Mat 8:28-34 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord had ordered to depart to the other side ( ). So He arrives there, with His disciples. The trip was not a quiet one. The area they are now entering is not quiet either. Demons who have moved in to two people terrorize the area. The home of these people is the terrain of death. They come from there, as if attracted by the power of Christ. They cannot remain hidden. The presence of the Lord Jesus calls them to reveal themselves. When other people came, they also appeared, but that was to frighten them. Now they themselves are frightened. They know the Son of God and acknowledge His power to judge them and throw them into eternal pain. Their fate is known to them. They also know that the time for this has not yet arrived, just as satan also knows that he still has time, even if it is short ( ). To give a clear testimony of the Lord’s power over the enemy, there are two demoniacs, according to the principle that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter will be confirmed ( ). Mark and Luke occupy themselves with one of them and tell more details of the work of the evil one and of the work of the Lord in that one demoniac ( ; ). Evil spirits want to frighten man for their power, but they can’t do anything if they are not feared. Only faith can take away this fear for his power from man. The demons know His will. Without the Lord having said a word, they know that He will drive them out. They are illegal possessors of these people. The demons know Him and know that they have no power to resist His word. There is not one thought of any opposition against Him. When tempted in the wilderness He defeated their chief, satan. They point out to Him a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. Just like demon-possession in the land of God, the presence of a herd of unclean animals is a reproach to the land of God. If Israel had walked in the ways of the law, that herd of unclean animals would not have been there. The swine are a picture of Israel. The Lord says only one word, the command “Go!” Without any thought or expression of opposition to Him, the demons obey and go out of the men and into the swine. When they have entered the swine, they show how much they are after destruction. All the swine rush down the steep bank into the sea. The demons are used in this way to carry out God’s judgment on uncleanness and to cleanse His land. The herdsmen were unable to save the herd. Powerless, they had to watch their herd perish. They have also seen the liberation of the demoniacs. Everything they have seen, they are going to report in the city. What follows is that the whole city comes out to the Lord Jesus. But when they see Him, … they implore Him to leave their region. If Divine power drives out the power of satan, the Divine presence that is revealed there is unbearable for man. Man does not want God revealed in goodness. For them, the presence of demons and swine is more pleasant than the presence of the Son of God. He has no stately form or majesty for them to be attracted to Him ( ). Through Him they have lost their source of income. Therefore they want Him to leave, out of their area, out of their life.

‏ Matthew 8:28-34

Healing of Two Demoniacs

The Lord had ordered to depart to the other side (Mt 8:18). So He arrives there, with His disciples. The trip was not a quiet one. The area they are now entering is not quiet either. Demons who have moved in to two people terrorize the area. The home of these people is the terrain of death. They come from there, as if attracted by the power of Christ.

They cannot remain hidden. The presence of the Lord Jesus calls them to reveal themselves. When other people came, they also appeared, but that was to frighten them. Now they themselves are frightened. They know the Son of God and acknowledge His power to judge them and throw them into eternal pain. Their fate is known to them. They also know that the time for this has not yet arrived, just as satan also knows that he still has time, even if it is short (Rev 12:12).

To give a clear testimony of the Lord’s power over the enemy, there are two demoniacs, according to the principle that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter will be confirmed (2Cor 13:1). Mark and Luke occupy themselves with one of them and tell more details of the work of the evil one and of the work of the Lord in that one demoniac (Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:26-39). Evil spirits want to frighten man for their power, but they can’t do anything if they are not feared. Only faith can take away this fear for his power from man.

The demons know His will. Without the Lord having said a word, they know that He will drive them out. They are illegal possessors of these people. The demons know Him and know that they have no power to resist His word. There is not one thought of any opposition against Him. When tempted in the wilderness He defeated their chief, satan.

They point out to Him a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. Just like demon-possession in the land of God, the presence of a herd of unclean animals is a reproach to the land of God. If Israel had walked in the ways of the law, that herd of unclean animals would not have been there. The swine are a picture of Israel.

The Lord says only one word, the command “Go!” Without any thought or expression of opposition to Him, the demons obey and go out of the men and into the swine. When they have entered the swine, they show how much they are after destruction. All the swine rush down the steep bank into the sea. The demons are used in this way to carry out God’s judgment on uncleanness and to cleanse His land.

The herdsmen were unable to save the herd. Powerless, they had to watch their herd perish. They have also seen the liberation of the demoniacs. Everything they have seen, they are going to report in the city. What follows is that the whole city comes out to the Lord Jesus. But when they see Him, … they implore Him to leave their region. If Divine power drives out the power of satan, the Divine presence that is revealed there is unbearable for man. Man does not want God revealed in goodness.

For them, the presence of demons and swine is more pleasant than the presence of the Son of God. He has no stately form or majesty for them to be attracted to Him (Isa 53:2). Through Him they have lost their source of income. Therefore they want Him to leave, out of their area, out of their life.