In Mk 5:1-20, Jesus arrives at a Gentile region for the first time. His strategies are very different from those used today to grow the Gospel. The first thing to note is that Jesus begins to work as soon as he lands in the new region by boat. He doesn’t waste any time. So what does he do?
1.He calls and ministers to the most needy person in the region
A demoniac and madman appears before him, as he descends the boat. Jesus obviously calls him. The man sees Jesus and wants to be free. He doesn’t know who Jesus is but senses the call of Jesus and that this is the person who can liberate him. Maybe also because the demons inside him are warning him not to approach Jesus. So the man runs to meet Jesus.
The demoniac is the most difficult case to be healed in the community. He was extremely violent. He cried out in pain day and night. Attempts had been made to subdue him by the community by chaining his hands and feet but without success. He simply broke the chains.
So Jesus’ strategy is “Kingdom demonstration” by healing the most difficult case, demonstrating his power, authority and love. Actually it’s much more than a strategy, it’s who he is. He simply demonstrates his character. Immediately Jesus commands the demons to leave him, and they have to obey. The man is healed, gets some clothes and returns in his right mind. Everyone is amazed!
MATTHEW 10 IS A KEY PASSAGE
Today we have Jesus in us and he gives believers the same power and authority to heal and set free. Look at Mt 10:8
“Freely you have received, freely give”
And Mt 10:1
“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
This strategy of kingdom demonstration is great for believers to use to reach new areas for Jesus. There are many courses in this. of which the Bethel School is the most famous.
2.He challenges the people’s idols
You would have thought that all the onlookers and those to whom the story had been reported to would have now brought all their sick and ill for Jesus to cure. This had happened in other regions, Mt 4:24
“News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.”
However, the people to not do this. Why? The demons had asked Jesus to be allowed to enter the local people’s pigs nearby. The pigs were filled with the same madness and immediately ran into a lake and all drowned. So why did Jesus allow this to happen?
Some commentators say that Jesus wanted to demonstrate to the locals of the destructive power of demons. But the locals already knew this, as they had experienced the violence and depraved life of this demoniac. Other commentators say that that Jesus showed mercy to the demons, but Jesus never showed mercy to demons. He cast them out immediately and they knew their eventual fate.
No Jesus allowed the death of the pigs deliberately. The demons killed 2000 pigs, a huge blow to the local economy. Like when Jesus charges the rich, young man to sell all his things and give to the poor, before following Jesus, he knows that the locals idolise money. They are called to make a choice. People will never be free to follow Jesus and his ways if they worship other things.
Today, people worship many things: money, success, relationships, power and so on. When we preach the Gospel we must challenge them to be free of such things, so they can give themselves fully to Jesus. This is the Gospel. Only in Jesus can people experience true freedom. Kingdom demonstration means there is only one kingdom.
See also my book on “Preparing for the Economic Storm”
3.He immediately releases the saved to preach
Despite the initial reaction of the people, Jesus does not give up but tells the man to go back to his family and to testify. Instead the man does much more and testifies in the whole region.
Today we might ask a new believer to give their testimony just once at church. Then after this we want them to go through the route of joining a small group, coming to church regularly, growing for many years and even doing some formal theological training before they can minister the Gospel to others.
All this training is useful to do but Jesus does not wait for this. He immediately releases the man to preach the Good News about Jesus and his kingdom demonstration.
So we must equip new believers in a region to testify rapidly about what Jesus has done for them.
For more stories of kingdom demonstration and how this can stir up your spiritual life, see my book: