Nothing Can Stop Me From Getting To Jesus

Jesus Meets "Legion"

In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, we read of a very unique encounter that Jesus and His disciples had with a man who was troubled and plagued by many evil spirits.

Mark 5:1-6 - "They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him."

I've read this passage of Scripture many times...but recently while hearing a good friend preach on this passage, something very significant stood out to me, that I have never noticed before. I want to make a few highlights from these 6 verses:

1. Jesus and his disciples are traveling to an area where many Gentiles lived in order to minister to them. As soon as he gets to shore he is met by this "unclean man". This tells me that somehow, the man knew Jesus was coming and he had an expectation of an encounter with Jesus.

2. The Bible describes the man was one who dwelled amongst the tombs and who had an "unclean spirit". Others near him knew he was troubled because they had tried to subdue and bind him before, but no one could keep him bound because of the unclean spirits that possessed his body.

3. This man was oppressed and possessed. We know this because he cried out day and night in the tombs and he cut himself - the spirits in him caused him to continually hurt and bodily harm himself. Only the possession of evil spirits will cause a person to live in this manner.

4. This man was very broken. He was hurting physically and spiritually. He was lost. He was under the demonic influence and power of Satan. He was in need of liberation. He needed an encounter with God.

Now here's where it gets interesting...in verse 6, the Bible says he "saw Jesus from afar..." and when he saw Jesus, "he ran and fell before him...".

If we continue to read, we see the conversation between this man and Jesus:

Mark 5:7-9 - "7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

Jesus Heals & Sets Free

It is apparent in the scriptures that the one(s) talking to Jesus is not the man himself, but the unclean spirits that inhabit his body. They recognize Jesus's deity and power and they identify themselves as "Legion", which means "many". The unclean spirits realize that they are about to be cast out and they request that Jesus send them into a herd of pigs nearby:

Mark 5:10-13 - "10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea."

This miracle is powerful! It demonstrates Jesus's authority over the power of Satan. This passage of scripture, along with others like James 2:18-20, confirm that the demons know who Jesus is and they "tremble" at the knowledge of who He is.

But here is where I want to focus our attention today...here is where the scripture jumped out at me...let's go back to verse 6:

"6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him."

No Devil or Unclean Spirit Has Power Over Your Free Will

It never occurred to me before, but the Bible says that the man saw Jesus from afar and he ran...did you catch that?

The unclean spirits didnt run to Jesus...they were terrified of Jesus. The man ran and fell before Jesus.

Here's the revelation...so many people live under the oppression of sin, and maybe even possession of unclean spirits - demonic forces. And people use the excuse, "Well, I cannot control myself...I cannot overcome my sin...I'm bound and I cannot be free..." In all of my years of ministry, I've heard people give more power to the devil and his "power" over them, than I care to remember!

Yet, this scripture shows me that a man who was possessed by many unclean spirits was able to will himself to fall at the feet of Jesus! This is powerful!

He was not set free yet when he ran to Jesus. He was still possessed. He was still troubled. Yet, his desire for an encounter with Jesus and his will to run to Jesus, was greater than the demonic powers of many unclean spirits who dwelled within him.

If you're having trouble accepting that, then ask yourself this question: Do you think those spirits wanted to be casted out of him? Do you think they wanted to be seen by Jesus? Do you think they wanted to release their demonic grip over him?

The answer is, no! Satan never wants to release his grip over anyone. He hates us. He wants to destroy us.

But when a man, or woman, is desperate and hungry for an encounter with God - no matter how plagued, possessed, or oppressed they may be - nothing can keep them from Jesus!

Let that sink in! This is the hope we have in Jesus! No matter how far we may be, or how bad our situation is, when we can get to a place of repentance and a desire to meet with Jesus, nothing can separate us from Him!

That's why Romans 8:35-39 says, "35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Be encouraged today! You can get to Jesus. He will gladly meet you and set you free from all sin, all oppression, all influences of the enemy in your life! You just have to make up in your mind you will get there, no matter what!

In the Love of Christ,

Gabriel Gonzalez

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Cited Resources:

Bible gateway passage: Mark 5 - english standard version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.-a). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+5&version=ESV

Bible gateway passage: Romans 8:35-39 - english standard version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A35-39&version=ESV