Key Scripture Readings: Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 15:21-28; 17:14-21
Fast Facts
- Demon possession is something that we don’t find in the Bible until the time of Jesus. After arriving in the land of the Gadarenes, Jesus and His disciples encountered a violent man possessed with demons (Luke 8:26-39; Mark 5:1-20). Matthew tells that there two demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:28-34). It seems as though Mark and Luke focus on the one man because he was probably more violent. These men were living in the cemetery. They were naked and unable to be bound. The unclean spirit inside one of the men identified himself as “legion, for we are many” (Mark 5:9). These demons recognized the power of Jesus and begged to be cast into the nearby swine. The Lord granted their request. After the miracle, the once possessed man was then found to be in his right mind, and Jesus told him to go and tell others about the great things that had been done for him.
- Jesus also cast a cruel demon out of the daughter of a Syrophoenician (Gentile) woman (Matthew 15:21-28). The Lord rewarded her great faith in Him.
- After being transfigured in the mountain, Jesus encountered a father who begged Him to cure his son, who was being tormented by a demon (Matthew 17:14-21). The disciples had previously attempted to cast out the demon but were not successful. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and cast the demon out at once.
Study Questions
- What was demon possession? What did it cause the afflicted to do?
- How did the people in the land of the Gadarenes respond to the miracle of Jesus? How did the at one time possessed man respond?
- How did Jesus initially respond to the request of the Syrophoenician woman? Why did He eventually grant her request?
- Why were the apostles unable to cast the demon out in Matthew 17:14-21? Why was it vital that they correct this problem?
- What does Jesus’ power over demons demonstrate about Him?
