Bible Passage: Luke 8:26-39
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: June 22, 2025

Bulletin – June 22, 2025

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

In January of 1987, the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI.  Their quarterback, Phil Simms was named the game’s MVP.  In the moments after the game, Phil Simms was asked, “You just won the Super Bowl.  What are you going to do now?”  And Phil Simms said, “I’m going to DisneyWorld!”  Now, that was not all as spontaneous and organic as it seemed.  Simms later said he was paid $50,000 to say that.  But thus began one of the most famous lines in the history of advertising: “I’m going to DisneyWorld!”

That sort of makes us think, doesn’t it?  What do you do after a huge event like winning a Super Bowl?  How does life change?  What do you do when your life changes forever in a moment?  In our text this morning we have a man whose life changed in a more profound way than winning a Super Bowl.  This man was set free from demon-possession.  And if we found him and said to him, “You have just been set free.  What are you going to do now?” he would have answered, “I’m going home.”   He went home!  He went home, because Jesus told him to Go home!  And Go tell!

This encounter Jesus has with the demon-possessed man takes place on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus has made the trip across the lake by boat.  We are told that when Jesus got ashore, he is met by a man.  The description of this man is chilling.  He is possessed by demons (v. 27).  Demon-possession exists when a demon or, in this man’s case, several demons literally take up residence inside the body of a person.  This is not external  demonic “influence” on a person, it is demonic “in-dwelling” within a person.  The demons then physically and mentally control the person.  The demons will speak through the person, as we will see.

A further look at the description of this man, also shows us what the devil and the demons are all about.  We are told this man hadn’t worn any clothes for a long time.  Wearing clothes guards us from shame.  Clothes are evidence of modesty and decency.  Because of the demons, this man runs around naked.  The demons want this man to be exposed to shame!  This man also lived in the tombs.  He didn’t live with living, breathing humans; he lived with the dead and decomposing.  It was gross and dark, and let’s face it, downright creepy!  Many times well-meaning townsfolk had managed to lay hands on the man and chain him, but by the strength of the demons he would break the chains and return to the deserted places.  That is what the demons are all about.  If God is about modesty and decency, the demons try to destroy it!  If God is about life and light, the demons are all about tombs and darkness!

And so this demonized man comes to Jesus.  The demon speaks.  What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? (v. 28)  The demon’s Christology is spot-on!  Jesus is the Son of the Most High God!  I beg you, don’t torment me! (v. 28)  This is good to see.  This demon who wreaks such havoc in the lives of men has more than met his match in Jesus!  And he knows it!  Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had gone into him. (v. 30)  This too is a creepy answer.  They say their name is “Legion.”  A Roman legion had anywhere from 4000-6000 soldiers.  There’s lots of demons in this poor man.

This demon-legion keeps begging Jesus not to send them back to hell.  Before the Son of the Most High God, a legion of demons is reduced to beggars!  Jesus gives his permission for them to go into a herd of pigs after they exit the man.  But exit the man they must!  And they do.  And they go into the pigs.  And then, true to their nature as destroyers, they destroy the pigs, they run the pigs off the cliff into the lake.

The “pig-shepherds” (or whatever you call them), run into town to tell the news.  Of course, the curious have to see for themselves.  They run out to the scene.  And there they see the man who ran around naked and lived in tombs and broke chains, all put together.  He’s sitting by Jesus, he has his clothes on and he’s acting like a sane man again.  The whole thing scares them.  They ask Jesus to leave.  And Jesus is willing to oblige.  But as he gets into the boat, the man begins to beg Jesus to come along.  But Jesus says, “Go home.  Go and tell how much God has done for you.” (v. 39)

“Go home.”  Isn’t that something?  Jesus doesn’t tell the man to go enroll in rabbinic seminary.  He doesn’t say to this man, “Follow me.”  This man is not to be an apostle or a future author of Scripture.  He is to go home and tell his family, and passers-by in the market how much the Son of the Most High God did for him.  Not everyone has to go to Seminary before they tell people about Jesus.

I think the language of what Jesus said is significant too.  Tell how much God has done for you. (v. 39)  And, he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. (v. 39)  Jesus is the subject, the do-er.  The man is the object, the recipient of what Jesus did.  …Jesus had done for him.  “Jesus found me.  Jesus confronted the demons for me.  Jesus delivered me.  Jesus restored me.”  He made Jesus the hero!  I think of how much of what is supposed to be witnessing today makes “me” the hero.  “I was a mess.  I was addicted.  I turned things around.  I found Jesus.  I gave my life to Jesus.”  “I” become the hero of my story.  Friends, “I” am not the hero!  Jesus is the hero!

“Jesus found me.  Jesus died for me.  Jesus rose for me.  Jesus delivered me from shame.  Jesus clothed me in his righteousness.  Jesus delivered me from the power and chains of the devil.  Jesus gives me life beyond and outside of the tombs.  Jesus has promised me heaven! Jesus saved me!”  Jesus is the Hero of the story!  Now, go home!  Go tell!  Tell how much God’s Son has done for you!

Amen.