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Verses 1-20 Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

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1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.

2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

8For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.

12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”

13He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.

17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

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Concerning what happened when Jesus and his disciples arrived at the other side of the lake,

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1)       Where did Jesus and his disciples land when they arrived at the other side of the lake, i.e., the Sea of Galilee?

o   Jesus and his disciples landed in the region of the Gerasenes. 

o   Where it says ‘Region of the Gadarenes’ on the map shown on the following page, it is about where the region of the Gerasenes is: http://healingscripture.com/HealingRecord.shtml

 

2)       What happened when Jesus arrived?

o   When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

 

3)       Is ‘impure spirit’ a good translation for what represents a fallen angel and why?

o   No, it is not.

o   ‘Unclean spirit’ is used in other major English translations instead.

o   The descriptor ‘impure’ tends to be more neutral than ‘unclean’ and does not convey the idea of having gone bad that ‘unclean’ does.  For instance,

§  Sugar that has grains of salt in it renders the sugar impure but not unclean in the sense that the sugar has not intrinsically gone bad and is salvageable.

§  Sugar that is contaminated with fecal matters renders the sugar unclean in the sense that the sugar has intrinsically gone bad and is not salvageable.

o   ‘Unclean spirit’ is a better translation because it properly conveys the idea of fallen angels having intrinsically gone bad and not being redeemable while ‘impure spirit’ does not.

o   We are going to continue to refer to the impure spirit for the sake of consistency.

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Concerning the condition of the man with an impure spirit,

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4)       Where did the man with an impure spirit live?

o   The man lived in the tombs.

 

5)       How strong was the man possessed by the impure spirit?

o   The man had often been chained hand and foot, but under the influence of the impure spirit he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.

o   No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

o   No one was strong enough to subdue him.

 

6)       Why did people try to chain the man hand and foot?

o   He was a menace to people there.

 

7)       Did people tether the man to a place and why?

o   No, because he would then die from deprivation.

 

8)       Was it really true that no one could subdue and bind the man and why?

o   No, because he was at one point subdued and bound with chains.

 

9)       Why then is it said that no one could subdue and bind the man?

o   He was able to use stones to hammer on the chains and break them.

o   As a result he could not be put under control permanently.

 

10)   What was the man’s routine?

o   Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

 

11)   Who was the man a menace to apart from people in the region?

o   The man was a menace to himself.

 

12)   What do crying out and cutting oneself show?

o   It shows

§  Strong emotion within.

§  Self absorption.

 

13)   What do crying out and cutting oneself night and day and among the tombs and in the hills show?

o   It shows complete self absorption any time anywhere.

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Concerning Jesus’ deliverance of the man with an impure spirit,

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14)   What did the man with an impure spirit do when he saw Jesus from a distance?

o   He ran and fell on his knees in front of Jesus.

 

15)   Why did the man with an impure spirit run to Jesus when he saw Jesus from a distance?

o   The impure spirit knew who Jesus was.

o   The presence of Jesus, Son of the Most High God, commanded the attention of the impure spirit regardless of his self absorption.

 

16)   Why did the man with an impure spirit fall on his knees in front of Jesus?

o   The impure spirit that possessed the man submitted to the authority of Jesus.

 

17)   What is the difference between people and impure spirits when it comes to submitting to the authority of Jesus?

o   Impure spirits submit to the authority of Jesus without exception.

o   Most people do not submit to the authority of Jesus.

 

18)   Who started the conversation between Jesus and the impure spirit and what was said?

o   Jesus started the conversation with the impure spirit by saying, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

 

19)   Why did Jesus take the initiative to start the conversation even though the impure spirit took the initiative to approach Jesus first?

o   It was because Jesus took the initiative to cross the lake to seek the deliverance of the demoniac.

 

20)   What effect did Jesus intend to create in his command for the impure spirit when he said, “You impure spirit!” and why?

o   Jesus was being intentionally aggravating and confrontational toward the impure spirit for his harsh treatment of the demoniac.

 

21)   Which is the more unconditional command for the impure spirit to come out of the demoniac, ‘Come out of this man!’ or ‘Come out of this man, you impure spirit!’, and why?

o   The shorter form is the more unconditional command.

o   The longer form had Jesus shift the focus of attention from the demoniac to the impure spirit.

 

22)   The only other record in all four gospel accounts where Jesus would call on an impure spirit when driving it out is in Mark 9:25.  Was Jesus also inviting the impure spirit in Mark 9:25 into a conversation and why?

o   No, because

§  Jesus did not shift the focus of attention from the demoniac to the impure spirit but rather from the impure spirit to the demoniac.

§  A deaf and mute impure spirit cannot enter into a conversation.

 

·  Ask a volunteer to read out loud Mark 9:25 that says,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

23)   Had Jesus wanted the impure spirit to come out of the demoniac immediately, what would Jesus have said to the impure spirit?

o   Jesus would have said, “Come out of this man!” or “You impure spirit, come out of this man!”

 

24)   What would the impure spirit have done, had Jesus said, “Come out of this man!” or “You impure spirit, come out of this man!”?

o   The impure spirit would have come out of the demoniac immediately.

 

25)   What was Jesus inviting the impure spirit to do then in the current situation?

o   Jesus was inviting the impure spirit into a conversation.

 

26)   What was the impure spirit’s reply?

o   He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  In God’s name don’t torture me!” 

 

27)   How did the impure spirit also shift the focus of attention in response to Jesus’ command?

o   The impure spirit also

§  Shifted the focus from the demoniac to himself in his reply.

§  Reached a new height of his self absorption.

 

28)   Why did the impure spirit respond to Jesus by shouting at the top of his voice?

o   The impure spirit was equally aggravating and confrontational in his response.

 

29)   What was the impure spirit trying to accomplish in saying, “What do you want with me!”?

o   The impure spirit was deflecting Jesus’ command for him to come out of the demoniac.

 

30)   What did the impure spirit divulge about Jesus?

o   He divulged the divine identity of Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.

 

31)   Why was the impure spirit able to point out the divine identity of Jesus?

o   Impure spirits see clearly what is going on in the spiritual realm.

 

32)   Was this the first time impure spirits divulged the divine identity of Jesus and why?

o   No, because other impure spirits divulged the

§  Identity of Jesus as the Holy One of God in chapter 1.

§  Divine identity of Jesus as the Son of God in chapter 3.

 

33)   What did Jesus do when impure spirits divulged his divine identity in previous chapters?

o   Jesus told them to be quiet and gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

 

34)   Why did Jesus forbid impure spirits to divulge his divine identity in previous chapters?

o   Jesus wanted to control to whom and when he divulged his divine identity.

 

35)   Did Jesus forbid the impure spirit to divulge his divine identity in the current chapter and why?

o   No, because

§  The disciples at the end of the previous chapter raised the question about who Jesus was on their boat ride across the lake and the answer of the impure spirit in the current chapter filled in the blank in the word that they would sow when they were sent out in chapter 6.

§  The demoniac needed to know Jesus’ divine identity as we shall see.

 

36)   Who were the intended audience of the declaration of the divine identity of Jesus in the current chapter?

o   In the current chapter the intended audience of the declaration of the divine identity of Jesus were

§  The disciples.

§  The demoniac.

 

37)   What is the evidence that Jesus controlled who the intended audience was of the declaration of his divine identity?

o   In previous chapters (Mark 1:23-25; Mark 1:32-34; Mark 3:9-12) there was always a crowd when Jesus forbade impure spirits to divulge his divine identity, suggesting that Jesus did not intend for a crowd to be the intended audience.

o   In the current chapter there was no crowd and only the disciples and the demoniac were present when Jesus did not forbid the impure spirit to divulge his divine identity, suggesting that Jesus intended for these people to be the intended audience.

 

38)   Did Jesus actually incite the impure spirit to divulge his divine identity in the current chapter and why?

o   Yes, because Jesus confronted the impure spirit saying, ‘you impure spirit’ and that incited the impure spirit to quip back in kind saying, ‘Jesus, Son of the Most High God’.

 

39)   Who testified to Jesus as the Son of God in chapter 1 when Jesus was baptized?

o    God the Father did.

 

40)   Were the disciples aware of that testimony to Jesus?

o   It is not certain.

 

41)   Did the impure spirit have a more thorough understanding of the divine identity of Jesus than Jesus’ disciples?

o    Yes.

 

42)   Did Jesus’ disciples get to know Jesus better through the encounter with the impure spirit and why?

o    Yes, but at the same time there is uncertainty how the disciples regarded the impure spirit’s declaration of Jesus’ divine identity.

 

43)   What was the impure spirit trying to accomplish in his reply saying, “In God’s name don’t torture me!”?

o   The impure spirit by

§  Not coming out of the demoniac upon Jesus’ command was hunkering down for a bargain with Jesus.

§  Imploring Jesus to not torture him was making sure that coming out of the demoniac was the only loss he would suffer.

 

44)   From the perspective of the impure spirit who is the authoritative figure in the negotiation?

o   Jesus is.

 

45)   How can we see from the perspective of the impure spirit the organization of the spiritual realm in terms of authority?

o   God the Father has greater authority than Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.

o   Jesus as the Son of the Most High God has greater authority than impure spirits.

 

46)   Why was the impure spirit fearful that Jesus would torture him?

o   He was fearful that Jesus would pay him back for the horrendous torture he had inflicted on the demoniac.

 

47)   Would Jesus torture the impure spirit as the impure spirit said that Jesus would and why?

o   In the gospel accounts we

§  Only see Jesus drive out impure spirits. 

§  Never see Jesus torture impure spirits.

 

48)   In reality who were the torturer and the tortured in the current situation?

o    In reality the impure spirit was the torturer and the demoniac the tortured.

 

49)   What was the impure spirit guilty of in his accusation of Jesus?

o   He was accusatory without cause.

o   He was guilty of hypocrisy.

 

50)   How did Jesus respond to the impure spirit’s plea not to torture him?

o   Jesus softened his tone by asking the impure spirit an almost friendly and endearing question about his name.

 

51)   Why did Jesus ask the impure spirit for his name?

o   Jesus did so because the demoniac would need to know the impure spirit’s name as we shall see.

 

52)   What was the impure spirit’s response upon Jesus asking him for his name?

o   “My name is Legion,” the impure spirit replied, “for we are many.”

 

53)   What is a Legion?

o   A Legion is a unit of 3,000–6,000 men in the ancient Roman army.

 

54)   What happened to the use of personal pronoun for the impure spirit once he disclosed that multiple impure spirits were in the demoniac?

o   The personal pronoun for the impure spirit became plural.

 

55)   What might the experience be like being possessed by thousands of impure spirits judging from what happened to the demoniac?

o   It was traumatic.

 

56)   What did the Legion do upon sensing the softening tone in Jesus?

o   He followed suit and softened his tone by begging Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

 

57)   Was the Legion effective in his repeated plea for Jesus not to send them out of the area and why?

o   The Legion was not effective in his repeated plea because Jesus did not say anything in response.

 

58)   Did the Legion change the plea and what was the new plea?

o   Yes, demons that were members of the Legion spoke up with one voice and changed the plea from getting permission to stay in the area to getting permission to go into the pigs that was feeding on the nearby hillside.

 

59)   Why did demons that were members of the Legion ask Jesus for permission to go into the pigs?

o   It was obvious that

§  When they asked for permission to stay in the area, their intent was to find another person in the area to possess after coming out of the demoniac.

§  When Jesus did not grant the permission, they instead asked for permission to go into the pigs in order to mask that wicked intent.

o   They considered that

§  Going into the pigs satisfied Jesus’ demand for them to come out of the demoniac.

§  Asking for permission to go into the pigs would find easier acceptance with Jesus because

Ø  Jews considered pigs to be unclean.

Ø  Possession of the unclean pigs by unclean (impure in the current translation) spirits would be of lesser concern for Jews.

 

60)   How many sets of voices were there coming from the Legion?

o   There were two sets of voices:

§  The lone voice of the Legion.

§  The voices of the demons that were members of the Legion.

 

61)   Whose plea did Jesus grant?

o   Jesus granted the plea of demons that were members of the Legion.

 

62)   What can we say about the lone voice of the Legion in relation to demons that were members of the Legion?

o   The lone voice of the Legion was the spokesperson rather than the leader of demons that were members of the Legion.

 

63)   Do all demons have the same wit and why?

o   No, because demons that were members of the Legion had greater wit than the lone voice of the Legion that was their spokesperson.

 

64)   What could be said about the wit of demons that were members of the Legion involving the pigs on the spot to secure Jesus’ consent?

o   It was quick wit for wickedness’ sake.

 

65)   How did operating as a group help the Legion?

o   Collective wisdom helped them get what they wanted.

 

66)   What would be yet another character trait that could be assigned to the Legion?

o   The Legion of impure spirits

§  Was united in action.

§  Spoke with one voice.

 

67)   What might be the reason for the Legion’s strong interest in staying in the area?

o   The reason could be that

§  The Legion played the role of the territorial spirit that governed the demonic influence in that area.

§  By staying in the area the Legion wanted to avoid running into Jesus again, given that

Ø  A large herd of two thousand pigs being raised in the area by multiple owners indicates that it was primarily a pagan area.

Ø  Jesus was ministering primarily to Jews in Jewish areas.

 

68)   Given that the territorial spirit of an area governs the demonic influence in that area, what is the constitution of the territorial spirit and why?

o   The territorial spirit of an area comprises all the demons in that area such that the territorial spirit can exercise all the demonic influence in that area.

 

69)   Which place has the territorial spirit by the name ‘Legion’?

o   The region of the Gerasenes has the territorial spirit by the name ‘Legion’.

 

70)   That being the case, had all the demons in the area in question gone into the demoniac and why?

o   It is not certain because

§  All the demons in the area in question or all the demons that were members of the Legion for that matter did not necessarily have to possess the demoniac at the same time.

§  Demons could go into and come out of the demoniac at any time.

 

71)   What difficulties might the Legion face if it was sent out of the area in question?

o   The Legion could not become the territorial spirit in a different area by displacing the resident territorial spirit in that area because, remember, Jesus said in Mark 3:23 that Satan does not drive out Satan.

 

72)   What do verses 10 and 12 tell us about a character trait the Legion had?

o   The Legion had a propensity to nag.

 

73)   What were the character traits of the Legion that we have seen?

o   The Legion was

§  Possessive.

§  Self-seeking.

§  Attention grabbing.

§  Self-absorbed.

§  Torturous.

§  Confrontational and aggravating.

§  Accusatory without cause.

§  Hypocritical.

§  Anxious over uncertainty, the future and suffering.

§  Fearful of retribution for their wicked deed.

§  Nagging.

§  Cunning.

§  Shrewd.

§  Deceitful.

§  Quick-witted for wickedness’ sake.

§  United in action and words.

 

74)   Do we share some of the Legion’s character traits that we need to shed?

o   Unfortunately, yes.

 

75)   Why do we share character traits with impure spirits?

o   It is because we as fallen humanity and impure spirits as fallen angels are both fallen.

 

76)   What was the large herd of pigs doing and where?

o   The large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.

 

77)   What did demons that were members of the Legion do next?

o   They came out of the demoniac and went into the herd of about two thousand pigs.

 

78)   What did demons that were members of the Legion do to the herd of pigs?

o   They immediately caused the herd of pigs to rush down the steep bank into the lake so that they drowned.

 

79)   Was Jesus concerned about the large herd of pigs getting drowned and why?

o   No, because it was acceptable from Jesus’ perspective for the purpose of having the Legion come out of the demoniac.

o   It was permitted also because Jesus was composing a compelling story for the demoniac as we shall see.

 

80)   What happened to the Legion after the pigs died?

o   The Legion immediately

§  Came out of the dead pigs.

§  Were on their way to find another person in the area they could possess and torture.

 

81)   Was it an important consideration on the part of demons that were members of the Legion that the herd of pigs was on the hillside at the moment of going into them and why?

o   Yes, because demons that were members of the Legion could quickly kill the pigs and then came out.

 

82)   Why did the Legion prefer to possess a man than thousands of pigs?

o   Possessing and torturing a man who is made in the image of God as a means of sticking it to God is perhaps immeasurably more gratifying to impure spirits than possessing and killing thousands of pigs.

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Concerning the reaction of the locals to Jesus’ deliverance of the man with an impure spirit,

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83)   What did those tending the pigs do next?

o   Those tending the pigs ran off and reported the incident in the town and countryside.

 

84)   Did the whole herd of pigs belong to one owner and why?

o   No, there were multiples owners,

§  Some living in the town.

§  Others in the countryside.

 

85)   Was the area predominantly pagan and why?

o   Yes, because the pig was in the area a popular livestock with a large stock and owners in the town and countryside.

 

86)   Was the former demoniac a pagan then?

o   Yes.

 

87)   What did people do upon hearing the report?

o   People went out to see what had happened.

 

88)   What did people find when they came to Jesus?

o   They saw the man who had been possessed by the Legion, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind.

 

89)   What was people’s reaction upon seeing the former demoniac?

o   They were afraid.

 

90)   Why were people afraid?

o   They were afraid because

§  They were powerless to put the demoniac under control but now a higher power had just done that.

§  The former demoniac had returned to being a normal person, which was totally unfathomable to them.

 

91)   Were people afraid only after they heard an account of what happened and why?

o   No, because

§  They were afraid at the mere sight of the former demoniac turned into a normal person before they heard the account of what happened.

§  The condition of the demoniac before and after must have created a huge contrast in the minds of the people.

 

92)   What did those do who witnessed what had happened?

o   They told the people what had happened to the demoniac and told about the pigs as well.

 

93)   What did the people say to Jesus?

o   They begged Jesus to leave their region.

 

94)   Why did the people beg Jesus to leave?

o   Two thousand pigs were worth a lot of money.

o   The people did not want to suffer more losses. 

 

95)   Why did the owners of the pigs not flare up in anger at such a loss of pigs?

o   The demoniac returning to normal was so stunning that the owners had difficulties processing what was going on.

o   Besides everybody breathed a sigh of relief now that the man was no longer a source of trouble for the community.

 

96)   What did Jesus do at the urging of the people for him to leave their region?

o   Jesus got into the boat.

 

97)   Who ended up staying in the area and who ended up leaving?

o   The Legion ended up staying in the area.

o   Jesus ended up leaving.

 

98)   Why did the people not want to get to know Jesus better?

o   Their fear of suffering further losses outweighed their desire to get to know Jesus.

 

99)   What did Jesus accomplish by going over the lake to the region of the Gerasenes and then immediately leaving?

o   Jesus went there for the sake of

§  Driving demons out of the demoniac.

§  Letting the former demoniac get to know him and preparing the former demoniac to go out to sow the word.

 

100)     What did the former demoniac beg of Jesus as Jesus was getting into the boat?

o   The former demoniac begged to go with Jesus.

 

101)     Why did the former demoniac beg to go with Jesus?

o   He wanted to follow Jesus and become Jesus’ disciple.

 

102)     Who had begged Jesus in the current incident and what was the plea?

o   The spokesperson of the Legion begged for the permission to stay in the region of the Gerasenes.

o   Demons that were members of the Legion begged to go into the pigs.

o   The Gerasenes begged Jesus to leave their region.

o   The former demoniac begged to go with Jesus.

 

103)     What can we tell about the different parties from what they begged of Jesus?

o   The Legion had the evil intent of finding another person in the area to possess.

o   Demons that were members of the Legion masked their evil intent with going into the pigs.

o   The Gerasenes placed material blessing and prosperity higher than spiritual blessing.

o   The former demoniac was seeking a greater spiritual blessing by asking to follow Jesus than what he had already received in having the Legion driven out of him.

 

104)     What was Jesus’ response to the plea of the former demoniac to go with him?

o   Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

 

105)     Whom does ‘the Lord’ refer to and why?

o   ‘The Lord’ refers to Jesus.

o   That was the understanding of the former demoniac as reflected in verse 20 that says that he went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.

 

106)     Were people in the area left without any blessing after Jesus’ short but eventful visit and why?

o   Yes, because the former demoniac began to tell in the Decapolis how Jesus had mercifully delivered him from the throes of torture in the hand of the Legion.  

o   The Decapolis is on the map shown on the following page: http://healingscripture.com/HealingRecord.shtml

 

107)     What was people’s reaction upon hearing the testimony of the former demoniac?

o   People were amazed.

 

108)     What did Jesus consistently tell people who experienced miraculous healing and had impure spirits driven out of them?

o   Jesus consistently told them to keep quiet.

 

109)     Why did Jesus consistently tell them to keep quiet?

o   Jesus did so lest the publicity would hinder his ministry plan.

o   It was especially so when a crowd was present. 

 

110)     Why then did Jesus instruct the former demoniac to tell others about what Jesus had done for him instead of telling him to keep quiet?

o   It was because at the moment Jesus had no further ministry plan in the region of the Gerasenes.

 

111)     How was the current episode of driving the Legion out of the demoniac different from other episodes of driving out demons?

o   Jesus did the following in the current episode of driving out demons that he did not do in other episodes:

§  Intentionally struck up a conversation with the demons.

§  Grant the demons a conditional coming out of the demoniac.

 

112)     Why did Jesus handle the current episode of driving out the Legion differently?

o   It was because Jesus was giving the former demoniac a dramatic and compelling personal testimony of the Son of the Most High God so that he could go out to sow the word.

 

113)     What did this whole incident of Jesus going over the lake and driving the Legion out of the demoniac have to do with going out to sow the word?

o   Jesus actually did a demo of an application of the parable of the sower for the disciples who were accompanying him by going out as the G0 person to sow the word.

 

114)     How did the G0 person, Jesus in this case, go out to sow the word?

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case, went out as he crossed the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case, sowed the word as he drove the Legion out of the demoniac and let him know through the words of the Legion that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.

 

115)     What was the significance of the storm the G0 person, Jesus in this case, encountered as he went out by crossing the lake?

o   The storm was meant to be the deterrent the G0 person, Jesus in this case, would encounter as he went out to a new area to sow the word for the purpose of creating the first disciple generation tree for that area.

 

116)     Was the storm then as much for the G0 person in the demo as it was for the disciples who were watching the demo?

o   Yes.

 

117)     What was the indicator that the G0 person, Jesus in this case, had gone out as the sower?

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case, had gone out as the sower when he landed in the region of the Gerasenes, undeterred by the storm.

 

118)     What happened after the G0 person, Jesus in this case, landed in the area, undeterred by the storm?

o   The territorial spirit of that area immediately came and confronted the G0 person, Jesus in this case, head on.

 

119)     How did the G0 person, Jesus in this case, tackle the territorial spirit?

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case, took on the territorial spirit and verbally commanded the territorial spirit to come out of the demoniac.

 

120)     How did the G0 person, Jesus in this case, go about the whole process of sowing the word?

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case, went about sowing the word by

§  Inducing the Legion to say, ‘Jesus, Son of the Most High God’.

§  Driving the Legion out of the demoniac.

§  Crafting the former demoniac’s personal testimony of how Jesus, Son of the Most High God, had delivered him from the throes of torture in the hand of the Legion so that he could go out to sow the word.

 

121)     What did the locals who tended the pigs do?

o   They ran off and reported what happened in the town and countryside.

 

122)     What do we call the locals who tended the pigs in the context of the disciple generation tree?

o   They were uncommitted G1 disciples.

 

123)     How do we characterize the action of the locals who ran off and reported what happened in the town and countryside in the context of the disciple generation tree?

o   Some uncommitted G1 disciples who had been greatly impacted by the word that had been sown by the G0 person, Jesus in this case, were inviting uncommitted G2 disciples to experience the word.

 

124)     What do we call the locals in the context of the disciple generation tree who witnessed the G0 person, Jesus in this case, driving the Legion out of the demoniac and then gave an account of what happened?

o   They were uncommitted G1 disciples.

 

125)     What do we call the locals in the context of the disciple generation tree who came out and saw the former demoniac a transformed person and heard the account of what happened?

o   They were uncommitted G2 disciples.

 

126)     What do we call in the context of the disciple generation tree the demoniac from whom the G0 person, Jesus in this case, had yet to drive out the territorial spirit?

o   He was an uncommitted G1 disciple.

 

127)     What happened to all these uncommitted disciples after what had been said and done?

o   The uncommitted G1 disciples, the locals who tended the pigs and witnessed the G0 person, Jesus in this case, driving the territorial spirit out of the demoniac, did not continue to be disciples because they just suffered the loss of their job.

o   It is not certain what happened to the uncommitted G1 disciples, the locals who gave an account of what happened.

o   The uncommitted G2 disciples, the locals who saw the transformation of the former demoniac and heard the account of what happened, did not continue to be disciples for fear of suffering further losses.

o   The former demoniac became a committed G1 disciple because he begged to go with Jesus.

 

128)     How did the G0 person, Jesus in this case, mobilize the G1 disciple, the former demoniac in this case, to go out and sow the word?

o   The G0 person, Jesus in this case,

§  Gave the G1 disciple, the former demoniac in this case, a dramatic and compelling personal testimony of Jesus as Son of the Most High God as the word.

§  Mobilized the G1 disciple to

Ø  Go out by going back home to his own people, i.e., his relational network.

Ø  Sow the word by telling his personal testimony to people in his relational network to make G2 disciples.

 

129)     Did the G0 person, Jesus in this case, let the G1 disciple, the former demoniac in this case, join his circle of disciples and what is the implication of that?

o   No.

o   The implication is that it is possible for a G1 disciple to go out and sow the word independently of the G0 disciple.

o   This scenario is made possible by the G0 disciple giving the G1 disciple the word to sow in one meeting.

 

130)     Should the practice of the G1 disciple operating independently of the G0 disciple be taken as a rule or as an exception?

o   It should be taken as an exception.

 

131)     How did the G1 disciple, the former demoniac in this case, go out and sow the word independently of the G0 person, Jesus in this case?

o   He began to proclaim in the Decapolis, i.e., ten cities, how much Jesus had done for him. 

o   In other words the G1 disciple went out to sow the word far and wide and indiscriminately.

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·  Ask for a volunteer to summarize.

·  Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the summary.

 

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Verses 1-20 Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

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