Setting: Contemporary Worship
Length: 30:19
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Title: Rejection at Gadara
Commentary: This sermon is part of the ongoing verse by verse series in Matthew. This sermon makes a strong connection to Easter (the last supper where Jesus speaks about "the appointed time" - Matt.26:17-19). Look for the direct connection between what the demons say about the "appointed time" and what Jesus says about it.
Main Scripture: Matthew 8:28-34
Main Topics: Miracles, healing, rejection of the Messiah, pigs, demons, demon possession
As you listen, select, copy, and paste the following outline:
Introduction
-Now, before we go into our text for today, let’s remind ourselves of the 3 themes that run through ALL the miracles
Theme 1. that He will minister to those whom Israel will not…..
Theme 2. that Jesus has the authority over all things created
Theme 3. that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah
…Jesus and His disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee and they arrive in the region of the Gadarenes
-the place is called Gadara
-the people living in this area are called the Gadarenes
-and the word region in vs.28 is like our word “county”
-it’s like saying “Orange County”
-so, Jesus goes to some place within the county of the Gadarenes
-when they arrive, the disciples notice…off in the distance a large herd of pigs, vs.30
-how could they miss them…
-Mark tells us there were 2000 in that herd
-and that many pigs lead us to conclude that we are now in….gentile country
-as you know, the Jews would not delve into pig farming!
-as they considered swine to be unclean, which in turn would make them….ceremonially unclean
-in fact, THAT many pigs lead us to believe that pig farming was a big part of the economy for the town folks there
-and as they now step on to gentile soil, this story takes on significance because this is the FIRST major story of Jesus venturing into gentile country
-and with each step into gentile territory, we are reminded that the gospel has always been about all peoples….all nations
-though it starts with ONE man out of the land of Ur
-and though it initially looked like it was for one chosen nation
-it has ALWAYS been God’s plan to save all peoples…all nations
-and so, we find plenty of examples in the OT and now in the NT of Jesus stepping OUT….INTO…gentile country
-and EACH example throughout the NT of Jesus in gentile country is a deliberate example of something very significant…and today’s story is no exception…as Jesus steps into the region of the Gadarenes
-suddenly…
v.28…two demon-possessed men, coming from the tombs, met him.
……now, we are an inter-generational ministry
-that means we are spiritually connected with all generations at our church…even in our worship
-and kids as well as adults may need a simple understanding of what is going on here
-let me explain that demons
-are angels…created by God
-but they are the bad angels, they rebelled against God
-Satan, who is also a bad angel, is their leader
-and now, there is a spiritual battle between God and His good angels with the fallen angels
-and God SET an appointed a time when He will have victory over of them and He told the ENTIRE spiritual world about it
-NOW, THAT appointed time was set, but until it came, these bad angels did a lot of very bad things
-such as going inside people and controlling them
-they can speak through the person
-they can force the person to do anything they want
-and so, the people become helpless victims of these evil
spirits
-this is what demon-possessed means
-you may be wondering if Christians can be demon possessed…the answer is no: the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of His children is greater than any evil spirit
-now, we can be influenced but not possessed
-there is a difference
-for, we can’t have the HS of God and a demon inside us at the same time
-now these 2 men were not believers yet
-they are helpless victims
-in fact, for these 2 men, the demon possession must have been serious
-in Mark 5:9 Jesus asked one of them: "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
* legion is not a definite number
-it just means “multitude”
-so, this control by a legion of demons made the men suffer greatly
5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills [ one of them ] would cry out and cut himself with stones.
Pretty scary stuff
-also very tragic….for these 2 men
-not only this, but the evil spirits were violent and made these men come out of the caves and attack anyone who passed by
-Scriptures says…
* They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
-so, the town folks stayed away…gripped with fear
…BUT…as always, Jesus approaches those who are rejected by others
-the story takes a quick turn, focusing on the demons who immediately recognize Jesus
-after all, these bad angels were in heaven at one time
-they know who Jesus is
-and so, the fallen angels speak through the men…
…actually they scream…the word in the original for “shouted”
in v.29 can be translated, “scream”
29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they…[screamed]
-it’s like children who PANIC when they are suddenly caught doing something wrong
-these demons are caught red handed, doing terrible things to these 2 men and gripping the town with fear
-But even in their hysterical response, they, in their own twisted way, acknowledge the truth…that Jesus is the son of God
…a most striking confession
-considering that this phrase is usually and….distinctly… a confession of faith by believers
-for example: Matthew 16:15-16
-when Jesus takes his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asks them
15 “…Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
-Peter was a believer, and he confesses that Jesus is the son of God
-but to hear the demons call Jesus, son of God, is a little eerie
-a little spooky to think that these fallen angels knew the truth…
-twisted and defiant they are…but there is a basic element of truth in their evil theology
-James 2:19
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.
-so, this legion of demons inside these 2 men are shuddering in the presence of the Son of God
-and in a state of panic, they scream…
-"Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
-and NOW…..for the first time in the NT, we are given insight into the inner workings of the spiritual world
-so unexpectedly….with 2 demons suddenly rushing up to Jesus…WE ….are suddenly given access into the eternal plan of God
-a plan, before the foundations of the world, that God would set a time when all would be made right
-a plan that was made known to the entire spiritual world – the good and the very bad
-a plan that involved an “appointed time” when God would send His son into the world and give His life
-that the death of the son of God would mean life for those who believe
-and this would be very bad news for Satan and his associates
1 John 3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
-destroy his work….CRUSH the head of the serpent as God announced in Gen.3
-So, God would SET this appointed time and the entire spiritual world was notified
-and NOW….all of a sudden….the demons rush up to the son of God….and reveal this hidden plan
-and all of a sudden, it’s like we are let in on the big secret
-the physical world has been oblivious to this appointed time
-and NOW…we are suddenly made aware
…made aware of a great plan that Jesus knew all along
-that He had come into this world to rendezvous with that appointed time
-looking ahead, Jesus would confirm this on the night of the last supper
…on the night before He was crucified, Jesus was intensely focused on His mission
-He called it the “appointed time”
-for, in Matthew 26, it was the night of the Passover
-v. 17….the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near.
-who knows if the disciples really understood what Jesus meant
-regardless, they went ahead with the preparations
-but Jesus was focused on the divinely ordained plan that was to unfold at an appointed time
-In fact, the word “time” in the original Greek…. is NOT the common word “time” which has to do with general space and time…like 6:00 or 7:00….a time on the clock.
-Jesus was NOT talking about a specific time of day
-there is a general word for that
-instead, Jesus uses another word for time with expresses a higher form of time…..such as a predetermined period of time
-and so the NIV translates is as “appointed time”
-as if what was about to unfold was ordained….predetermined to occur a long time ago
-and THAT appointed time…..is the SAME appointed time that the demons screamed about…on that day in that small town in Gadara.
…notice…back in Matthew 8…Jesus hasn’t said one word yet
-we are already deep into the narrative and Jesus has not said one word
-in fact, he only says…one word…but it doesn’t come out until vs.32
-it’s clear that the focus now is on the SUDDEN PANIC of the demons
-they see Jesus coming
-they rush up to Him and scream about the appointed time
-and in a STATE OF PANIC, they desperately look around…wondering what to do…..
-suddenly….they see in vs.30….a large herd of pigs
-demons are thinking….think….think fast
….what are we going to do….
-Jesus is not going to leave us alone
-He is going to cast us out….
-think
-think….
-aahhh….now they know what to do….they cry in v.31 "If you drive
us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
-they accept the fact that they are going to be cast out
-in the original Greek, the word “IF” is not really written in conditional form
-there really is no if, ands, or buts about it…they’re coming out
-so, the original word should be translated… “since”
“since you will drive us out….”
…send us into the herd of pigs.
-finally Jesus speaks in v.32, and it’s one authoritative word: “go”
So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
-the pigs were so stunned by the sudden possession that they stampeded over the cliff
-it must have been an unbelievable sight
-the ground must have been shaking as 2000 very large pigs kicked up dirt and grass as they squealed and rushed off the cliff…
-and…yes, the demons flew away and did not drown
-now, you might be thinking….what a strange request!
-what was that all about?
-He’s going to cast them out….why not just fly away?
-in fact, fly far-far away….so that it’d be a while until they bump into Jesus again
-why go a stone’s throw over to the pigs?
1. it’s just right over there…..still CLOSE to Jesus
2. Jesus knows where they are going
-Jesus could easily go over to the pigs and say “alright, that’s enough….come out of them pigs too!!!”
-so….why go inside pigs?
-scholars have proposed many interesting and creative reasons as
to why the demons would want to go there
-time does not allow us to survey all the creative solutions
-not that I would anyway…some are way out there!
-so, allow me to cut to chase and give you my perspective on this
-here’s my take:
-if they fly far away into the Gadarene sky….then Jesus wins……can’t have that
-but if they go inside the pigs and drive them crazy…cause a stampede….and drive them off the cliff and drown them …
-then, the economy of this little town will be destroyed
-2000 pigs lost in an instant?
-you’re talking instant economic meltdown – with NO bailout in sight!
-the town folks will go crazy
…and they will blame Jesus
-and that’s what happened…
33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
-In the original Greek, the word “Then” in vs.34 is the word “behold”
-the word functions as an attention getter….meaning, you weren’t expecting something, but suddenly it is there….in this case, the ENTIRE town!
-Matthew is writing this as an eye-witness….he just witnessed a
rumbling stampede
-something that must have totally caught him off guard
-but suddenly, just as surprisingly….here comes out of nowhere the ENTIRE TOWN !!!
-in fact, the entire town coming out is a confirmation that the loss of pigs is a total devastation to the town
v.34….And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
-the whole town has come out to tell Jesus to leave…
-you know, I initially titled this sermon… “Healing at Gadara”
-after all, that seemed to be the focus since the beginning of chapter 8
-take a look in the Bible…you have….the healing of the leper, healing of the centurion’s servant, healing of Peter’s mother in law, and now these 2 men
-not only this, but if I was preaching from the books of Mark or Luke who also tell the story….I would have kept that title “Healing at Gadara”…
-because both Mark and Luke talk about their healing by continuing the story of how the 2 men were grateful and begged Jesus to follow Him and how they went out and told everyone what Jesus had done
….that’s quite a happy ending….a “live happily ever after” ending
-the 2 men were healed! But….
….we are NOT in the books of Mark and Luke
-we are in Matthew and….Matthew is not focused on how happy these 2 men became
-I’m sure these men were ecstatic
-but Matthew is inspired to see something else
-BTW, it’s always like that….different gospel writers, under God’s inspiration, record different perspectives
-and for Matthew, he sees instead….the rejection of the town folks
-this is what he emphasizes
-on top of that, Matthew is the ONLY ONE who mentions the “appointed time”
-not that the other writers didn’t hear what the demons said, but they had a different purpose and a different audience
-for Matthew, he was determined to show that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah
-the one who everyone was waiting for
-and when the messiah…the anointed one (Messiah means “anointed one”)….when the anointed one comes, he shall be accompanied by great miracles
-hence the series of miracles presented in chapters 8 and 9
-and with each miracle designed to point to Jesus as the anointed one….the son of God
-the one who comes with a mission
-a mission that was appointed since the foundations of the world
-an appointed time made known to the entire spiritual world…good and bad
-and now, the physical world gets a sneak peak into that appointed time
-Jesus once said in Luke 11:20: But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
-well, the kingdom HAS come
-and the demons, in their hysteria, recognized the king…
-but the town folks wanted him to leave
-and so, we are reminded of John’s words in John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
…so, the sermon title changes…for Healing at Gadara…to “Rejection at Gadara”
-and as I was changing the sermon title, I thought of this one liner:
He came as the anointed One, He left as the rejected One
John 1:12
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
Click to hear a Good Friday devotional about the "appointed time"
Click to hear a more expositional version of the "appointed time"
The location of Gadara is close to the Decapolis where Jesus fed the 4000
For the complete collection of recorded audios on Matthew, click:
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