Gadara: No Barriers for King Jesus
Matthew 8:28-34
And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. (ESV)
From Capernaum, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee—calming a storm along the way—and landed at Gadara. In doing so, he began a trek that would take him all the way to Dan, the northernmost boundary of Israel. Jesus eventually traveled the same route as Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha—the route of conquest. And like the great prophets, Jesus’ pilgrimage symbolized spiritual conquest, not political. His is a Kingdom not built by hands and not limited by geography but rather one that transcends all nations and all beings, seen and unseen. So his arrival at Gadara was like the Allied forces landing at Normandy. It marked the breaking of the back of the devil’s kingdom.
Gadara referred to a large region, which is why Matthew refers to the “country of the Gadarenes,” Mark calls the location of the miracle “Gerasa,” and Luke locates it at “Gergesa.” The region would have been entered a few miles from the Sea of Galilee and was bounded on the eastern edge by one of the most magnificent cities of the Decapolis, Jaresh. We toured that city on one trip and it is stunning! It makes Scythopolis look like a small village. One can still see the ruts from chariot wheels along the main street. Marked with several pagan temples, it is a testimony to Rome’s economic pride and spiritual arrogance.
Regardless of the precise location of the exorcism, by standing where they were, these demoniacs were effectively guarding the entrance to the region. When Jesus expelled the demons, he was saying, “No force can stop the forward movement of my Kingdom.” He kicked down the door and saved oppressed souls.
What are the places in your life that seem captive to the power of evil? Are you afraid because of the crime and violence in your city? Are you discouraged by the conflict that persists in your relationships? Are you overwhelmed by the magnitude of all that is in need of redemption and restoration? Do you feel guilty about the sin that lingers on in your own heart?
While the internet has enabled us to “see” more than ever before, we must admit that our ability to see everything is still massively limited. Now picture Jesus in heaven looking down at this earth, knowing all the evil that has gone before us and all that will come after, and still deciding to come. When Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee and then cast out demons from a man no person was able to restrain, he showed that no part of all of creation is beyond his ability to redeem.
Join me for our final devotional on Thursday where we will look at one final place in Jesus’ life that shows that this power extends to death itself.