When the Impossible Encounters Jesus
Pastor Joe Simalonda
When the Impossible Encounters Jesus: One Encounter Can Change Everything
Have you ever felt like your situation was too far gone? Like the chains holding you were too strong to break? There's a story in the Bible about a man who was so far gone that no one — not even chains and shackles — could restrain him. And then he met Jesus. Everything changed in one encounter.
A Man No One Could Help
In Mark 5:1-20, we find one of the most dramatic stories in all of Scripture. When Jesus arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a man possessed by evil spirits came running out from the tombs to meet him. This wasn't just any troubled man. The Bible tells us he had a legion of demons inside him. Legion — that's a Roman military term for anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers. We're talking about thousands of demons in one man.
He lived among the burial caves, howling day and night and cutting himself with sharp stones. He had been bound with chains and shackles, and he snapped every single one of them. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
And yet — Jesus crossed a stormy sea just to reach him.
You Are Worth the Trip
Here's a detail I don't want anybody to miss. Before Jesus made this journey, he was ministering to crowds. In Mark 4:34, he says to his disciples, "Let us go to the other side." He leaves the crowds, gets on a boat, and a violent storm rises up that evening. Jesus rebukes the storm. They arrive. This one man comes running. Jesus restores him. And then, because the crowd tells Jesus to leave, he gets back on the boat and goes home.
Jesus went through all of that trouble — the crowds, the storm, the crossing — just to restore one man.
This is what I'm trying to say to you: one man is important to Jesus. One man is worth more than 2,000 pigs to Jesus. God wants to say to some of you this morning — you are important. Jesus wants you to know that, and he wants to encounter you today.
The Truth Behind Sin
When most people read this passage, all they see is a demon possessed man. But I want us to look more closely, because this story reveals some powerful truths about sin that we can't afford to ignore.
Truth #1: You Cannot Tame or Control Sin
Mark 5:4 says that "the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces. Neither could anyone tame him." I think one of the biggest lies the enemy tells us is, oh, it's just a little bit — you can stop anytime you want. You cannot control sin. Because when you do it long enough, you are going to quickly discover that you can't find the brakes anymore. The more you indulge sin, the more it takes control over your life, the more rooted it becomes. After some time, it becomes what you call a stronghold — because you have been reinforcing it.
Sin promises freedom, but produces bondage.
Truth #2: You Cannot Bind Sin in One Place
You cannot say, "I'm only going to sin a little bit here, and that will be it." Sin is like a weed — one shows up today, tomorrow you see five. You pull it up, the next day it shows up again. As long as there is an open door, it will keep coming, it will keep multiplying. You and I cannot conquer sin. Only Jesus can conquer sin.
Truth #3: Sin Is Suicide
When the evil spirits left the man and entered the herd of 2,000 pigs, the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned. Here's something worth knowing: pigs are naturally good swimmers. But the Bible says these drowned. That is evil simply expressing itself. And remember — the Bible says the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). The person who makes a habit of sinning is poisoning himself.
Truth #4: Sin Is Self-Destruction
Mark 5:5 says the man was "howling and cutting himself with sharp stones." We look at this and see the physical side. But when we engage in habitual sin, we are actually cutting ourselves — cutting our soul. Something is happening spiritually. We are degrading ourselves spiritually. That is why there is no such thing as "just a small sin." It never stays small. It always grows.
The Good News: Jesus Is Lord Over All of It
Now here is where it gets good. In Mark chapter 5 alone, Jesus restores the demon-possessed man, heals a woman with a medical condition who had been bleeding for twelve years (Mark 5:21-43), and raises a dead girl back to life. And on the way there, he commanded a storm to stop — and it stopped.
Jesus is Lord over nature. He is Lord over the demonic. He is Lord over sickness and disease. And he is Lord over death and sin.
So the question is: how do we move from our mess to a place of healing and restoration?
Five Pillars of Healing and Restoration
1. Surrender to Jesus
In our story, this man literally drags his demons to the feet of Jesus. Surrender is saying, I realize I cannot fix this, Jesus. I need you to come and get me out of this. It's a place where you stop trying to fix yourself and give it all to Jesus.
One of our main pitfalls when it comes to surrender is that we want to surrender just a part — the part that is hurting us — and keep the rest. If you want surrender to work, you have to give Jesus all of you. All of it.
2. Worship Is How You Get an Audience With Jesus
Mark 5:6 says the demon-possessed man "ran to meet him, and bowed low before him." The New King James Version uses the word worshiped. Worship is the evidence of true surrender. It is the difference between someone who says they've surrendered and someone who actually has. As John 4:24 reminds us, God is looking for those who worship him in spirit and in truth.
3. Stay Away From the Unclean
If you want to be restored and stay restored, you have to stay away from certain things, certain people, certain places. Most of us already know what triggers us. Stay away from those things. It is foolish to hang around fools and not expect to act foolish.
Also — notice that this man lived in isolation, alone in the tombs. Isolation is where the enemy wants you to be, because then he has you all to himself. The wolf never attacks the sheep in the middle of the flock. The wolf always goes for those on the fringes. Find some brothers and sisters who can encourage you and strengthen you. Do not isolate.
4. Beware of Idols
An idol is anything that takes God's number one place in your life. When the crowd saw the restored man sitting there fully clothed and in his right mind, you would think they would be rejoicing. Instead, they begged Jesus to leave. Why? They cared more about their possessions — and their pigs — than they cared for a soul.
Stay away from anything that starts becoming more important than Jesus. It could be your money, your spouse, your children, your job. Watch for anything that is becoming more important than kingdom business.
5. Tell Others What Jesus Has Done for You
Jesus told the restored man, "Go home to your family and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been" (Mark 5:19). So the man went out to ten cities — not just one — and everyone who heard was amazed.
Your testimony is powerful. Sharing it is also how you overcome. As Revelation 12:11 says, "They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Sometimes the devil tricks us with fear — what will they think of me? But the truth is, you and I often have the best witness. They know you. When they see the change in you, it is obvious.
Putting It Into Practice
I remember when I gave my life to Christ — one encounter changed everything for me. I had been struggling with alcohol addiction, saying "this is the last time" over and over again. One day I was with two brothers in the Lord, and we started honestly sharing what we were each dealing with. We held hands, closed our eyes, and called on the name of the Lord. I physically heard what sounded like a mighty rushing wind hovering above us. Two weeks later, at a party, I was offered a drink — and it smelled so bad I had to throw it away. God had answered our prayer and taken away the habit I couldn't shake on my own.
That is what one encounter with Jesus can do.
Maybe you've fallen so deep you feel like you are beyond restoration. Maybe it's a broken marriage, a sickness, or a sinful habit you can't seem to shake. Jesus already knows what situation or need you have. The question is: are you ready to surrender it all? Are you ready to fall at the feet of Jesus?
He crossed a stormy sea for one man. He will do the same for you.