sea to reach one man whom no one could help.
- Deliverance restores the whole person: the man is sitting, clothed and in his right mind.
- The first place of testimony is often our home and our circle.
- We can see Jesus' power and ask him to leave; faith welcomes him instead of pushing him away.
Key verses
These three words, sitting, clothed, in his right mind, sum up the restoration Jesus brings. The man once uncontrollable, naked and violent finds peace, dignity and reason.
Jesus makes the freed man a witness. His mission begins among his own people: telling what the Lord has done for him and how he had mercy on him.
Luke adds that the man is sitting at Jesus' feet, the posture of a disciple listening. The one who lived among the tombs finds his place beside the Master.
Sermons about The Gerasene Demoniac
- Jesus vs. Evil: The Man Delivered at GerasaThe study notes that Jesus speaks to the person without forgetting him behind the oppression, while unmasking the demonic reality. It stresses that the man even goes beyond his mission by testifying throughout the Decapolis.
- Luke 8: Jesus Crosses the Storm for One ManThe preacher stresses that Jesus crosses the storm and the lake into pagan territory for a single man. Freed, he sits at Jesus' feet, while the townspeople beg Jesus to leave.
- Press Forward and Leave the Past BehindThe preacher sees in the man of the tombs a life completely rebuilt: freed from the legion, he regains his family and a purpose. His rebuilding begins at home, before he becomes a witness in the Decapolis.
- Luke 8: Where Is Your Faith? A Powerful and Kind SaviorThe message points out that in this account, the one who is afraid is the demoniac: Jesus speaks and the legion submits without resistance. The townspeople see his power, but see it as a danger and reject him.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Jesus not let the man follow him?
The Bible gives no detailed explanation, but it reports the mission Jesus gives him: to go back to his own people and tell what the Lord had done for him (Mark 5:19). He thus becomes a witness in the Decapolis, a region whose people had just begged Jesus to leave.
Why do we speak of Gadara or Gerasa?
The gospels name the region in different ways. Mark and Matthew speak of the country of the Gadarenes, Luke of the country of the Gerasenes (Luke 8:26). It is the same region, across the Sea of Galilee. Matthew mentions two demoniacs (Matthew 8:28), while Mark and Luke focus on one of them.
Where can I find the story of the Gerasene demoniac?
It is told in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39, right after the calming of the storm. Matthew 8:28-34 reports the same episode more briefly, with two demoniacs. Mark is the most detailed and tells of the freed man's mission in the Decapolis.