22 Demonic Possession

This event is important enough to be included in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 8:28; Luke 8:26-27) but Mark’s account is the longest. After Jesus calmed the storm on The Sea of Galilee they all continued their journey to the eastern coast of the lake. Jesus had just calmed a wild storm and here and now He would calm a wild demon possessed man. The description of the eastern coast of Galilee is of the Gadarenes. This region is referring to a small town of Gersa, which is now called Khersa. Most of its inhabitants were Gentiles (Mark 5:11, 19). Khersa, situated on the eastern shore, about six miles diagonally (oversea) southeast of Capernaum, there is indeed a hill descending sharply to the edge of the water. There are still many caves evident even today which were used for tombs.

THE DEMONIAC

Mark 5:2

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit (KJV).

Interestingly the demon possessed man confrontingly approaches Jesus immediately as He leaves the boat. The terminology unclean spirit refers to demonic possession. This means that the man was possessed with a mean evil spirit as stated in the other accounts (Matthew 8:28; Luke 8:27). Some who do not take the text of the Scriptures in a literal, grammatical manner with consistency of terms throughout the entire Bible deny any demon activity.