Easter Before And After (Mark 5:1-20)

A sermon preached on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.

Easter Before and After
Consider life before Easter. Peter, ashamed of Jesus denied his Lord three times. Thomas could not believe that Jesus was alive. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were huddled in fear that they might be next. And the woman, devoted followers of Jesus came to the tomb that first Easter morning not knowing it would be the first Easter. Their thoughts were centered on how they would move the great stone that secured the corpse of Jesus. The last thing on their mind was seeing Jesus alive. But after Easter things were different. Peter renewed by the resurrected Jesus and full of fresh courage proclaimed the crucified risen Christ and thousands were converted. Thomas confessed Jesus as Lord, disciples once huddled in fear were dispersed to love others, and the women who went to the tomb that day left filled with God’s presence and great joy.

Easter changes everything! In Mark 5:1-20 we have the story of Jesus healing a man of his demon possession and giving him a new direction in life. It’s a great before and after story. It illustrated life before and after Easter. Jesus transformed this man with just a word. The same Lord who walked the Galilean seashore is still the living Lord who is in the life changing business!

No Case Too Hard
In this passage we see that No Case Is too Hard. The Psalmist declared, “What God is great like our God? You art the God who works wonders” (Psalm 77:13b-14a). Truly with God all things are possible. Nothing is too hard for our God. Here before us is a man who is possessed by negative, destructive, demonic, and anti-life forces. He had been driven away form his family, friends, community, and society itself. All normal contacts with other human beings had ceased. Here before us is a man engulfed in tragic loneliness being driven by demonic forces to the brink of insanity. Here before us is a man who has been written off as a lost cause, a hard case, no a hopeless case! But with Jesus there is no case too hopeless, too far gone, too hard! No one is hopeless who hopes in God!

Dead Man Walking
Mark tells us four things about “Legion,” the Demon-possessed man. Here is why we need Easter!
1. Spiritually Dead (vv.2-3)
First, He made his home in the graveyard - 5:2-3. Luke 8:27 tells us that “He lived not in a house but among the tombs.” He is a man who is the living among the dead. But although he was alive physically he was dead already spiritually. In fact this is the spiritual condition of humanity apart from God (see Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:1-15). Apart from Christ we are all dead men walking. This man was so wild and anti-social that he could not live among the living. Legion needed to be raised from the death of sin and demonic possession.

2. Without Hope (vv.3-4)
Second, Legion could not be bound - 5:3-4. His own people did not know what to do with him. Their only cure was to lock him up but that didn’t work. The world could not help this man. He who was possessed by supernatural powers would require supernatural intervention. The world still has no cure for what truly ails us. “What can wash away my sin,” the hymn writer wrote. “Nothing but the blood of Jesus,” was the reply. There are some things in life that only God can do. Only God can heal our deepest hurts. Only God can forgive our burdensome guilt. Only God can restore our broken relationships. Only God can mend our broken hearts. Only God can bring hope to the hopeless.

3. Self-Destructive (v.5)
Third, Legion cried out and cut himself with stones - 5:5. He had a reputation for frightening others and hurting himself with his self-destructive behaviors. His condition drove off anyone who might pass his way. Satan had him completely isolated and in self-destruct mode. No one could stand to be near him and he could not even stand himself. That is how many people are. Their sin has caused them to repel those who would help them. Their sin has caused them to loathe even their own life. This is a vivid picture of sin’s effects. Sin leads us into isolation. Sin leads us away from life and into death. Sin causes a person to be in bondage to self-destructive behaviors.

4. No Real Life (v.15)
Fourth, Legion wore no clothes - 5:15. Luke 8:27 explicitly tells us “for a long time he had worn no clothes.” He had no sense of shame about his nakedness. This reveals how far gone he was. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they became aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). A human being covering his or her nakedness has become a universal symbol of civilization. Evidently, this man was so out of touch with reality, and with civilization, that he was unaware of his nakedness.

Sin has a way of blinding a person so that they are not in touch with truth or reality. The freedom to sin and do as I please philosophy today that is put forth under the guise of the new enlightenment is really only old darkness. Sin will not build a new civilization it will only destroy the present one. Sin doesn’t bring people into the light it keeps them in darkness. Sin doesn’t free people it enslaves them. Sin doesn’t make people happy it only robs them of true peace and joy. When human beings stoop to the level of fulfilling their every desire then they revert back to barbarians and animals.

5. Bound by Fears
The man’s multi personalities are driving him to the brink of insanity. He’s bound up by fears and his life is characterized by chaos.

Jesus The Tomb Raider
Here before us is a man who is most certainly a hard case. And yet here is a picture of where many of our fellow citizens are. For many people life is running out of control. Many are filled and dominated by fears, guilt, lust, greed, sorrow, and despair. Many are possessed of destructive habits and attitudes that enslave. Many are abusing themselves like Legion. Many are enslaved by alien powers driving them even to the point of insanity. Yet no case is too hard for Jesus! No one is so much a slave to Satan that Jesus Christ of Nazareth cannot make him or her a son or daughter of God.

Because of Easter, because the tomb is empty countless lives have been changed. Jesus is the great tomb raider and tomb shaker! He has come to bring freedom to the prisoners and to release the oppressed (Lk. 4:18). He can set us free from any bondage for He is the bondage breaker! As He Himself said, “if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31).

Can you imagine your life different? Free from sin? From purposelessness? From fear? Jesus made the difference in this man’s life and what God did for him He will do for you. Only Christ can cure you. Only He can break the cycle of bondage that is enslaving you right now. It might be drugs, alcohol, lust, or greed. It also might be destructive attitudes like bitterness, a poor self image, or confusion. Will you let Jesus break the bondage in your life that is enslaving you? Jesus is ready to cast down and to cast out the demons and sin tormenting you and robbing you of God’s best for your life. You can be free and if Jesus sets you free, you will be free indeed! Are you ready to experience Easter? “Turn your eyes upon the cross – He’s all you need.”

Pastor Joe