When Light is the Aggressor
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Analyzing the violent reaction of the darkness when confronted with the Light of the Gospel.
Text: Luke 8:26-33
Date: 11/20/2022, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 83
Description:
After clearly revealing His Deity by commanding the wind and the waves to be still, Jesus leads His disciples to a frightening confrontation with evil "on the other side". As soon as they step foot on land, a demon possessed man rushes from the tombs to terrorize them. But when the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, they fall at His feet and effectively beg for mercy. What an extraordinary scene! We will analyze the demoniac's pathetic situation and how Jesus casts out the demons, cleanses the man, and releases him from the bondage of evil-- a beautiful image of salvation. But primarily we will look at this entire venture as the enactment of the battle plan of the Kingdom of Light, and the violent reaction of the darkness when confronted with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will realize that in this situation, as in the missionary outreach of the church, the Light is the aggressor-- proactively pervading the darkness to chase it away and set the captives free!
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I. Introduction, John 1:4-5.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 8:26-33.
A. Context
1. The voyage to the "other side".
2. Jesus' power and authority.
B. The encounter on the "other side", vs. 26-33.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 26.
a. Determining the timing.
b. Determining the location.
c. A Gentile community, Mark 5:20.
2. The encounter in the tombs, vs. 27, 29b.
a. An immediate encounter, Mark 5:2.
b. The demon-possessed man.
i. Harmonizing the Gospels.
ii. The description of the man, vs. 27.
1) A man possessed, Luke 4:33-34.
2) A man without clothes.
a) A lack of shame.
b) A sign of physical suffering, Mark 5:5.
3) The strange abode.
a) In the literal sense, Luke 19:10.
b) In the figurative sense, John 8:44.
iii. A menace to society, vs. 29b, Mark 5:4.
3. The extraordinary address, vs. 28-29a.
a. Visualizing the scene, 8:28.
b. The demons recognize Jesus, Mark 5:6.
c. The demon addresses the Son of God, vs. 28,29a.
i. The reason for the address, Matt. 8:29.
ii. A personal address.
iii. An ironic address, Luke 8:25.
iv. A tragic address, Rev. 12:12.
v. A terrified plea.
4. A multitude of demons, vs. 30.
5. The plea not to be thrown into the abyss, vs. 31.
a. The demons recognize the power and authority of Christ.
b. The demons beg for mercy, Matt. 5:45.
c. The demons fear the abyss, Rev. 9:1.
6. The death of the pigs, vs. 32-33.
a. The demon's request, Heb. 9:27.
b. Why Jesus did not destroy them.
i. Eliminating wrong reasons.
ii. The right reason, Matt. 8:29, 24:36.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
