Mathew 8:28-34
The demons know who Jesus is; v. 29 "Son of God."
They know he has absolute power over them to cast them out or not and decide for them where they go; Jesus is superior over them. They requested permission to go into the pigs.
They know that in the future they are appointed eternal torment and they wonder if Jesus came to give them that final judgement; v. 29 "Have you come here to torture us before the time?"
Jesus begins his global mission. He is in gentile territory; v. 33 "Those tending the pigs." There were herdsmen. Jews do not eat pigs; therefore they do not tend to pigs. These were gentiles.
A legion of demons is no problem for Jesus. There is nothing Jesus can't do, no evil he cannot conquer. All he has to say is "Go!"
Demons maximise their evil by entering into any kind of being to ruin their lives. From other gospels we read that the demons would make the men scratch their bodies with rocks until they bled. No one could bind them. They lived outside the town, out of civilization. They were living in the wild, treated like animals because they acted like animals. Their humanity and their livelihood were stripped away from them. Imagine the torment inside the pig's minds; they are only animals with no rational mind they cannot handle the torture and go mad and throw themselves into the sea to relieve themselves of the torture.
They couldn't have known the pigs would have run into the sea. Jesus knew. He did not let them escape for the misery the two men had suffered. But he had appointed them destruction and final judgement (without any habitation).
Two men were set free. Their lives and relationships were restored. Their humanity is given back to them.
The demons attempted to negotiate with God. Just like Satan asked permission to test Job.
The demons received their final judgement. v. 32 "and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water."
v. 33 "Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what happened to the demon-possessed men." What are the town's peoples' response? "Leave our region!" This was a test. Jesus was testing the gentiles. What is the test?
Prosperity over Love
The pigs represented prosperity to the town's peoples. It was their source of food and way to make a living. They cared more about their prosperity than the humanity of these two men. They still treated these men worthless.
Wealth over Life
They ignored the miracle. They ignored the fact that two men's lives were more important than a thousand or even two thousand pigs.
Final Points
Jesus is the Son of God
Triumphant over evil spirits
Liberates the captives
Gives hope to the hopeless
Jesus demands a choice; love him or your prosperity
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