Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20090520.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part XXX: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Ministry Over Demons
(Luke 8:26-39)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus Christ is God's true Savior of the world, not a Satanic deceiver, we should expect to see Him not only oppose demons, but demonstrate God's complete power over them and their activities.
    2. The Luke 8:26-39 testimony of Christ's supremacy over demons is thus important not only to people in Third World nations, but to folk in Western nations where increasing numbers traffic in demonic activity:
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Ministry Over Demons, Luke 8:26-39.
    1. When Jesus arrived at the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Luke 8:26), He was met by a man who was long and humanly hopelessly demon-possessed, Luke 8:27a.
    2. The humanly hopeless condition of this man is described in Luke 8:27b-30 as follows:
      1. This man was indwelt by thousands of demons, Lk. 8:27b, 30; Ibid., ftn. to Mk. 5:9 with Mk. 5:13.
      2. He wore no clothes due to the effects of being possessed by so many demons, Luke 8:27c.
      3. The man did not live an orderly home life, but was unruly, living in tomb caves, Luke 8:27d.
      4. People had tried to restrain the man with chains and fetters, but he had repeatedly broken them, 8:29b.
      5. The man was antisocial, leaving inhabited places to go far from others into the wilderness, Luke 8:29c.
      6. The demons in the man wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and begged Him in a loud voice through the man not to torment them before the time when God judges them, Luke 8:28; Ibid., ftn. to Luke 8:31.
      7. The demon-possessed man was used of the demons to try to discredit Jesus, Luke 8:31-32:
        1. The demons asked permission from Jesus to enter a large herd of pigs feeding nearby, Luke 8:32a. We know from Mark 5:13 that this herd numbered around 2,000 pigs.
        2. This request was designed to discredit Jesus: (1) pigs were ceremonially unclean animals, not to be eaten by Jews according to the Mosaic Law, Leviticus 11:4a, 7. (2) Thus, by asking Jesus to enter the pigs, Jesus would be "cornered" into having His credibility threatened: (a) if He disallowed the demons from entering the pigs, He would be charged with supporting the eating of pigs in violation of the Law! (b) However, if He let the demons enter the pigs, and the demons caused the pigs to die in the sea, people in the area would want Jesus to leave them, thinking He might harm their welfare!
    3. Jesus solved this humanly hopeless situation in great victory over the demons to God's glory, Lk. 8:32-39:
      1. Jesus chose to let the demons enter the pigs in order to heed the Mosaic Law, Luke 8:32b. The challenge to His reputation would be handled another way, but He needed to obey God's Word!
      2. When the people of the area heard what Jesus had done, they came out to meet Him, and were amazed to see the formerly humanly hopelessly demon-possessed man was no longer demon-possessed, 8:35a.
      3. Opposite his past unclothed state, the man was now fully clothed, Luke 8:35b with 8:27c.
      4. Opposite his past disorderly manner of life, the man was sitting at orderly rest, Lk. 8:35c with 8:27d.
      5. Opposite his past untamed ways, this man now submissively sat at Jesus' feet, Luke 8:35c with 8:29b.
      6. Opposite not wanting to have anything to do with Jesus, this man begged to be with Jesus, 8:38, 28.
      7. Opposite his former antisocial behavior, this man now was sent back to His home by the Lord to testify of the great things God had done for him, Luke 8:39a with 8:29c.
      8. Opposite the efforts of the demons to discredit Jesus by entering the pigs to make them drown (Luke 8:33-34, 37), Jesus sent the former demon-possessed man to witness, and he proclaimed throughout the city the great things Jesus had done for him in support of Jesus' good reputation, Luke 8:39b.
Lesson: Jesus gained TOTAL victory over demons and demonic activity in Luke 8:26-39, demonstrating He was God's SINLESS Savior of the world to be believed for great victory over Satan's domain!

Application: (1) May we believe in Jesus as a God's Sinless Savior. (2) May we in the Holy Spirit's power (Galatians 5:16-23) AVOID the vices promoted by demons [like scanty attire, disorder, wildness, antisocial behavior, discrediting God or the godly] as evil, and submit to Christ for godly behavior [such as being fully clothed, calm, in our right minds and testifying of the great things God has done for us]!