jesus visits a cemetery

Jesus Visits a Cemetery

Mk 5:1-20

Cemeteries

• This is the week-end to visit cemeteries.

Cemeteries

• This is the week-end to visit cemeteries.

• This morning, we mentioned how important

it is to remember those who have gone

before.

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

• When he himself died.

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

• When he himself died.

• Jesus always gave life back to people at

cemeteries.

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

• When he himself died.

• Jesus always gave life back to people at

cemeteries.

– Jesus gave life back to a man in tonight‟s text.

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

• When he himself died.

• Jesus always gave life back to people at

cemeteries.

– Jesus gave life back to a man in tonight‟s text.

– But, this man wasn‟t dead!

Jesus Visited Cemeteries

• When Lazarus died.

• When he himself died.

• Jesus always gave life back to people at

cemeteries.

– Jesus gave life back to a man in tonight‟s text.

– But, this man wasn‟t dead! He lived in the

cemetery.

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “They came to the other side of the sea, to

the country of the Gerasenes. And when

Jesus had stepped out of the boat,

immediately there met him out of the tombs

a man with an unclean spirit. He lived

among the tombs. And no one could bind

him anymore, not even with a chain, for he

had often been bound with shackles and

chains, but he wrenched the chains apart,

and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one

had the strength to subdue him.

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “Night and day among the tombs and on the

mountains he was always crying out and

cutting himself with stones. And when he

saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down

before him. And crying out with a loud

voice, he said, „What have you to do with

me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I

adjure you by God, do not torment me.‟ For

he was saying to him, „Come out of the man,

you unclean spirit!‟

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “And Jesus asked him, „What is your name?‟

He replied, „My name is Legion, for we are

many.‟ And he begged him earnestly not to

send them out of the country. Now a great

herd of pigs was feeding there on the

hillside, and they begged him, saying, „Send

us to the pigs; let us enter them.‟

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “So he gave them permission. And the

unclean spirits came out, and entered the

pigs, and the herd, numbering about two

thousand, rushed down the steep bank into

the sea and were drowned in the sea.

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “The herdsmen fled and told it in the city

and in the country. And people came to see

what it was that had happened. And they

came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed

man, the one who had had the legion, sitting

there, clothed and in his right mind, and they

were afraid. And those who had seen it

described to them what had happened to the

demon-possessed man and to the pigs.

Mk 5:1-20 (ESV)

• “And they began to beg Jesus to depart from

their region. As he was getting into the boat,

the man who had been possessed with

demons begged him that he might be with

him. And he did not permit him but said to

him, „Go home to your friends and tell them

how much the Lord has done for you, and

how he has had mercy on you.‟ And he went

away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis

how much Jesus had done for him, and

everyone marveled.”

WE TELL OTHERS WHEN

SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS

TO US!

Good News

• “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good

news from a far country” (Prov 25:25,

ESV).

Good News

• “They said to one another, „We are not doing

right. This day is a day of good news. If we

are silent and wait until the morning light,

punishment will overtake us. Now therefore

come; let us go and tell the king‟s

household.‟ So they came and called to the

gatekeepers of the city and told them, „We

came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold,

there was no one to be seen or heard there,

nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys

tied and the tents as they were” (2 Ki 7:9-10,

ESV).

IN TELLING THE GOOD NEWS

OF JESUS, WHY ARE WE

OFTEN AS SILENT AS THE

DEAD THEMSELVES?

The Man in the Cemetery

• “As [Jesus] was getting into the boat, the

man who had been possessed with demons

begged him that he might be with him” (v

18, ESV).

The Man in the Cemetery

• “As [Jesus] was getting into the boat, the

man who had been possessed with demons

begged him that he might be with him” (v

18, ESV).

• “Go home to your friends and tell them how

much the Lord has done for you, and how he

has had mercy on you” (v 19, ESV).

Paul's Dilema

• “I am hard pressed between the two. My

desire is to depart and be with Christ, for

that is far better. But to remain in the flesh

is more necessary on your account” (Phil

1:23-24, ESV).

Paul's Dilema

• “I am hard pressed between the two. My

desire is to depart and be with Christ, for

that is far better. But to remain in the flesh

is more necessary on your account” (Phil

1:23-24, ESV).

• Paul wants to depart and be with Christ, but

he knows there is useful work to be done!

Lessons from the Man in the

Cemetery

• WE RECOGNIZE.

• WE REMEMBER.

• WE RESPOND.

Recognize

• “When Jesus had stepped out of the boat,

immediately there met him out of the tombs a man

with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs.

And no one could bind him anymore, not even with

a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles

and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he

broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the

strength to subdue him. Night and day among the

tombs and on the mountains he was always crying

out and cutting himself with stones” (vv 2-5, ESV).

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

• He was dangerous.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

• He was dangerous.

– Maybe he was bound for his own good.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

• He was dangerous.

– Maybe he was bound for his own good.

– The man had supernatural strength.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

• He was dangerous.

– Maybe he was bound for his own good.

– The man had supernatural strength.

– He cut himself with stones.

Jesus Changed This Man

• The man lived in a cemetery. He likely had

family somewhere who loved him deeply.

• He was dangerous.

– Maybe he was bound for his own good.

– The man had supernatural strength.

– He cut himself with stones.

• He was constantly crying out.

Deplorable Condition

• “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in

which you once walked” (Eph 2:1-2, ESV).

Deplorable Condition

• “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in

which you once walked” (Eph 2:1-2, ESV).

• We belonged in a cemetery—we just didn‟t

know it!

DO WE HAVE ENTHUSIASM

FOR WHAT THE LORD HAS

DONE FOR US?

Taken Away Sin

• “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried out

sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by

God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our

transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us

peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we

like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every

one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on

him the iniquity of us all” (Is 53:4-6, ESV).

Redeemed from Sin

• “You were ransomed from the futile ways

inherited from your forefathers, not with

perishable things such as silver or gold, but

with the precious blood of Christ, like that of

a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pt 1:18-

19, ESV).

Given Us Life

• “The thief comes only to steal and kill and

destroy. I came that they may have life and

have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10, ESV).

Given Us Hope

• “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy,

he has caused us to be born again to a livign

hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead, to an inheritance that is

imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept

in heaven for you, who by God‟s power are

being guarded through faith for a salvation

ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pt

1:3-5, ESV).

DO WE KNOW THAT

CHANGE?

HOW COULD THIS MAN EVER

FORGET WHAT JESUS DID?

Do We Forget?

• “Others are the ones sown among thorns.

They are those who hear the word, but the

cares of the world and the deceitfulness of

riches and the desires for other things enter

in and choke the word, and it proves

unfruitful” (Mk 4:18-19, ESV).

Do We Forget?

• “Others are the ones sown among thorns.

They are those who hear the word, but the

cares of the world and the deceitfulness of

riches and the desires for other things enter

in and choke the word, and it proves

unfruitful” (Mk 4:18-19, ESV).

• Do we get too caught up in the cares of this

world?

The Lord's Supper Reminds Us

• “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed

took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke

it, and said, „This is my body which is for you. Do

this in remembrance of me.‟ In the same way also

he took the cup, after supper, saying, „This cup is

the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as

you drink it, in remembrance of me.‟ For as often

as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you

proclaim the Lord‟s death until he comes” (1 Cor

11:23-26, ESV).

Re-Enactment of Jesus' Death

• “By that will we have been sanctified

through the offering of the body of Jesus

Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10, ESV).

Re-Enactment of Jesus' Death

• “By that will we have been sanctified

through the offering of the body of Jesus

Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10, ESV).

• The re-enactment reminds us of what Jesus

has done!

Scripture

• “I intend always to remind you of these

qualities, though you know them and are

established in the truth that you have. I

think it right, as long as I am in this body, to

stir you up y way of reminder, since I know

that the putting off of my body will be soon,

as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

And I will make every effort so that after my

departure you may be able at any time to

recall these things” (2 Pt 1:12-15, ESV).

DO WE REMEMBER WHAT

THE LORD HAS DONE?

Declaring What the Lord Has Done

• “Jesus said to him, „Go home to your friends

and tell them how much the Lord has done

for you, and how he has had mercy on you.‟

And he went away and began to proclaim in

the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for

him, and everyone marveled” (vv 19-20,

ESV).

IS IT ANY WONDER THE

PEOPLE MARVELED WHEN

THEY SAW THIS MAN?

Power of Example

• “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has

lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be

restored? It is no longer good for anything

except to be thrown out and trampled under

people‟s feet. You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mt

5:13-14, ESV).

Different People

• “Or do you not know that your body is a

temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom

you have from God? You are not your own,

for you were bought with a price. So glorify

God in your body” (1 Cor 6:19-20, ESV).

Different People

• “The time that is past suffices for doing what

the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality,

passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking

parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to

this they are surprised when you do not join

them in the same flood of debauchery, and

they malign you; but they will give account

to him who is ready to judge the living and

the dead” (1 Pt 4:3-5, ESV).

Tell What the Lord Has Done

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has

been given to me. God therefore and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the

Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that

I have commanded you. And behold, I am

with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt

28:18-20, ESV).

Tell What the Lord Has Done

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has

been given to me. God therefore and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the

Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that

I have commanded you. And behold, I am

with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt

28:18-20, ESV).

• “Those who were scattered went about

preaching the word” (Acts 8:4, ESV).

THE PEOPLE BECAME

PERSONALLY INVOLVED

ARE WE TELLING WHAT THE

LORD HAS DONE?