“JESUS CHRIST - A MAN APPROVED OF GOD (Acts 2:22)”
  Miracle #15-   “TWO MEN DEVILS AT GERGESENES & SWINE HERD”

This Gergesenes miracle takes place hot on the heels of the Gadarenes man (Mark 5:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16,17-19) and is a double reminder that in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall be established (2 Corinthians 13:1; Matthew 18:16).

Christ proves once again, that he really, really and trooly-rooley hath power over devils! There are two men and they are outwardly exceeding fierce, unlike the Gadarenes man.

Only the gospel of Matthew records this miracle, as Mark and Luke never mention the kingdom of heaven … a reason being … that Matthew is written to constantly reinforce to Israel that Christ was God manifest in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16) … and having power over all creation … the birds, the animals, the weather, and in this case the Devil (Revelation 20:2).

With this Gergesenes miracle, Christ was saying “Look Israel, I’ve just delivered Gadarenes man, and now I’m faced here with two exceeding fierce ‘nut jobs’! Furthermore, even Satan knows that I AM THE I AM … why won’t you … seeing that the Devil is your father! (John 8:44; John 8:58; James 2:19)”.

The account seems similar to Gadarenes man and is as follows:

“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. 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? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 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. 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. 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 8:28-31,32-34)

The differences between Gadarenes Man and the Gergesenes Two is as follows:
1. The violence of Gadarenes Man was turned inwards on himself (Mark 5:5) and not toward others as with the Gergesenes Two (Matthew 8:28), such that …

He seemed relatively harmless to others.
He was ‘tolerated’ and left to his own devices.
Men could pass his way unlike the Gergesenes Two (Matthew 8:28).

2. At Gadarenes, the feeding herd was nigh (Mark 5:11) unlike at Gergesenes, where the herd was a good way off (Matthew 8:30). This showing, that the former herders would have felt more ‘safe’ with Gadarenes Man than the herders with the Gergesenes Two.

3. The herders at Gadarenes went into the city to tell them about the deliverance, and others came out to have a look (Mark 5:14). At Gergesenes, there was already an audience watching and waiting to see what Christ would do, so wide had his fame spread (Mark 5:20).

The report from Gadarenes Man had spread very rapidly (Mark 5:5), such that when Jesus crossed over to the other side (Matthew 8:28) the Gergesenes Two had a ready-made audience, already in attendance, to see what Christ would do upon his arrival.

4. What Christ did with the Gergesenes Two so was impressive, that the crowd of onlookers fled (Matthew 8:33), but with Gadarenes Man, it was different, as what Christ had done had simply made them afraid, but not with terror, but with great fear of the power of Christ (Acts 10:2; Luke 8:37; Deuteronomy 12:10)

5. Such was the power and might of the Gergesenes delivery, that the whole city came out to beseech Christ to leave their country (Matthew 8:34).

6. Along with Gadarenes Man beseeching the Lord (Mark 5:18; Matthew 8:31), the Gergesenes Two specifically mention “before the time” (Matthew 8:29) meaning that after the cross, their ‘time would be up’ and they no longer would be able to have Christ’s permission to move into other animals, but would be cast into outer darkness.

The devils knew they would eventually be in torment by not being able to inhabit animals and people … but they did not want this before their time was due.

8. The Gadarenes devils seemed to be less ‘harmful’ than at Gergesenes … more society approved, like Stuart’s inhabitation in an episode of Doc Martin on TV. However, be not fooled Dear Reader, ‘harmless’ or ‘harmful’ … sleeping snakes or aggressive snakes … white magic or black magic … the angel of light or the thief that would kill (2 Corinthians 11:14; John 10:10) … they all turn violent (Mark 5:13; Matthew 8:32) and want to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

Harley Hitchcock
April 2023

www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com

“JESUS CHRIST - A MAN APPROVED OF GOD (Acts 2:22)”
  Miracle #16-   “THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD”
Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-28,29-32,33-34; Luke 8:43-46,47-48

Dear Reader, Christ must have performed thousands of miracles while on earth (John 21:25), however only thirty nine of them are specifically mentioned in the Bible … each of them revealing a different aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ, and each with a particular purpose.

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