Mark 5:15  And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
16  And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
17  And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
18  And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19  Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20  And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

We left yesterday’s text unfinished. We did not deal with the importance of meeting Jesus, that is the true Jesus. There are many people who claim to have met Jesus. They walk around as cripples unable to stand up and unable to walk straight. Then there are those who have met the charismatic Jesus who they claim can heal, but most of it is fraudulent. Others claim healing, but they forget the devil is a deceiver, and he is given the power to do many different things to keep people in the dark.
It is important that we follow what the Bible says, not what men say. Jesus, the Son of the most high God is different from the false Jesuses.
The apostle Paul was directed to warn of another Jesus. He warned that the people might even fall for the false Christ. The true Jesus never fails. Every situation the true Jesus faced, He conquered. Those who rejected Him could not find any help. Judas would eventually go and hang himself because he chose to reject the true Jesus. Many of the Pharisees died in their sins because they rejected the true Jesus.
However, this man received the true Jesus. In verse 15 we read that this man was sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. You would think the people would be rejoicing in this victory. Instead, we read they were afraid. They did not know what to make of this. They were not used to this. The Pharisees could never help anyone. All they could do is keep people bound in sin. Jesus cast out the devil from this man and the evidence was there immediately. He did not need to wait to behave himself like a child of God. He was now dressed properly and he was calm and in control of his faculties.
There is no doubt that this was a strange thing to see from a man that was just moments earlier, bound in sin. He was a wild man, who could not be tamed. Now he was a man that was in better shape than those who had been looking after the swine as well as the majority of the town’s people. The difference was that this man not only met Jesus, but he also accepted Jesus’ help.
In verse 16 we read that the witnesses to this miracle, rehearsed what they had seen happen. They witnessed the power of God. There was no mistaking that this was the power of God. The response of the people was, that Jesus needed to leave their coasts. They did not want Jesus anywhere near them. What a shame. They could have gone and purchased more pigs if that was so important to them. They could not purchase the sanity of this man for any amount of money. They could not purchase their own peace for any amount of money. They chose to remain in darkness and in turmoil.
In verse 18 we see that Jesus did not run away, but He left them. Jesus does not push Himself on anyone. Salvation is a gift that is offered to all people. Those who will trust in God’s provision for salvation are blessed beyond human comprehension. This man wanted to go with Jesus. He wanted to be where Jesus was. That is the difference that true salvation makes. It is interesting to note the many people who profess to know Jesus, but they do not want to be where He is.
Some of them will attend religious clubs that offer up a different Jesus. Their Jesus loves the CCM music that exalts the flesh and the devil. They like to hear about the Jesus that is presented through the perversions. They do not want to know the holy and just Jesus of the Bible. This man wanted to be with the true Jesus.
In verse 19 we read that Jesus did not allow this man to go with Him. He wanted this man to go home to his friends and tell them the great things that the Lord had done for him. The Greek word translated as Lord means “master, controller”. That is the true Jesus. Those who are saved need to understand that their sins have been forgiven and they have been given a new nature. God does not want them to go and get stuck in the bondage of sin again. He wants them to walk in newness of life. Not only does He want this, but He also provides the means to be able to do that. This man needed to go and tell others, even those who knew him before, of the great things the Lord had done for him. He did not go to some reform school and get straightened out. He met the Lord. The Lord had compassion on him. He cared about his man far more than those swine. He cared about the other people as well but they did not want Him.
We read that this man was willing to go and tell others what had happened to him. He published how great things Jesus had done for him. We see a different response as he was testifying of the Lord Jesus Christ. They marvelled at what they saw and heard. The Greek word translated as “marvel” means “to wonder and admire”. Jesus Christ had done something amazing. He had done what no mere man could do.
Anyone that is truly healed today is healed by the power of God, not man. It is not through having a personal communion service. That is heresy. We need to follow what the Bible teaches if we want God’s blessing in our lives.
Those who are truly saved will glorify God in their testimony. They will point people to the real Jesus, the Son of the most high God. Which Jesus are you following? You can know the difference. The true Jesus always did the will of His Father. He never failed to meet the need of any of the people that He met. Anyone that went away empty did so because they rejected the truth. Be sure you know the true Jesus and follow Him.
Pastor Bartel