When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
A couple of thoughts come to mind here. First, sometimes people question why Jesus allowed the demons to go into the herd of pigs. I think it is because Jesus cares more about people than he does pigs (or any animals). It is not yet the end of the age, and until then demons occupy this world. It was not time for eternal judgment; it wasn't their time to be abolished to the pit that is created for Satan and his followers. So, Jesus, desiring to see these severely demonized men set free, allowed the demons to leave the men and enter the pigs.
The second thought that comes to me is how easily this transference took place. There was no shouting match; no spiritual wrestling match; no snapping fingers or clapping hands; no cursing, puking, or violence; and no danger that Jesus or His disciples would somehow get a demon on them. Jesus, because He had authority over demons simply gave the word, and the demons obeyed -they had no choice. Scriptures clearly indicate that we who are in Christ have the same authority over the demonic. Why, then, do people (even Christians) get so freaked out at the thought of encountering demons? Why do deliverance ministries make such a big deal of it? Because we have authority (the authority of Christ) when we encounter the demonic, deliverance is as simple as hearing from Father what He wants to do and speaking the word.
Here in this story we get a very clear picture of the simplicity of destroying the works of the devil as we operate in the authority of Jesus.
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