This Is Why The Demons Asked Jesus For The Pigs

This Is Why The Demons Asked Jesus For The Pigs

Why did the demons ask Jesus for the pigs? The fascinating story of Jesus casting the Legion of demons into a herd of pigs is found in the Gospel of Luke. The narrative begins as Jesus travels through the hilly region east of the Jordan River. This area, known as the Decapolis, is a predominantly Gentile region comprising ten influential cities. Sailing across the water, they arrive in the country of the Gerasenes, situated east of the Sea of Galilee. Upon stepping onto the shore, Jesus is immediately met by a man from the city of Gadara who is possessed by demons. For a long, harrowing period, this man had worn no clothes and did not live in a house, but instead resided among the tombs.

Seeing Jesus from a distance, he cried out with a terrifying voice from the depths of his throat, fell down before Him in dread and terror, and shouted loudly, “What business do we have in common with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me before the appointed time of judgment!” At that moment, Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man, for it had seized him violently many times. The man had been kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, yet he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.

This account in Luke 8:26-29 provides the most in-depth depiction of a man under the absolute control of a demon found anywhere in the Bible. It serves as the classic profile of demonic possession. For a long time, the man had been haunted by this malevolent presence. He wore no clothes and lived more like a wild animal than a human being. He did not live in a house, as he was driven into the wilderness by the demonic entity. Contrary to Jewish law and natural human inclination, the man continued to live amidst the decaying and the dead in the tombs. He possessed unnatural levels of power, allowing him to break his bonds. He was tormented to the point where he was actively destroying himself.

Mark 5:5 notes that night and day he was constantly screaming and shrieking among the tombs and on the mountains, cutting himself with sharp stones. The man had uncontrollable strength. Mark 5:4 describes that he had often been bound with shackles for the feet and with chains, but he tore the chains apart and broke the shackles into pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue or tame him. This individual was once a resident of the village, living among the other villagers, but because of his increasingly erratic and wild behavior, the people concluded that a demon possessed him. They chained him up to prevent him from harming others, but he managed to break free on multiple occasions. In the end, they were able to drive him out of town, and he eventually settled in the local cemetery, hurting the only person he could—himself.

The Bible describes this man as being “driven” by the demons in the same way it describes a horse being driven by its rider or a ship being rowed by its crew. We also read that there “met him a certain man.” This suggests that Jesus did not directly seek out this specific man, but rather that the man was supernaturally drawn to Jesus. The man was utterly unable to deliver himself, but Jesus possessed complete authority over the impure spirit. “What have I to do with you? I beg you, do not torment me.” This was the demonic spirit speaking from within the possessed man, not the man himself. The demon did not want to leave the body it inhabited.

Demonic possession occurs when a demonic spirit resides in a human body and, at times, exhibits its own distinct personality through the host. Although demonic possession is a reality in the world today, we must exercise caution to avoid either ignoring the issue or placing an excessive, unhealthy amount of emphasis on supposed demonic activity. We are not explicitly told how a person becomes demon-possessed, but scripture implies that superstition, supposedly harmless occult games and practices, spiritism, New Age deception, magic, and other dark avenues open the door to deception for the believer and real demonic danger for the unbeliever. People frequently become involved in the occult because there appears to be “something” there that works. Unfortunately, it is a “someone” at work—a demonic spirit.

Demons want to inhabit bodies for the same reason that a vandal wants a spray can; a body is a weapon that can be used in their attack against God. Demons also attack men because they despise the image of God, and so they try to debase and grotesquely mock it. Demons have the same goal in Christians—to mar the image of God—but their tactics are restricted in regards to the faithful. Demonic spirits were disarmed by Jesus’s work on the cross, though they can still deceive and imitate, binding people with fear and unbelief. Colossians 2:15 explains that when He had disarmed the rulers and authorities—those supernatural forces of evil operating against us—He made a public example of them, exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession, having triumphed over them through the cross.

The man’s plea, “I beg you, do not torment me,” was an ironic remark. The man was frequently plagued by the demons, which overpowered him in body, mind, and soul, yet the demon feared that Jesus might be the one to bring the torment. In Luke 8:30-33, Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” and he answered, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. They continually begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss. Now, a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

“What is your name?” Jesus asked to gain authority over the demon and deliver the possessed person. Jewish exorcists of the time required knowledge of the demon’s name to perform their rites. However, Jesus did not use the name for a ritualistic purpose; He already had authority over demons that far exceeded the superstitions of the day. Jesus most likely asked the name of the demon so that he could understand the full scope of the problem, revealing that the man was filled with many demons, not just one. A Roman legion usually consisted of six thousand men; this implies that the man was possessed by a vast number of spirits.

They begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. The demons who inhabited this man did not want to be imprisoned in the abyss, which is the bottomless pit described in Revelation 9:11. Apparently, it is a place of imprisonment for certain demonic spirits. Revelation 9:11 notes that they have a king over them, the angel of the abyss, the bottomless pit. In Hebrew his name is Abaddon—the Destroyer—and in Greek he is called Apollyon. These demons did not want to become inactive; it is a form of hell to the devil to be idle. Evil must always be occupied.

The demons went out of the man and entered the swine. The idea that demons may inhabit the bodies of animals seems strange, but it is a concept hinted at in the Genesis account. It was also fitting that these demons be cast into swine, as they are non-kosher animals under the law. Notice that the demons cannot even afflict pigs without the express permission of God. Since a demon cannot enter even a herd of swine without being sent by God Himself, how little is the power of the malice of them to be dreaded by those who have God for their protection? Satan would rather vex swine than do no mischief at all; he is so fond of evil that he would work it upon animals if he cannot work it upon men.

Jesus allowed this because the time for the total, final demonstration of His authority over demons had not yet come; that would arrive at the cross. Colossians 2:15 tells us that at the cross, Jesus disarmed demons in their attack on believers. He made a public spectacle of their defeat and triumphed over them. The demonic spirits caused the herd of pigs to act erratically, forcing them to run wild down the steep slopes into the lake, where they eventually drowned. This demonstrated the destructive power of the spirits. They were just like their commander, Satan, whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy everything in his path. John 10:10 contrasts this: “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance, to the full, till it overflows.” This showed the real intention of the demons: they wanted to destroy the man, just as they destroyed the pigs.

Some believe this was unfair to the pig owners, but the owners lost their property and instead learned a lesson regarding how Jesus valued the life of one man more than an entire herd. Charles Spurgeon made several wise observations about how the demon affected the swine: “They preferred death to devilry, and if men were not worse than swine, they would be of the same opinion. They run hard whom the devil drives; the devil drives his hogs to a bad market.”

Luke 8:34-37 records that when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it to the city and out in the country. The people came out to see what had occurred. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’s feet, clothed, and in his right mind—mentally healthy. And they were frightened. Those who had seen it told them the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. Then all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them because they were overwhelmed with fear. So, Jesus got into the boat and returned to the west side of the Sea of Galilee.

They were afraid, and they were seized with great fear. They were more afraid of a free, restored man than they were of a possessed one. They were terrified when they saw the man in his right mind, sitting at Jesus’s feet. They were unsure what to make of it at all. The demons should have had the upper hand over Jesus according to their local superstitions, but they didn’t. The people had a difficult time accepting this. Then the whole multitude asked Him to depart. They didn’t seem to mind having this demon-possessed, tormented man in their midst, but they did mind having Jesus around, so they asked Him to leave, and He did. The work that Jesus did had brought together the entire crowd to talk and meet with Him. However, this was not a positive development in any manner; here was a whole city at a prayer meeting, praying against their own blessing. It was a horrible prayer, but it was heard, and Jesus departed from their coasts. When people are more afraid of what Jesus will do in their lives than of what Satan is doing right now, they often push Jesus away, and He may leave if asked.

Luke 8:38-39 states that the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Him, pleading to go with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell about all the great things God has done for you.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. “The man from whom the demons had departed”—that is a wonderful name. Perhaps for the rest of his life, this man would be known by a name that recalled Jesus’s great work for him. At first, this formerly demon-possessed man sat at Jesus’s feet, but then he just wanted to be with Jesus, following Him as a disciple.

Luke 8:35 notes that people came out to see what had happened. They came to see Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’s feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were frightened. This man’s yearning for Jesus is an illustration of the change that took place in his heart. Before, he was only interested in what Jesus could do for him, but after his encounter with God, he wanted Jesus Himself. Jesus, however, rebuked him and told him to go away. Despite the fact that the guy had a good motive in wanting to follow Jesus, Jesus did not allow him to do so. Jesus was well aware that the ministry he was doing for his own family and the community was of much greater significance than any other work he might have done following Jesus around.

It can be challenging for us to comprehend the way that God operates at times. Jesus granted the ill-conceived request of the residents of the city who prayed for Him to leave them, and He did so. The man from whom the demons departed made a godly request—that he might be with Him—and Jesus said “no” to that prayer. Naturally, the reason for this was that this man could be a light among the people living in these Gentile cities in a way that Jesus and His disciples were unable to be. If he did fear—and I feel morally certain that he did—that the devils would return, then of course he longed to be with Christ. But Christ takes that fear from him and, as good as, says to him, “You do not need to be near me; I have so healed you that you will never be sick in this way again.”

He went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. This was a great message to tell and a message that every follower of Jesus should be able to preach. His story showed the value of one life to Jesus, because this was the only reason why Jesus came to this side of the Sea of Galilee. His story also showed that with Jesus, no one is beyond hope, because if this man could be changed, then anyone can. Jesus told him to tell what great things God had done, and the man spoke to others of what great things Jesus had done. There was no contradiction there, because Jesus is God.

The narrative of the demon-possessed man serves as a profound testament to the transformative power of divine intervention. It highlights the stark contrast between the darkness of the demonic realm and the radiant authority of the Messiah. The man, once an outcast living among the dead, became a herald of life. He was a living witness to the fact that no chains—whether physical or spiritual—are strong enough to hold back the power of God. By casting the demons into the herd of swine, Jesus demonstrated that His authority was not just over the individual, but over the very environment that had been cursed by these spirits. The irony of the situation remains striking: the man who had once been feared by everyone for his wild, erratic violence was now the most peaceful and composed individual in the city, sitting calmly at the feet of the Teacher.

In the broader context of the ministry of Jesus, this event is significant because it marked a clear expansion of his influence into Gentile territories. The Gerasenes, while perhaps initially overwhelmed by the supernatural display of power, were presented with an undeniable sign of the Kingdom of God. The fact that the man, once healed, was sent back to his own house and city to testify of God’s goodness indicates that the gospel was not merely for the Jewish people, but for all who were lost in the shadows of the enemy. The “legion” of demons had sought to keep the man isolated and destroyed, yet Jesus used that very man to reach a city that would have otherwise remained closed to Him.

As we reflect on this, it is essential to recognize that the demonic presence was not just an inconvenience; it was a total usurping of the man’s identity. He had become a vessel for the destruction of the kingdom of darkness. When Jesus stepped onto the shore, the battle was decided before a word was spoken. The demons recognized their adversary immediately. They knew that their time of unchecked rule was over. Their plea for the pigs was a desperate attempt to avoid the abyss and remain active in the world, yet even their plea was a submission to the command of the Savior.

The fear of the villagers is perhaps the most human reaction in the story. Confronted with a miracle that defied their economic understanding and their religious expectations, they preferred the comfort of the status quo—even if that status quo included a haunted, suffering man—over the disruptive, life-altering presence of the Son of God. Their request for Jesus to leave is a cautionary tale about how easily people can reject salvation because it demands a change in the way they view the world. They saw the pigs drowning and felt the weight of their financial loss, but they failed to see the profound miracle of a human life being reclaimed from the gates of hell.

For the man himself, the journey from the tombs to the city was a journey from death to life. He was no longer defined by his scars, his chains, or his labels. He was defined by his encounter with Jesus. His desire to follow Jesus was natural, as he wanted to remain in the presence of the one who had restored his humanity. However, his mission was greater elsewhere. By sending him back to his community, Jesus established the first witness in that region. The man became the message. His life was the tangible proof that the “great things” done by God were not just theoretical, but real, personal, and transformative.

This story also forces us to consider our own lives. Are there areas where we are held captive by “legions” of fear, insecurity, or sin? We often struggle to break the chains that bind us, yet we find that we cannot deliver ourselves through our own sheer willpower. Like the man in the tombs, we need the authority of Jesus to speak the word that sets us free. Once that freedom is realized, our mandate is the same as his: to go back into our families, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces to proclaim what great things the Lord has done for us.

Moreover, the account underscores the reality of the spiritual war. We do not engage with this war through our own strength, but through the victory already won on the cross. The demons are defeated foes. While they still prowl and seek to create havoc, they are on a short leash. They cannot touch a hair on the head of a believer without the permissive will of God, and even then, such trials are often used by God to bring about a greater glory. The life of the man of Gadara proves that even the most hopeless, broken, and isolated individual is worth the journey across the lake. Jesus will go to any lengths—even into the heart of a Gentile region—to rescue one soul who has been claimed by the enemy.

Finally, we must contrast the man’s response with that of the city. The city asked Jesus to leave; the man begged to be with Him. One group chose their possessions and their fear; the other chose the Savior and His peace. It is a choice we face daily. Will we hold onto the things that the enemy uses to distract us, or will we sit at the feet of Jesus, clothed, in our right mind, and ready to share the story of our deliverance? The message remains clear: with Jesus, there is no one beyond hope. The same authority that silenced the legion in the hills of Gadara is still active today, and the same restorative power that gave the man his life back is available to all who seek His face.

The deeper we delve into the nuances of this encounter, the more we realize it is not merely a historical curiosity but a mirror to the human condition. The “legion” represents the vast, complex, and often overwhelming weight of burdens that can consume an individual. Whether those burdens are psychological, spiritual, or relational, they have the power to drive a person into their own personal “tombs,” isolating them from society and from their true self. The story provides a clear roadmap for recovery: recognize the source of the torment, acknowledge the authority of Jesus, experience the deliverance, and then become a witness to others.

The “abyss” mentioned by the demons is a sobering reality, representing the ultimate end of all evil. The demons’ fear of it is a testament to the absolute justice of God. They know their future, and they know who holds the keys to it. By casting them out, Jesus was not only helping the man but was also signaling the inevitable downfall of the entire demonic hierarchy. It was a preview of the final victory that would be secured at Calvary.

The destruction of the pigs, while a point of contention for some, serves as a powerful metaphor for the nature of evil. Evil does not create; it only destroys. When it possesses, it eventually exhausts the host and moves to destroy whatever it can touch. The pigs had no ability to resist, and their fate was sealed by the very spirits that entered them. This should serve as a warning to those who flirt with the occult or with destructive lifestyles: the enemy is not a friend, and he has no regard for the vessels he uses.

In contrast, Jesus’s ministry is always life-affirming. He did not come to take away; He came to restore. He took a man who was deemed a lost cause, a man whom the society had given up on, and He made him a missionary to his own people. This transformation was so profound that even the people who had once feared him could not deny the reality of what had happened. They were frightened, not because he was still dangerous, but because they had witnessed an impossible, supernatural change.

As we look at the life of this man, we see a reflection of our own potential for transformation. We are all, in various ways, in need of being brought to our “right mind.” Sometimes we are distracted by the noise of the world, enslaved by habits that do not serve us, or buried under the weight of past traumas. The invitation remains open to sit at the feet of Jesus, to listen to His words, and to be clothed in the new identity He provides. When we do this, the “legions” that once commanded our attention lose their grip, and we find the freedom to live the life we were created for.

The story ends not with the man following Jesus into the boat, but with him obeying the command to go back into the world. This is a crucial lesson in discipleship. We are not meant to isolate ourselves in the presence of God; we are meant to carry that presence back into the places where we live, work, and interact with others. The man became the first witness of the gospel in the Decapolis, a region that would later see many more come to faith because of his testimony.

Ultimately, the story of the Gerasene demoniac is a story about the reach of grace. It is a story about a God who is willing to cross boundaries, endure the rejection of a whole city, and face the fury of a legion of spirits, all for the sake of one man who was waiting in the darkness. It is a reminder that no distance is too far for God to travel to find a lost child, and no level of brokenness is beyond the reach of His healing hand.

As you reflect on this narrative, consider the personal significance it holds for your own journey. The transformation of this man serves as a beacon of hope for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by forces beyond their control. It is an enduring testament that when we invite Jesus into our reality—even the most painful, tomb-like parts of it—we are met with an authority that can turn our deepest torment into a story of profound hope. The man who was once known for his chains became known for his freedom. This is the heart of the message, and it is a message that continues to echo through the ages, offering the same invitation to every heart that is willing to listen.

There is a profound beauty in the fact that the man’s name is not recorded, for it allows him to become anyone. He is the person who has lost everything; he is the person who has been ostracized; he is the person who has fought against their own self-destructive tendencies. In this sense, his story is our story. When we read that he was sitting at Jesus’s feet, we are reminded that true healing begins in the posture of submission and the pursuit of truth. When he was “clothed,” it signifies the restoration of his dignity, a dignity that the world had tried to strip away.

The rejection by the city is the final hurdle in the narrative, highlighting the reality that the light will often be rejected by those who prefer the darkness. Yet, even in that rejection, the light continues to shine through the witness of the man who was healed. He did not need to be with Jesus physically to be a disciple; he simply needed to be a messenger of what he had experienced. His life became a bridge between the darkness of the tombs and the light of the gospel, inviting others to move out of the shadows and into the warmth of the same grace that had set him free.

In closing, this account stands as one of the most powerful displays of Jesus’s authority and compassion. It challenges our perceptions, encourages our faith, and reminds us that no matter how loud the “legions” in our lives may be, the voice of the Son of God is always the final authority. By keeping our eyes on Him, we can transition from being defined by our battles to being defined by our deliverance. This is the promise that is held within the story, and it is a promise that is just as relevant today as it was in the days when Jesus walked the shores of the Gerasenes.

How do you envision the process of healing and restoring your own “right mind” in the face of the various pressures and influences you encounter in your daily life?