Matthew 8:28-34
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Matthew 8:28-34
“(28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way. (29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (30) And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. (31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. (32) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. (33) And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. (34) And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”
Matthew 8:28-29
“(28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way. (29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
Even Demons Know The Son of God
This account tells us there were two possessed with devils coming out of the tombs with exceeding fierce behavior so that nobody would pass through that direction. There are other gospels that record there was one individual, but this passage being plural may also be referring to the legions of demons this individual is possessed with.
And They Cried Out
The individual(s) who approached Jesus spoke to Him in a way that shows they recognize who He is; they call Him by His name, and not only that, they recognize Him as the Son of God. Even demons don’t deny God or His existence. They continue to say, “art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” Oh, this portion is powerful! So not only do the demons that possess those individuals, but they also call Him by name, but they also know where they will end up in the end: tormented in the eternal lake of fire.
Demon Possessed
Have you ever come across an individual that you cannot talk with? They raise their voice in fury and rage; you can’t continue to have a respectful conversation with them. They would rather lash out at whatever is on their mind. Lately, I’m sure we can think of a situation or individual that we have encountered such an experience with. Do you know if they have a relationship with God, or have they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? We can usually recognize individuals who may not know God; we need to continue in prayer for those individuals, even if you don’t know them personally. God knows them, and there is power in prayer. Who knows, you may be the only person praying for them, even though you may never meet them again. Say what is in your heart for them; you never know what impact it can have in their lives. Perhaps one day when reunited in heaven you might encounter someone that rememers you and that brief encounter was the beginning of their journey to finding Jesus. Planting seeds and watering is what God asks us to do.
The demons know that Jesus is on earth to be a sacrifice for sinners; they knew that Jesus was not done with humanity; Jesus was there to fulfill the prophecy and tear the veil that separates us from God.
God Is With Us
This should be a great reminder: satan and the fallen angels know who God is; they never denied His existence, but they do like to keep us separated from our Heavenly Father. Take this as a lesson to remember: we individually cannot defeat satan or his demons, but if we have salvation through Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit, that abides within us. We are not protected from anything bad from happening to us, but we know that what challenges we face, we do not face them alone; God is with us.
Facing Satan and his demons
God supplies all we need to defeat satan; Jesus taught us how when He was face to face with satan in the wilderness. You see, satan knows God; he also knows and has studied the Word of God for thousands of years. It’s not that he tries to convince or sway our understanding to pervert or twist God’s Word; remember, satan is the author of confusion. Stay focused; continue to read and study God’s Word daily. That is not enough either; we need to continue our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father and the more we communicate with Him, the more tuned in to hear His voice when He guides and directs us through challenges that satan may plant to have us stumble.
Matthew 8:30-31
(30) “And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. (31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.”
Demons Beg Jesus
The demons that possessed the individuals begged Jesus to have them go into the herd of swine; I’m not sure why they chose the swine, but perhaps it was an alternative to being sent to the eternal torment they knew was in their future. But swine in the Mosaic Law is considered unclean; this was not an animal that was to be eaten by the Jews. This is ironic since this herd of swine was to be understood as a herd of illegal swine being kept by the Jews to be sold to the Gentiles in that area. The herd of swine was illegal according to the Mosaic Law, and now the demons are requesting that Jesus allow them to enter and possess the swine.
Jesus’ goal was to free the individual(s) who were possessed by the demons because mankind possesses souls; animals do not have souls. His concern was to save the soul(s) of the person and not the swine. So Jesus permitted the demons to possess the herd of swine. The demons were so many it filled an entire herd of swine, rather that is one or two people the demons left, that is still one too many!
Matthew 8:32-34
(32) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. (33) And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. (34) And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”
Jesus Demands the Demons
There is no power of any kind that can overpower God, the Son of God, or the Holy Spirit. Even the demons obey Jesus. Jesus said, “GO” and they immediately left the individual(s), and the entire herd ran violently down a cliff into the sea and perished. Jesus sent them to a place of torment anyway; Jesus wanted to save the person. He wasn’t concerned over the swine, and this was how He could get rid of them.
Swine Keepers
The ones keeping the swine ran to tell those in the city what they witnessed. I’m sure the owners of the swine wouldn’t be too happy that their livestock, which they spent time, money, and effort on, was demolished. Plus to see a demon-possessed individual whom was saved and returned to their sanity. The amazement they had, I’m sure, was shock and amazement. One thing I’m sure is they didn’t want to be put to blame for something happening to the livestock. The news spread fast, and the entire city came to witness this encounter.
The City Asks Jesus to Depart
We can see clearly that the city population was not coming to meet Jesus because of the miracle He did to free the possessed individual, but they were mad about losing the invested livestock of swine. They asked Jesus to leave their coasts. That city was not prepared to accept Jesus; not all who hear about Jesus will accept Him. This is heartbreaking, and I couldn’t imagine the heartbreak that Jesus had at this point: to be rejected and separated from those very ones He came to offer salvation for.
Heavenly Minded
That city was not inviting to Jesus; they were more concerned with their possessions and wealth than the individual who now has their life saved from the demonic spirits. This is a sad situation, but this is unfortunately how the world is. Those who do not know God and Jesus will be eternally separated from them. The world that is full of sin doesn’t celebrate when an individual accepts Christ as their Savior, but all of heaven rejoices!
I remember when I first knew Jesus and called upon Him to be my Lord and Savior; I wanted to shout it to the rooftops, to every individual I met, to every family member! The joy I felt was so uplifting; I literally felt physically lighter and could close my eyes and almost see the gates of heaven. The light, the glory, the continuous song and praise. The zeal was so amazing! Then I began to encounter individuals like those who lived in that city, the ones who don’t care; they think I had lost it. They went to church; why was my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ any different than their attendance at church and being part of all the traditions? The difference was vast! Going to church and having a personal relationship with Christ are two different things. Attendance helps you find Christ, but a truly repentant heart brings us closer to Him. Saved through faith, not by tradition or attendance.
When I noticed that many I shared the news with were not as enthusiastic as I was, I was crushed. This brought my joy down a bit, but there’s something about God; He continues to restore me; even in the darkest, loneliest valleys, I still worship and sing His wonderful praise. My light hasn’t dimmed; my battles have just gotten more challenging over the years. Challenges that try my faith strengthen my faith and my knowledge to get back up and continue to shout to the rooftops about the love God has for me and is available to those who desire to have Him as Lord and Savior.
Even if an entire city isn’t rejoicing with you, know that you are not alone. God is with you. Jesus came to that city with intentions as the ones before, to give the salvation message to all those who would hear. God doesn’t force His love upon us; He freely gives it to us, and we have the choice to choose Him. When that city asked Jesus to depart from their coasts, He did; He left immediately. True love is not forced; it’s a choice.
My friend, God is patient and is constantly calling us back to Him. Even if there were times you rejected Him, know one thing: it doesn’t make God love you any less. He will continue to give you opportunities to choose Him as your Savior. We are not promised next week, tomorrow, or even the next breath. If you feel God has been calling out to you, talk to Him. He has been patiently waiting; He has been waiting to remove the sin from your life, the burdens you carry, and the eternal punishment for sin. Today is the day! You don’t need to be in a church building, wearing fancy clothes; if you feel the tug in your heart, it’s God calling you to Him.
God wants you even in your rugged ways, your raw, unpolished self, because He already knows you; He knew you when you were knitted in your mother’s womb. He wants you to call upon Him today.
Let’s pray together…
Heavenly Father,
I ask that You guide me in what to say in this devotion, and that You always lead me in the right direction. With a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, I pray for the individual that this message and devotion is meant for. You, Father, know who they are; You have been calling their name to You for so long. I ask that they come to You, knowing that they don’t have to get right before they call upon Your name. You tell us in Your Word, those who are weary and heavy laden to come unto You, and You will give them rest. You have guided me through my faith journey all these years, and I’m so grateful and have never regretted following You and calling out to You for Salvation. I know my life before I experienced Your saving grace, and I don’t want to live without You. My journey has not been easy, but there have been so many before me who have experienced even more challenges. I know that with You at my side, You will never leave me nor forsake me. I pray for the person who is joining me in this devotion, that You bless them now, surround them with Your presence, comfort them, and allow them to feel Your presence wherever they are. In whatever condition or life choices they have made, it can all be healed and forgiven through Your grace, for Your sacrifice, not by works or to be earned. Your gift of salvation is for every individual, no matter the sin or their age; it’s never too late. If they are here today, today is a day they can choose You as their Lord and Savior. I ask that they will talk to You and invite You into their lives today. Today is the day for Salvation; no matter what has been done, Jesus paid it all on the cross. A sinner only needs to repent of their sins and accept You as their Lord and Savior. An eternal gift that is freely given and never earned.
We ask this in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.
Quick note:
Some Bible studies may take longer than others, as I am often led to explain certain verses in greater detail. I want you to know that these blog posts are written straight from my heart - they are not created by AI, so if you pay close attention, you may find my little nuggets of imperfections! What you read here are my own thoughts and reflections, guided by God, who leads me.
I am not a professional; I’m simply a southern wife and mother of five with a deep desire to share the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. He loves you, and He longs to have a relationship with you. We are not called to perfection, but we are called to be led by Him and be consistent.
God has placed so much on my heart to share, and my prayer is that these words bless and encourage you. I’m not here for recognition or fame - only to spread the message of God’s love to you, my new friend, and to our Creative Journey growing community.
