2,000 Pigs & 1 Powerful Savior | Mark 5:6-13

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

And today’s shout-out goes to John & Cindy Brannum from Sioux Falls, SD. John & Cindy, thank you for standing with us through Project23. Your support helps deliver the Word where it’s needed most. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 5:6-13:

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. — Mark 5:6-13

Jesus steps onto the shore, and the man possessed by demons does something shocking—he runs toward Jesus.

But as soon as he gets close, the demons take over. They fall. They scream. They beg for mercy. This is how evil responds to the holy—it bows in the presence of God. There’s no battle. No contest. This isn’t two equal forces clashing—it’s total authority confronting total darkness.

Jesus commands the spirit to come out. Then he asks for the demon's identity: “What is your name?”

The answer is chilling: “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

Literally—thousands of demons. And still, Jesus doesn’t flinch, falter, or fear. It’s as if he’s handled situations like this a hundred times before.

Then Legion pleads with Jesus. He begs for mercy—because they know they’ve encountered the all-powerful God, something even the disciples have yet to fully understand. They plead for dispersion rather than destruction. They beg Jesus to send them into a field of swine.

There are all kinds of theories about why the pigs—but the simplest answer is this: The time for complete demonic defeat had not yet come. Jesus’s mission was first to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin—before destroying evil entirely.

So, Legion is cast into the pigs. And the entire herd rushes down the hillside and drowns in the sea.

I believe many people today feel overwhelmed by darkness—whether internal or external. And too often, we try to manage it, medicate it, or manipulate it. But Jesus doesn’t ask us to control the darkness. He asks us to surrender it—so He can confront it.

If Jesus can cast out thousands of demons with a single word, he can confront the darkness you face today.

So stop trying to manage the situation. Let Jesus confront it. Let him remove it. And let him cast it far from you—deep into the sea.

#JesusOverDarkness, #Mark5, #SpiritualWarfare

ASK THIS:

Where do you feel darkness creeping into your life?
Are you trying to manage what Jesus wants to remove?
What does Legion’s response reveal about Jesus’ authority?
How can you invite Jesus to confront your hidden struggles?
DO THIS:

Identify one area of darkness you’ve tried to manage and surrender it to Jesus in prayer today.

PRAY THIS:
Jesus, I confess the darkness I’ve tried to manage alone. I surrender it to You—cast it out and replace it with Your peace. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
“Break Every Chain” by Jesus Culture.