Bible Commentaries

Jesus Demonstrated Divine Power

- Mark Five -

Mark chapter five provides several examples of the Divine power of Jesus. He (1) Cast out a "legion" of demons, (2) He healed a woman that touched His garment, and (3) He raised a girl from the dead. Jesus had power over nature, the spirit world and all kinds of sickness and disease. There is no doubt that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.

When Jesus allowed the demons to go into the swine the herd ran into the sea and was drown. We observe that people are often more concerned about property than they are about people. Some were more concerned about the hogs than they were that the demon possessed men had been healed. (Matthew 8:28-34)

A man named Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came to Jesus asking Him to help his daughter. Jairus was an important person in his community. The girl was about twelve years old. She died and Jesus raised her from the dead. While Jesus was on his way to Jairus" house a woman with an issue of blood touched His garment and was healed. Both accounts show Jesus" power to heal the sick.

Jesus healed a demon-possessed man - Mark 5:1-9 : Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee and came to the area of the Gerasenes. This was on the eastern shore of Galilee. As Jesus got out of the boat he was met by a man with an evil spirit. He came out of the tombs. The evil sprits had caused the man to live in tombs and had given him extra ordinary strength. "No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain."

He was just a mad man. Attempts had been made to bind him with shackles and chains, but he twisted the chains apart, and broke the shackles. He was constantly in the tombs or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones, both night and day. When the man saw Jesus he ran to Him and fell down before Him. The tormented man asked Jesus to promise that He would not torture him. The demos realized that if they came out of the man that they would likely have to return to punishment in Hades. "Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

Jesus sent the demons into the swine - Mark 5:10-20 : The demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the country. There was a herd of about 2,000 swine feeding on the hillside. The evil spirits begged Jesus, "Send us into those pigs!" Jesus gave them permission to go into the pigs. The entire herd of about two thousand pigs rushed into the sea and was drowned. We are not told whether the men taking care of the pigs knew why this had happened. We do know that they ran to the town and the farms to spread the news. When the word was spread the people came out to see what had happened.

When the people came they saw the man that had been demon-possessed sitting, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. It is now that they seem to decide that what had happened with the demon-possessed man had something to do with the pigs. Instead of recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, accepting Him as Lord and obeying Him they started begging Him to leave their country. It would be natural that the man that was healed would want to go on the boat with Jesus. Instead Jesus told him to "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you."

Jesus healed a woman that touched His garment - Mark 5:21-34 : Jesus once again returned to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and as usual a large crowd followed him. A man named Jairus came to Jesus and fell at His feet. He was one of the rulers of the synagogue. This would have been an important role to fulfill. But troubles are no respecter of persons. In this case the man's daughter was at the point of death. He said, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live."

As Jesus journeyed with Jairus a great crowd followed Him. One person was a poor woman that had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Mark said, she "had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." (Mark 5:26) Doctor Luke said it a little milder, "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any." (Luke 8:43) This woman felt that she could be healed if she could only touch Jesus" cloths. She came up behind Him in the crowd and barely touched His garments. As soon as she touched the garment of Jesus, her bleeding stopped. She knew right away that she had been healed. Jesus knew that power had gone out from Him so He asked "Who touched my garments?" She came trembling with fear and knelt down before Jesus and told her story. How her heart must have rejoiced when Jesus said, "You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace! You are healed, and you will no longer be in pain." Truly, this man is the Son of God!

Jesus healed Jairus' daughter - Mark 5:35-43 : Jairus must had been very sad about his delay. Especially when word came from his house that his daughter had died and that he should not bother Jesus any more. Jesus heard what was said and He reassured that man saying, "Do not fear, only believe." Apparently these events took place very near Jairus" house. Jesus stopped the multitude and He took only three of the Apostles into Jairus" house. They were Peter, James and John. When they arrived they saw a commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly.

How bewildered they must have been when Jesus asked them why they were crying and they heard Him say that the child was not dead but sleeping. In fact they laughed Him to scorn. However Jesus is the Son of God and He knew the child would live. Jesus put everyone out except the child's parents and His three apostles. He took the child by the hand, I think in respect to the request of Jairus for Him to touch her, and said, "Talitha cumi" which means "Little girl, get up!" The little girl was about twelve years old so she got up and began walking about. Jesus told them to give the child some food and not make know what had happened. Obviously is not wrong to tell what had happen because Mark wrote it down. Jesus was humble. He was the Son of God. He wanted people drawn to Him because of who He was not because of what He did!