In my studies I could not get past this question asked by Jesus’s disciples. How could they of all people after seeing Christ perform all the miracles, healings and exorcism still be marvelling as to what kind of man Christ was. Were they still not seeing Christ as not just a mere man but the Son of God? The entire verse is as follows;

Matthew 8 : 27 ” But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

I believe this verse and the verses after explain why Christ sailed into Gergesenes. In verse ’26’ Christ asked them, “Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith”. He appeared confused as to why they were still in the state of unbelief and little faith, but verse ’27’ answered his question. They still viewed Christ as just a mere man and that was the problem. This is why I believe Christ sailed to Gergesenes to reinforce who he truly was in the hearts of his disciples. If you read Matthew 8: 28-34, when Jesus go there he encountered two men possessed by demons. The bible says they were exceedingly fierce, which insinuates they were violent. Their agenda was to stop people from going to the town Gergesenes (meaning:- Those who come from pilgrimage or fight).

This encounter did so much to reaffirm who Christ really was in the eyes of his disciples in such a short time and with minimal effort from the Lord. Consider the following;

1. The demons knew who Christ was they called him out by name ‘Jesus’.
2. They questioned his motives, which means they were clueless on Jesus’s plan or purpose.
3. They recognized and acknowledged his Deity as the Son of God.
4. They referenced a time of torment for them that Christ will be a part of, something in the future. We can speculate they were referencing his death and resurrection where he defeats the devil and death, or it could be the judgement in revelations and the lake of fire.
5. They acknowledge his authority in asking permission to go into the swine.
6. They also knew prior to Christ verbally casting them out his intention was to do so, which aligns with his purpose to set the captives free.

There is so much to unpack here. In regards to the disciples, they heard the demons acknowledge Christ as the Son of God and his authority as such. This I am sure not only bolstered their faith in him, but also changed their view in who Christ really was, not just a mere man but the Son of God. The more we know of the Christ was serve, the stronger our faith when the storms come beating on our ship in life.

The bulleted points above also point to some insight on the characteristics of the demons. They have no foreknowledge; they are petrified by Christ, they know Christ’s purpose is to cast them out to set people free, and they can recognize his glory as the Son of God in human flesh. What does that say to us who have Christ living in us, who wear his righteousness as our salvation? What message is being sent when Christ says greater is he in us than he that is in the world? Demons ought to recognize us when we enter a room, or pass by them because of the essence of Christ they see resting on us. To those christians who choose not to believe in evil spiritual beings (demons), as mentioned in the bible, give me a chance to explain before you say this blog is not for you. Demonic forces should see us as Christians and be fearful, because of the Holy Spirit that lives inside us. They know the very purpose Christ had when he was on earth, is the same purpose given to us to preach the gospel and set people free from the bondage of sin and evil spirits. They have come to steal the lives of people, kill them physically or emotionally, destroy their relationships and whatever life they have left. We are their natural enemies, because we share the truth of the gospel about God’s love, his salvation plan, Jesus Christ sacrifice and forgiveness of sins. The truth cuts through the darkness and sheds light on the hearts of men, giving them a chance to choose Christ. If they chose Christ, deliverance and freedom from bondage follows as the shed blood of Christ breaks the power of the enemy and washes away all sin and condemnation. This is a reason for them to fear us as they are subject to the authority of Christ that was given to us by Jesus Christ. Is that the case though? Are demons and people who delve in witch-craft afraid of us today? We live among them never noticing them, while they notice us. Oh how we miss the mark on this topic. Some of us are too preoccupied to look up and see them when they notice us. In some cases we are more afraid of them than they are of us. No one is asking you to become an exorcist, but the bible we believe in says we are the Sons of God that share in the inheritance of Christ. We should walk in that authority when faced with demonic activity and forces, acknowledging our right to command them to flee. When we act on that authority we align ourselves with the will of God to set the captives free. Our prayers and fasting should be targeted at tearing down the plans and agendas of the evil powers of this world in the name of Jesus. Christ told us whatever we ask in his name it will be given. Do we believe the name Jesus Christ belongs to a mere man or to the Son of God and all the authority that title implies?

SIDE REVELATION:

Later in this chapter you will see the people of the city rejected Christ after he allowed the demons to enter the swine and they died. Why reject the Lord after he delivered their two citizens from torment by the demons that possessed them? These two men lived in tombs and chains, violently deterring people from entering their city. Can it be they were more upset about the monetary loss the pigs represented, than the tormented souls of their citizens possessed by demons? Is this a lesson in value? They valued the monetary potential of the pigs, more than the salvation and freedom of the lives of the demon possessed citizens. So much so that they forcefully requested Christ to leave their city, to which he willingly complied. Oh my Gosh!!! Is this what some churches have done? They have chosen to value monetary gain and large congregations over preaching the gospel and its truth to the people. It is as if they prefer to have their villages subject to captivity, rather than their souls be set free, at the cost of their wealth and stature. Churches like these are powerless and hold in them christians under bondage. These pastors push Christ’s true gospel out, opting to tickle the ears for more members and bigger churches, to which Christ has complied and left their church. They restrict the Holy Spirit from flowing in a service that is supposed to honor him and so the Spirit moves on. Woe to such leaders and congregants,that have forgotten the true value of a soul. No earthly gain can surpass the value of a soul set free by the truth of Christ. Angels in heaven rejoice over the salvation of a lost soul, yet numbers and large edifice structures are more important? In the end when they realise what they’ve done, substituting truth for idol worship of church building and numbers it will be too late. Christ will say I never knew you.