Key Verse: Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19 CSB)
One of the reasons why I love watching people get baptized is because they often share their testimony of how they came to know Jesus. It’s amazing to hear of people who were once lost and without purpose and hope encountering Jesus and having their lives radically transformed by Him.
In Mark 5, we see a story just like this. Having just calmed the wind and the sea with a word, Jesus arrived at the shore with His disciples. As soon as they stepped out of the boat, they encountered a man in a desperate state. He was demon-possessed, continually tormented by many evil spirits.
People had attempted to help this man, who night and day would cry out and cut himself with stones. They had tried to keep him bound in chains and shackles. But he would just destroy them. No one was strong enough to subdue him. No one had the power to help this poor man. No one, except Jesus.
When this man saw Jesus, he ran to him and fell at his feet, acknowledging Jesus for who He is, the Son of the Most High. Jesus spoke directly to the legion of demons that were tormenting this man. After a brief exchange, Jesus drove out the demons who left the man and entered a herd of pigs, eventually destroying them.
As word quickly spread about what had happened, people began to arrive on the scene to see for themselves. There they “saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind” (v.15). They were astonished and afraid. This man had been set free. He had been liberated from his spiritual bondage. He was now completely different.
The man wanted to stay with Jesus. Who could blame him? His life had been completely transformed by Christ. But Jesus had a better plan. “Go home to your own people,” Jesus told the man, “and report to them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (v.19). So the man went home and told his story.
When Jesus transforms a life, He does so with a purpose. He wants to use our stories as a testimony to others of His grace and power. Our story is His story. It’s not to be kept to ourselves. He wants us to go to our families, friends, neighbours and co-workers and boldly share with them how much the Lord has done for us.
Has Jesus transformed your life? Has He saved you from sin and death? Has He set you free from bondage? Has He healed you emotionally or physically? Has He restored your broken relationships? Has He brought you fresh hope and joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances? If so, then go. Go and tell your story to others. Be bold in sharing with them all that God has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.
Prayer: God, I praise you for your transforming power. You have done great things for me through your Son Jesus Christ. Show me what it looks like today to tell my story. Give me an opportunity to boldly tell others of your great power and grace. Use my story to point others to you. Amen
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
