The Demoniac of the Gaderenes

After calming the tempest (Luke 8:22-25), Jesus and the disciples landed in Gadera (v26) on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The demoniac came from the tombs in the city (v27) naked. Jesus commanded the devils to come out of him.

8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Luke 8:32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

8:33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

The devils acknowledged the deity of Jesus, begged him ``that he would not command them to go out into the deep.'' The word ``deep'' is the Greek word ``ab-us-sos'' meaning ``without bottom'' or ``bottomless pit''. The demons do not want to go back into Hell where they came from!

The phrase ``Entered into swine'' tells us the people kept pigs, so they were not very good Jews. Jesus let the demons have the most worthless, disgusting thing imaginable: pigs. They destroyed even the swine, thus taking themselves into the deep of the sea of Galilee anyway. This is a figurative lesson that Satan will end up there no matter what.

8:34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

8:36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

8:37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Luke 8:26-40 shows revival followed after rejection:

8:39 Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

8:40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

Mark 5:1-20 gives the city of Decapolis as the home of the demoniac. This city became the site of a later revival.

: 5:20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

5:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

mark: 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

matt: 4:25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

So we have here a case of a delayed reaction. The people drove Jesus away when he cast the devils out of the demoniac of the Gaderenes, but when he returned some time later, he was gladly recieved.