Why did the demons in Mark 5:10 plead with Jesus not to send them away? The Setting: A Legion Meets the Lord “Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ ” (Mark 5:9) What the Demons Already Knew • Jesus is “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7); they recognized His divine authority. • He possesses power to sentence evil spirits to confinement now and forever (cf. Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). • Their time of ultimate judgment is fixed, but it had not yet arrived—“Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29). Why They Begged, “Do Not Send Us Away” (Mark 5:10) • Fear of being banished to the “Abyss”—Luke’s parallel says, “They kept begging Him not to order them to go into the Abyss.” (Luke 8:31). • Demons crave embodiment; without a host they wander in arid places, seeking rest (Matthew 12:43-45). • They are attached to geographical spheres of influence (compare Daniel 10:13, 20); leaving the region would strip them of familiar ground and opportunity to oppress. • They understood Jesus could enforce immediate exile; pleading was their only recourse before His sovereign word. The Swine: A Desperate Alternative “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” (Mark 5:12) • Entering a herd allowed continued activity, however brief. • It confirmed Christ’s absolute control: at His permission alone they entered, and at His command the pigs plunged into the sea (Mark 5:13). • The dramatic result displayed the destructive nature of demons compared with the restoring power of Jesus. Takeaways for Believers • Even multiplied demonic forces are no match for the authority of Christ (1 John 4:4). • The enemy’s terror of judgment underscores its certainty; the same Lord who cast Legion will consign all evil to final punishment (Revelation 20:10-15). • Jesus delivers completely, restoring the man to “his right mind” (Mark 5:15); He still frees captives today (John 8:36). |
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