(Joseph Bianco)
Matthew 8:28–34 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
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Of all the stories about demon possession in the Bible, this one actually scares me. In this striking encounter on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, we behold the unchallenged authority of our Lord Jesus Christ over the realm of evil spirits. Two men possessed by demons—living among the tombs, violent and uncontrollable—rush toward Jesus, yet it is the demons who recognize Him first, crying out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Their confession is involuntary and telling: they acknowledge Jesus as the divine Son of God and know that judgment awaits them at the appointed end. When the demons plead to be sent into a nearby herd of pigs rather than face immediate torment, Jesus simply speaks one word—“Go”—and they obey instantly. The entire herd perishes in the sea, a dramatic demonstration of the destructive power of evil when unleashed and the sovereign dominion of Christ who permits and directs even demonic activity according to his perfect will.
This passage powerfully affirms several biblical truths. First, the reality and personality of demonic forces—evil spirits who oppose God and afflict mankind—are undeniable here. Yet they are never autonomous; they tremble before the Son of God and can do nothing apart from his permission (cf. Job 1–2; Luke 22:31). Second, Christ’s authority is absolute: with a single command, He expels the demons, delivering the men completely. This miracle serves as a foretaste of his ultimate victory over Satan and all his hosts through the cross and resurrection. Third, the response of the townspeople is sobering—they witness undeniable power yet beg Jesus to depart, perhaps valuing their economic loss (the pigs) more than the deliverance of two souls. We don’t fully know why they have this response. Perhaps it reveals the hardness of the natural heart, enslaved to sin and idolatry, unwilling to receive the Savior whose presence disrupts worldly comfort. Perhaps the townspeople are simply afraid of the power that Jesus possesses. Either way, Jesus’ message of his authority is clear.
Beloved, this story reminds me of Aslan from C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”: “He is not safe, but he is good.” To some extent, we acknowledge that there is evil on this earth all the time. We see it in the news, we read about it online, and we experience the effects of evil in our lives. Yet in another sense, we are blind to it. We see the evil, and yet we forget that there are real spiritual forces that are working against the sons and daughters of God. I find in my life, the evil loves to masquerade as something else, until the moment you reveal it for what it is, and then you see it, as terrifying as demons possessing pigs. If we could see our sin, and the sins of this world, as God sees it, perhaps we too would run away in terror.
Thankfully, Jesus is not only powerful, but approachable. In fact, the one who has all power and authority is also gentle and lowly. He has condescended to us. Just as evil hides in plain sight, so we ought not to confuse the meekness of Jesus for impotency. We have in Christ, the perfect savior, one who is able to free us from evil, and to be near to us as a brother. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you the true nature of both your sin and the savior.