He was completely in the thrall of sin. But the sad thing I want you to see at the end is the reaction of the majority of his countrymen, because unlike him, they do not beg to be with Jesus. I would, however, be a little skeptical of stories about Jesus Himself visiting Spain. Incredible. Those famous four are sufficient to back up the Church's bias and with them one could pretend they say, Christ is the [dead] end of the Law [of Moses] (Luther and Calvin taught this), or maybe it means something very vague like, an end of a law is Christ. For a more advanced discussion of the vague quality of the text have a look at George Howards scholarly article. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their He was incapable of changing his circumstances. What is going to happen, we are told by John the book of Revelation, is that God Himself is going to cast Satan and his demons into the lake of fire. Now it's not a very profound book. If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 8 and this great story of the man who was possessed by demons, liberated by the Lord Jesus Christ. This one verse alone, without all the extra proof from Jesuss joke, should convince us that his commandments are the 613 commandments of the Law of Moses. But these differences are typical of eye-witness reports and only irritate skeptics. And he sends out his representative, a man who is known only as the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr, the black gate. JESUS DIDNT SEND THE DEMONS INTO THE DEEP; GERASA, GERASENES (, ). Now the big-mouth irking this Greek artisan was our good friend, the Apostle Paul. WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! To any Jew, Jesuss actions were crystal clear. In Jesus first trip to that Gentile area: They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (in Gadara). In the Book of Acts, Chapter Nineteen, we read about Demetrius, a Greek silver-statue maker, who was connecting a few dots of his own and had reasoned that a certain big-mouthed Jew was bad for business. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac 1. Jesus was also a prophet. Jesus made him whole. While foretelling death and doom was often part of a prophets job description, the real task of each true prophet was to be an example to the people and to get everyone on board, or back on board, with the Law of God. The Gadarenes Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals Add to that that recent. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a , The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is, Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. [] Top ten reasons why there were pigs in Gerasenes, (Linear Concepts, 17 October 2012), http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011 []. Therefore, by associating the two commandments together, and you catch some of the character of our Heavenly Father. Jun 21, 2021. e. borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin galilea, probably after Galilea, Galilaea galilee, from a monastic and clerical comparison of the church porch, where the laity gathered, to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) 1. But the Almighty said it so many times. And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. But when the pigs need to be explained, he immediately seems lost and turns to heartless comedy. They need to face the cracks in their theologies. Or, what if Paul had knocked two thousand dolls into the drink would he have written as many epistles as he did, while having to dogpaddle? There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. This leads the third observation: just as the disciples had been terrified by both the storm and Jesus calming of it on the way over to the Gerasenes, the local people here respond with fear. When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. What about sheep? Last week we said the focus was on the power and the person of Jesus Christ. And if I remember correctly, I think there is some tradition about other Apostles going to Spain. Lets dwell on that he added no new commands to his disciples. Unfortunately, Pastor John is not alone, joking at the expense of this tragedy. The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for the purpose of holiness. Who owned the pigs? For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. Perhaps that is his point. And then finally, and very, very sadly, I want you to see in contrast to him, the reaction of the majority of the people in his city and country to what Jesus has done. These four miracle stories, also we said, in contrast to the miracles in Luke 4 and 5, are focused on settings where a small group of the disciples witness the miracles. Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer, None can keep the nasty old Law, so Jesus came to fulfill it perfectly, and now I dont have to do anything, at all, whatsoever, just believe, hallelujah! Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. Johns words seem to apply to all of Scripture. I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). Plus, these additions by John connect back to other passages in interesting ways. Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. (eds.). For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. Another command applies to women who have given birth to a child (Leviticus 12:6), so that would be easy for Jesus to obey, not to mention the monthly ritual baptisms Jewish women do for certain reasons!!! The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. And holiness means salvation, as Paul wrote in two different letter, without holiness no man [or woman] shall see God (Hebrews 12:14 and Romans 6:22). But Christians miss the joke and think he was being serious. Ive not heard that theory before. But let me just suggest that one thing that might be happening here is a picture of Jesus future judgment on the demonic forces that are arrayed against God. Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything ritually impure or defiling (Acts 10:14). But there are many reasons why Im not keen on the idea of the Gospels as non-historical. Bibliography W. A. Thomson, The Land and the Book (1882), 333-338, 353, 359; C. H. Kraeling, Gerasa, City of the Decapolis (1938); The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1946), 64, 117; M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the NT (1962), 139-141; E. Lohmeyer, Das Evangelium des Markus (1963), 93f; C. F. Pfeiffer, The Biblical World (1966), 252-254. Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? 1). For being kind to birds!? Gergesa - Wikipedia For the sake of the argument, lets start by assuming that the pastors assumption is right and he is a Gentile (though we know he could have been Jewish). Jesus was upholding all the kosher laws within the Land of Israel it was part of his job description. Seven Biblical facts await you that prove Jesus was obliged to love all creatures, except that a higher command forced him to partially judge the Jews who owned the two thousand poor pigs. Am I forgiven by saying, I just, The Land of Israel is/was no place for two thousand pigs. Why? : A similar remark came from Mosess lips when he described God as eternally faithful and then connected Gods faithfulness to His faithful love. Them there pigs were going to try to hog the limelightthat Jesus was famous for but ended up being lost in more ways than one! The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Was He asking us the impossible because He had nothing better to do or is He sadistic? The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.2834 is the shortest, Throughout the book, the author uses direct quotes, various and mostly verifiable place names and clear descriptions of mostly plausible actions. For one, Leviticus 22:28 forbids righteous farmers from killing a cow and its calf on the same day. being the holy Messiah of Israel, Jesus wants the swine out of The Land as much as he wants unclean spirits out of The People, and. to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? Did Jesus Heal and Preach to Only Jews? No! - NCR Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 12:13-16), there is a small, but wonderful, detail that is in complete harmony with Matthew 10:29. Good Pastor John MacArthur's funny option, The real Author(s) of the Law and the Commandments. (wait for it) turning the swine to the water! Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus (Matt. Dr. R.C. ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Luckily, they didnt find Paul anywhere, but they did haul a number of Pauls colleagues down to city hall. I agree the counter-arguments look flawless on the surface and that will be partially exposed now. Its inconceivable that the pigs were owned by Gentiles. absolutely anne..there are a few scenarios..nothing more exciting than digging into the Word of God!! Marks Jesus is a warrior who conquers Gods enemies. Furthermore, how upset must God get seeing a doctor reach into the womb of a mother and murder her unborn child? He used another pseudonym, Julian Ross. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church took four Greek words torn out of mid-sentence and declared them to mean, the end (read, death) of the law [of Moses], although numerous verses declare the fixed, eternal character of Gods Perfect Law. What's going on here? And from what I have heard, preferrably pig blood. Lets re-examine the event in the light of seven important Scriptural facts. The list in the first chapter of Leviticus contains only bovine, sheep, goats and pigeons; all typified later, in Leviticus 11, as clean/pure animals. He does. Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon Gentile To all of you who have been liberated from the captivity of your sin by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive God's blessing. Doesnt Pastor MacArthur know his Bible? At the beginning of the gospel, he wins these victories with acts of visible, recognizable power. The normally merciful Messiah destroyed the pigs in accordance with Gods Law about clean and unclean meat. Living in rural Central Africa villages for ten years, I heard many stories from locals about demon spirits living in streams and trees and boulders. David ran after the lion that had grabbed his sheep and with just his staff, and his wits, he forced the lion to drop it. My research shows swine kill poisonous snakes. No products in the cart. Besides this Biblical evidence that Jesus and the woman were within Israels inheritance, there is also a prophesy that God will settle His People in the future in Gilead (a sizeable part of todays Kingdom of Jordan) and in Lebanon too (Zechariah 10:9-10). Interested in joining the Ligonier team? I would think that it shows that demons would enter anything that could be unclean including a human being. You understand that Legion is not his name. The demons inhabit the bodies of this herd of pigs and the pigs cast them into the Lake of Galilee. It's amazing Jesus comes to shore and it's obvious that He has immediately commanded the spirits to leave the man because they remonstrate with Him. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. After this long, careful study, it should be crystal clear that the heartless Bishop of Hippo was mistaken, as were our two good pastors. Ptolemy says Gerasa was a city in Coele-Syria, thirty-five travel m. from Pella. It's in Luke chapter 8, verse 18. Gerasa is identified from various sources as a city in Arabia, Decapolis, Gilead, or Perea. The Jewish Messiah rid himself of two defiling groups in one blow. Thats really why they were sent. The victorious Lord made life good again for one embattled soul. It was like, Read my lips, Saul! But it struck me as interesting that Bertrand Russell had the exact same reaction to this miracle that the people of the Gerasenes had. And it's very clear that theyre in Gentile territory because they find themselves in a country where there is a huge, huge herd of pigs. He was clear that His mission was not to the Gentiles and Samaritans, but rather, to the lost tribe of Israel. A wonderful verse that reveals Him to us and probably the most heartwarming is the commandment in the Torah that mother animals are allowed to stay with their newborns for at least seven days before the offspring can be taken for food or for sacrifice (, All of these commandments and more are still taken literally by many Jews today. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. In fact, they are, Yet the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke actually report that the towns people many would have been the owners or friends of the pig owners or people who were connected to the trade in the swine were, Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have, All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were, Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (, Answering, he said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (, As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the, Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (, Besides this Biblical evidence that Jesus and the woman were within Israels inheritance, there is also a prophesy that God will settle His People in the future in Gilead (a sizeable part of todays Kingdom of Jordan) and in, The real-estate on the east side of the lake of Galilee where Jesus met the demons and the swine was also part of Israel-proper. (Later, in Genesis 8:20, Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals to God as thank you offerings because their ship had come in! We see the power of Christ over Satan, don't we? Be this as it may, the district was Sinai. But Christianity early became important in the city; several churches were built during these centuries, so that by the 5th cent., Gerasa could send a bishop to the Council of Chalcedon. All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and gravity (Matthew 8:22-27, Mark 4:3541 and Luke 8:2225, passages immediately before the pig-demon accounts! about a.d. 65. In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt. The Garasenes were not Jewish but the country was close to Galilee and Jesus had been to that side of the sea before. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of It was exactly due to his righteousness and his love for God that he killed two thousand pigs. Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? To run Money Maker Software properly, Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 or higher version is required. p. 102. Just like in the Garden, when God judged Adam, he didn't strike him directly, but the ground soil instead. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Jerash (aka Gerasa, Gerash or Gerasha) is the capital and the largest city of the Jerash Governorate in Jordan, but in ancient times it was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient Near East.Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic period (c. 7500-5500 BCE) and founded as a Hellenistic city in the 2nd century BCE, Jerash is The fact that Matthew places the healing of Legion in the country of the Gadarenes whereas Mark and Luke place it in the country of the Gerasenes may be harmonized on the historical grounds that geographical boundaries overlapped, and on the exegetical consideration that country embraced a wide area around the cities. 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. What do you want? As to the second question, there is no doubt of the illegality, from a ritual point of view, of Jews keeping swine (B. But we should never get too smug, thinking that we have corned the market on truth. He is more open with Gentiles because it fits His purpose about revelation to the Gentiles and the new inclusion in the kingdom. WebWell pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. A main street with columns on both sides leads out of the forum. Seven Forgotten Facts clarify our interpretation, One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had, But this view is shocking because it places Gods Son on an equal footing with the unclean spirits and thus flies in the face of the normal presentation of Jesus in the Gospels. These pastors have added to Scripture that the God of the Old Testament is different in the New and taken away from it Mosess 613 commandments are now reduced to 2. These are tremendously important facts that GotQuestions is ignorant of, or they prefer to spread disinformation about, this important Biblical truth that, in the mind of the Almighty, holiness is bound to what we eat. I would have wanted a herd of swine had I been an Israelite in the desert. Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. Pliny described it as a city of the Decapolis founded after the Rom. Hello, I dont know the real answer but I have heard from others that Jesus has authority over any demonic presence and there were many in this man (other Gospel says two men), so it clearly shows Jesus Power and Authority and that is probably the main point to show the people and the demon possessed at that time that it doesnt matter how many of you there are your not staying and your leaving now because I say so and you cant do anything and because I say so you can go into them pigs because you are unclean, so it was a demonstration for all, including his Disciples who were with him, I do believe that Jesus went there for that purpose because of his Love for us, Jesus knows why He did it, maybe one day He will tell us or not ? The apostle had been busy preaching in Demetriuss hometown of Ephesus and Pauls message about the one true God was catching on. Reading the whole account in Acts 19:23 to 41, we see that it was not hard for the sore silversmith to drum up anti-Jewish anger in the crowd that day. Now you understand what sitting at the Savior's feet means? We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And what about commands for married people (Exodus 21:10), or the command that a man gives his wife a bill of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1)? These pastors have, Look at the prophets; they also prove Scripture doesnt change. Any other conclusion, in light of the seven facts just presented, is breathtakingly irresponsible, and we should just laugh it off. Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. Well, Ill try and explain that before the end of the sermon, but there were several titles that didn't get included in the sermon bulletin today. Also, any every person who wants to please God is forbidden the heartless act of boiling a calf in its mothers milk (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21), as well as the abominable practice of cutting and eating the leg of a live animal, only to leave the poor creature hobbling around with its three remaining legs (Deuteronomy 12:23; explanation). Heavenly Father, we thank You that the name of Jesus is sweet in the ears of believers, but we know, O Lord, that those who love this world do not know the sweetness of the sound of His name. But this I do know, when people say that because those pigs died it shows that Jesus was not a good and virtuous man theyre forgetting three things. Jesus helped a Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith ( Matthew 15:2128 ). One was, His Name Was Legion, Not Ligon. I have been confused with Legion all my life and it worries me that it's not just the sound of the name, but I want to make it clear that Legion is not in any way related to Ligon. WebGERASA, GERASENES (, ). were badly damaged in major Owning those defiling animals was illegal and having two thousand head, the farmers were more than flouting the Law that Jesus had not came to destroy but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). were This page from an Orthodox website partially shows how Judaism views their responsibility. So I figure we could speculate a little and see where this goes. Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Three of the Comedian Harmonists were Jewish, three were gentile. I beg You, do not torment me. Then, if you look in verse 38, he begs Jesus that he might be with him. And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture evolves. Unsurprisingly in such a place, Jesus finds a man possessed by unclean spirits. Amen. That amazing phrase, all of you be holy for I am holy did not start with Peter (1 Peter 1:16), because the apostle is quoting Leviticus. That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with 1 Samuel 24:24 and 1 Chronicles 21:24). It was part of the Greco-Roman region known as the Decapolis, or ten towns. or ten Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say. 2023 Christianity.com. (, Although the Almightys statement is only one sentence in, For I myself witness truthfully to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book, , Besides Johns cute play on words dont, Also, Orthodox Jews see a clear connection between, This curse should deter makers of dispensational charts from chopping up Scripture because having my share taken from the Book of Life, or my name , Also, Johns emphasis do not take away from , As a result, our biggest take-away lesson is to never take away from the Word of the Almighty.But dispensational-flavoured pastors ignore this and teach us that Moses and David and even Jesus lived by different rules. All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were more than gentle to let him off the hook and just asking him to leave town asap. Flower blossoms wither. about a.d. 65. Gentile Because of his righteousness and his love for God, Peter and Andrew and John and thousands more loved Jesus and followed him. (, Therefore you should understand that the LORD your God, Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or, If the Eternal One, blessed be He, had said just, But the Almighty said it so many times. Its true! Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Third Fact: Not a fickle faithless Father. So whats the point because Pastor John Piper feels the pigs were less important and John LOL MacArthur just jokes about the slaughter neither reaction seems sensible. This was the authentic Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. Secondly, the text is written to show Jesus dunnit. Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (, Now, if a Jew can be treated so badly by fellow Jews, lets put on our thinking caps and imagine what happens to a Jew walking straight into a big group of Gentiles. Instead, his conscious act of casting the demons into the swine resulted in the entire herds destruction. To feed the spectators who came there purposely to see those crazy chain braking tomb dwelling lunatics! First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. War III. And the only real bargaining chip according to this interpretation was offering them the two thousand big pink chips. Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? And what about trees or rocks? And because they did not hear Him, they lost even what they had. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. It was interesting that Palmer had gone out without any announcement but this man knew who he was and he was obviously disturbed that he was there and he began to make threats. Well Ill explain that too, later on. WebGentiles [N] [T] [B] [S] (Heb., usually in plural, goyim), meaning in general all nations except the Jews. God designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His chosen people. Suddenly, Mark 5 is clear. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) Sadly, our two good pastors seem oblivious to the fact that under the Law of Moses, animals have benefits too, and this fact should have bearing on any interpretation of Mark 5. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that the rabbis today dont see the even stronger connection between Genesis 3:3 and Revelation 22:18, because Jews dont read the New Testament all that much. For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. The Messiah has the same nature and character was the Father, as discussed in the Fourth Fact above. Gergesa (). The Greeks were believers in the spirit And thirdly, they are forgetting the fate of this man with an immortal soul who was in danger not only of a continuous life of torment, but an eternal separation from God. Jewish rabbis, when interpreting the Word of God, follow an important principle: no word in Gods Word is superfluous or pointless.
Friends Of Diane Neal Party,
2021 Iowa Custom Farm Rates,
Articles W
