What is the meaning of Mark 5:20?

So the man went away

“ So the man went away ” (Mark 5:20) signals immediate obedience. The once–demon-possessed man doesn’t hesitate or negotiate; he simply does what Jesus told him in verse 19.

• Instant obedience mirrors Abram’s response in Genesis 12:1-4 and the disciples’ response in Mark 1:18.

• Real faith reveals itself in action (James 2:17).

• Leaving the lakeshore, he steps into a brand-new life, illustrating 2 Corinthians 5:17.

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and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis

The Decapolis was a league of ten Gentile cities east of the Jordan.

• Jesus commissions this man as the first recorded missionary to the Gentiles, foreshadowing Acts 1:8 and Acts 13:46-48.

• He “began,” emphasizing that testimony is an ongoing lifestyle, not a one-time event (Psalm 96:2-3).

• His mission field is local and familiar—just like the healed cripple at the temple in Acts 3, who starts praising God right where he is.

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how much Jesus had done for him

His message is simple: personal experience of Christ’s deliverance.

• He spotlights Jesus, not himself, paralleling John 9:25—“One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see.”

• Philippians 1:12-13 shows Paul doing the same in prison, turning circumstances into a pulpit.

• Testimony is powerful because it’s irrefutable and God-centered (Revelation 12:11).

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And everyone was amazed

The response is astonishment, opening hearts to the gospel.

• Amazement prepares soil for belief, as in Mark 1:27 and Luke 5:26.

• God uses transformed lives as living letters (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

• This amazement sets the stage for Jesus’ later ministry in the region (Mark 7:31-37), where crowds come ready to receive.

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summary

Mark 5:20 shows a man instantly obeying Jesus, becoming a pioneering witness in his own Gentile territory, sharing the concrete work Christ accomplished in him, and sparking widespread wonder. Obedient testimony turns personal deliverance into a public platform, demonstrating that when Jesus changes a life, He intends that change to ripple outward for His glory.