During the last few weeks, through no planning of my own our studies have focused on the central truths of the Christian faith.  Last week we thought about the central event of our faith, the cross of Christ.  It is central for it is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are cleansed from sin. 

Then the week before that we thought of the central affirmation of a servant of Jesus Christ.  To serve Christ costs.   "I will not offer offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing."  We have a faith that costs.

This morning we come to the central confession of a follower of Jesus Christ.  It is a simple confession and one of the earliest creeds of the church - simply "Jesus is Lord."  So strongly and so steadfastly did the early disciples believe this that they proclaimed it with everything that was with in them. 

Here is Peter standing before a large crowd on the day of Pentecost preaching his first sermon saying, "Men of Israel be assured of this, God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)

Here are the early Christians gathering in homes, worshipping the risen Christ by reading the Word and singing the new hymns of the day that celebrated the Lordship of Jesus Christ.   One of which Paul relates to the Philippians in chapter 2 - you know it and how it emphasizes Christ's humility and obedience to death even death on a cross and how it ends with that magnificent crescendo:

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

And here is Paul writing to the Christians at Rome, telling us that the central confession of the spirit-filled life is "Jesus is Lord." (Romans 10:9)

So, again and again the New Testament believers are breaking in on us telling us that Jesus is Lord.  And among them is the young gospel writer named Mark.  He proclaims Christ's Lordship in his own way - by giving us three incidents that paint a vivid picture of Christ's Lordship.

Beginning in chapter 4:35 we witness Jesus' Lordship over the natural world, as seen in His calming of the storm.  In chapter 5:21-43 we witness His Lordship over the physical world as He heals the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.  And in the center of this is our text, where we see Christ demonstrate His authority, His Lordship over the spiritual world. 

So there isn't an area or a part of life that is not subject to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is Lord. 

It was A.W. Tozer who lamented that the modern church has lost this emphasis.  He writes that we Christians today tend to emphasize Christ as Saviour but fail to make Him Lord.  So much emphasis is placed on accepting and receiving Christ as Saviour that we have forgotten to make Him Lord over all that we are, over all that we have and all that we do. 

I wonder if the modern church is only giving to the people what we want.  I know that within myself it is a constant battle - I want Jesus Christ to take me to heaven, as my Saviour, but hesitate when it comes to the subject of his Lordship and having Him reign over me and direct my ways.  Is it that way with you?  Sometimes we find ourselves willing to obey Him as long as His requirements do not demand to great a sacrifice. 

So I wonder how is it with you this morning?  Have you recognized Christ as Lord of your life?  As we study our passage today ask yourself, "Is Jesus Christ taking His rightful place in my life as Lord, ruler, the one who is in authority or am I shutting Him out of some area of my life?"  Ask yourself, "Have I recognized His credentials and allowed Him His rightful place as Lord of my life?"

And our passage this morning exhibits His credentials.  As Jesus comes face to face with a man possessed with an unclean spirit we discover the power of his Lordship and the peace of this Lordship. 

Think first of the power of Jesus' Lordship. 

We meet a man who is the scourge of the community - being possessed by a demon, his life is in ruins; he is uncontrollable.

We meet a man who no doubt had once been normal - his friends could remember him as being one of the guys but then something happened.  They could see a change in him, he began to say strange things and do strange things and have strange obsessions.  No one knew what caused it all - there were rumors - and some tried to help but the man only grew worse.  Soon he became violent and dangerous, until one day his family and neighbours feared for both his and their own safety.  It got so bad that group of them had to bind him but he was so strong that the strongest chain could not hold him.          

We meet a man who has lost everything - his home, his dignity, his sense of what it means to be created in the image of God.  He now lives on the outskirts of town among the tombs of the dead.    For the townsfolk he was now out of sight and out of mind, but every so often they would be reminded of his presence as they heard him cry out in agony and despair from the place of the dead.  They knew he was cutting himself with stones, physically abusing himself. 

We meet a man isolated, avoided, devastated, feared, abandoned - but fortunately for him he was about to meet the Master in whose hands rests all power and authority.  

And we witness this throughout the encounter.  When the man sees Jesus from a distance he runs and falls on his knees in front of Him.  You can imagine the disciples are ready to get back in the boat, from which they had just disembarked.  But not Jesus - He is not afraid or overwhelmed; in fact He orders the evil spirit out of the man.

To which the demon shouts, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the most high God?  Swear to God that you won't torture me."  And Jesus does not flinch and quietly asks, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," he replies, "for we are many."

And then with a voice of absolute authority Jesus says, "Come out of the man." And at once a change comes over the wild man.  His tense taught muscles begin to relax and the wild look fades from his face; all his outward appearance displays an inner transformation and with a sigh of immense relief as the demons depart from him, he sinks down at the feet of Jesus.

Do you see the power of our Lord?

No rope, no chain, no man could subdue the demon possessed man.  The villagers had tired everything they could to subdue him.  Mark describes this graphically in the first four verses.  And over against the weakness of the world to subdue Satan and his legions is the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You can almost hear the trembling in the Demon's voice as he begged Jesus not to be tortured.  For the demon knew he was kneeling before the only one who could torture him.

Now for those of us who live in a material world of megabits, hard-drives, diapers, brown bag lunches and laundry this whole story may sound a little weird.  But listen, it's true.

While the Bible does not teach us that God and the Devil are equal it does teach us that the Devil is a real personality who is a liar, a murderer, and one who is out to destroy that which God has created. Paul describes Satan as one who masquerades as an angel of light; Peter describes him as a roaring lion; and Jesus refers to him as the prince of this world. 

In Revelation 12:4 we learn that when Satan rebelled against God he took one third of the heavenly host with him.  These fallen angels came to be known as demons or unclean spirits.  They like Satan have been judged and will one day be consigned to hell, which Jesus said in Matthew 25:41 was created not for human beings but for "the devil and his angels".  

But the good news is that the devil is a defeated personality. We read in I John 3:8, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."    And we are given a picture of that in Mark 5.  Jesus Christ is Lord and has power over Satan.

Christ's complete power over the demon is seen in verse 7 in the demon's cry for mercy.

It is seen in verse 8 as Jesus gives the command to come out and it is seen in verse 12 in the demons' request, admitting they could do nothing without Jesus' permission and finally it is seen in verse 15 as we witness the complete transformation of man.

The power of Christ's Lordship in our lives.  Do you know that there are Christians who still allow Satan to bully them?  There are still Christians who fall for Satan's lies and fall into his traps.     

A story is told of Martin Luther, the great reformer of our faith.  He was at one time on retreat and he was being plagued by his past sins.  He tells of how Satan, the accuser, appeared to him and began to list all his sins and Luther was greatly distressed.  And Satan said to Luther, "Is this all your sins?"  And Luther said, "No, you've missed some," and he began to recite the ones Satan had missed.  And Satan, said to Luther, "Now, is this all your sins?"

And Luther said, "Yes. Now write across that list 'forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.' "  And after he had said that, Luther's spirit was lifted

Hear it again, the good news for us is that the devil is a defeated personality.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  The chains of sin that held us to him have been smashed by the life giving force of the Son of God.

Whatever the demons are as extensions of  the devil's power or influence, they are not to be feared when we know Christ.  In any comparison with him they are puny and can be overcome in the name of Christ.

To every evil spirit, to every evil habit, to every temptation to every sorrow, to every fear, Christ is still able to say, "come out of him." As Charles Wesley wrote, "He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free."  Do you think he had Colossians 2:15 in mind when he wrote that?  And having disarmed the powers and authorities He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The power of His lordship over Satan, there is also the power of His Lordship to give life.  We see here that where there is Christ's Lordship there is life.  Where there is Satan there is death and destruction.  We see it most vividly as Jesus casts legion into a heard of 2,000 pigs and the demons send the pigs reeling to their death over a cliff.  Do not read the passage wrong, it is not Jesus' fault that the pigs are destroyed - it is the work of the demons.  And it always has been the true character of Satan - to harm and kill and destroy.  In John's Gospel Jesus calls Satan a murderer.

Over against this stands the life Christ gives to the man.  At one time the man lived among the tombs, among the dead, but now notice the complete contrast, having met the Master he is sitting at his feet.

The man whom neither chains nor men could restrain was sitting in a docile manner before Jesus; he who had terrified others as he ran naked among the tombs was now clothed; the one who had shrieked wildly and behaved violently was not fully recovered.  Indeed Christ came to give life and give it to the full.  The power of his Lordship. 

Notice next the peace of his Lordship.  Could there be a more beautiful picture of the peace that passes all understanding than the man who at one time was possessed by the evil spirit in now sitting quietly dressed, in his right mind, no longer uncontrollable, no longer damaging himself, sitting in peace?  The picture is all the more stark because of Mark's vivid description of what he used to be - one commentator - suggests that what we have in verses 1-4 is a faint type of the miseries of hell.

You want to know what hell is like?  Read those four verses gain and shudder.  Cruel, miserable, lonely, bitter, raging for an eternity.  But over against that is the peace Christ brings to a tormented soul.

Peace,  Our Lord possesses it and it is His to give.  Yet some of you are without peace.  Some of you have no peace in your home, there are quarrels, there is fighting.  Some of you have no peace in your memories - there is bitterness and distress.  Some of you have no peace in your workplaces there is back-stabbing and issues of control.  Some of you have no peace in your relationships there is hatred and heartbreak.  And there are some things that you have to do, and God is trying to show them to you.

Perhaps you need to seek forgiveness of one you have wronged, or you need to forgive one who you have wronged, or you need to forgive one who has wronged you.  Or perhaps you need to realize again God's great love for you, and know that you are a person of worth.  Or perhaps you need to take it in that though your sins be as scarlet that through faith in the blood of Christ you are now whiter than snow.

Whatever it is for you, God is making it plain that there are some steps you need to take to regain your peace.  But all of us - all of us - before we take any of those so called practical steps, need to pray that the peace of Christ's  Lordship would enter our lives.

O, my friends, there is a peace that comes from recognizing Christ as Lord.  As the one who is in control, the one who is over all things, the one through whom all things came into being and in whom we live and move and have our being.

There is a peace that comes from knowing that He who died and returned to life is Lord of both the dead and the living.  And we need to recognize Him as such.  And He wants to be Lord of your whole life.  If we think about it we will find that those areas in our lives that lack peace are those same areas that we fail to let Christ be Lord.  He wants Lordship of the whole of you.

I don't know if the demons did it to mock Jesus or out of reverence to Jesus, regardless they did one thing right and that was run to Him and kneel before Him because in that act they recognized Christ's Lordship.  And so must we - come to Jesus and bow our hearts and our minds and our wills before Him and say, "O Jesus Christ, Son of God be Lord of my life, and let your life and your peace enter into my life," and He will do it.  He will do it.

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - March 2003