When Pigs Fly预览

Miracles of Deliverance

Have you read through the first five chapters of the Gospel of Mark lately? It’s filled with stories of Jesus’ dunamis—His miracle-working power. There’s even one story when pigs fly.  

Here’s a very simplified rundown of Mark’s first four chapters. John the Baptist announced and baptized Jesus where God the Father and the Holy Spirit showed up. Jesus announced the Gospel, found 12 core followers, drove out a demon, people were amazed, He healed a paralytic, people were amazed, He got frustrated with religious people, ate with sinners, healed on the Sabbath, set religious people straight again, gave His followers authority to drive out evil, got accused of being demon possessed by religious people, taught lakeside, got tired, got on a boat with His closest followers, fell asleep, woke up to calm the wind and waves in the middle of His nap, and people were amazed.

Then there’s Mark 5:1-20. After Jesus subdued the storm in Mark 4, they continued across the same lake. On arrival at the other side, Jesus exited the boat where a man with an evil spirit was waiting like he was Jesus’ greeting party. 

Naturally, Jesus started a conversation, but the man didn’t reply. The demonic spirits oppressing him did. What? Yeah. Don’t forget, Jesus had been giving demons, wind, waves, and religious people a piece of His mind for a few chapters now. Not today, Satan.

Then, without fanfare, and with the same authority He used to calm a storm, Jesus told the demons to leave the man. They did, and Mark told us the demons went into a herd of pigs that jumped off a cliff into the same lake that obeyed Jesus the night before. 

The guy who owned the pigs and the nearby countrymen freaked out and asked Jesus to get back on His boat and leave. The guy who was set free begged to get on Jesus’ boat—possibly to become a groupie. Jesus told him to stay and tell others about God’s goodness and mercy. He did, and people were amazed by God yet again.

What’s God showing you through these stories of dunamis power? Here are a few things to think about as you read today’s Scriptures. 

• Evil is real, but don’t freak out and ask Jesus to leave.
• Jesus has authority over everything—evil included.
• Jesus gave His followers, you, authority to drive out evil in His name.
• Jesus didn’t collect groupies to watch His miracles or religious people to dispute them. He miraculously set sinners free, then asked them to go and do the same.
• Miracle power should leave people amazed by God, not by miracles.

Pray: Jesus, You’re the light of the world. You’ve already overcome the darkness. Please destroy any attempts of evil against my life and use me to set others free. In Your powerful name, Amen.