A Scene of Chaos… or a Revelation of Power?
Imagine the scene: a wild man, naked and bleeding, living among tombs, uncontrollable and possessed. No chains could bind him. He is called Legion, because many demons have taken hold of him.
Then Jesus steps onto the shore.
In a terrifying cry, the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. Instead, they plead, “Send us into the pigs.” Jesus permits it. Instantly, a herd of about 2,000 pigs rushes off a cliff into the sea and drowns.
Why?
Let’s look deeper.
1. A Demonstration of Jesus’ Total Authority
The demons begged. They didn’t argue. They didn’t resist.
They knew exactly who Jesus was:
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5:7)
By allowing the demons to enter the pigs, Jesus didn’t lose control—He showed that He holds authority even over the spiritual realm. The demons had to ask permission. This wasn’t chaos. It was a display of divine sovereignty.
2. A Symbolic Judgment
Pigs were considered unclean animals in Jewish law. That detail is not accidental.
By sending the demons into the pigs, Jesus makes the invisible visible:
Evil is unclean, destructive, and will always end in death.
The pigs’ mad dash into the sea was not random—it was a picture of what demons ultimately do to anything they inhabit: destruction.
3. A Costly Freedom
The herdsmen ran in terror. The townspeople begged Jesus to leave. Why?
Because the salvation of one man cost them an entire herd. Sometimes, when Jesus steps in to free someone, it disrupts economic systems, cultural comfort, and hidden sin.
This story reveals something uncomfortable: we may value comfort more than deliverance. And Jesus won’t stay where He’s not wanted.
4. A Preview of the Cross
Jesus crossed a stormy sea to reach one tormented man. He commanded legions of demons, restored dignity, and sent a clear message:
“No one is too far gone.”
It’s a glimpse of what He would later do for all of us on the cross—enter the chaos, confront evil, and win back what was lost.
What Does It Mean for Us?
The pigs were never the point.
The man—restored, clothed, in his right mind—was. He went on to tell his people what Jesus had done, becoming the first evangelist in the Gentile world.
So when we ask why Jesus sent demons into pigs, maybe the real question is:
What wouldn’t He do to rescue one soul?
One Comment