What is the meaning of Luke 8:33?

Then the demons came out of the man

• “Then the demons came out of the man” (Luke 8:33) shows Jesus’ absolute authority; His word alone expels a legion of evil spirits (see Luke 4:35; Mark 1:27).

• Deliverance is instantaneous and complete, demonstrating 1 John 3:8—“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

• The man’s value to God is underscored: heaven moves for one tormented soul (Luke 15:4-7).

• Spiritual warfare is literal (Ephesians 6:12), yet Christ’s victory is certain (Colossians 2:15).

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and went into the pigs

• Jesus permits the demons to enter the swine (Matthew 8:31-32), revealing their craving for embodiment and chaos (Matthew 12:43-45).

• Pigs—unclean under Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:7)—contrast with the now-cleansed man, highlighting God’s concern for people over property (Luke 12:7).

• The transfer exposes evil’s destructive intent; even animals suffer under demonic influence (Job 1:12-19 shows Satan attacking livestock and servants alike).

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and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake

• “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Once the demons gain a foothold, death-ward momentum follows.

• The dramatic plunge publicizes the miracle, validating that the demons truly left the man (Mark 5:13).

• This visible event confronts the townspeople with a choice: embrace the Savior or cling to economic loss (Luke 8:37).

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and was drowned

• The drowning signals God’s judgment on evil; like Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:28), destructive forces meet a watery end.

• It foreshadows Satan’s ultimate fate in “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10).

• The man, once bound among tombs, now lives while the demons perish—an echo of Romans 6:4: those liberated by Christ walk “in newness of life.”

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summary

Luke 8:33 reveals Jesus’ sovereign power over the demonic realm, His compassion for the individual, and the lethal nature of evil once unleashed. The expelled demons, the sacrificial swine, the headlong rush, and the drowning collectively declare that Christ delivers, evil destroys, and God’s judgment is final.