The Encounter:
After Jesus arrives by boat, the demon-possessed man comes from the tombs and meets Him. The demons recognize Jesus’ identity and plead with Him.
The Divine Intervention:
Jesus commands the unclean spirit to come out of the man and asks the demon’s name; the reply is “Legion,” indicating many. At the demons’ request, Jesus permits them to enter a nearby herd of pigs.
The Immediate Result:
The unclean spirits leave the man and enter the pigs, and the herd rushes down a steep bank into the sea and drowns. People come and see the man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Those who witness it report what happened, and the region urges Jesus to depart. The healed man asks to go with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home to tell what the Lord has done for him; he proclaims it in the Decapolis.
This deliverance reveals Jesus Christ’s decisive authority over demons: unclean spirits recognize Him, cannot resist His command, and act only by His permission. The miracle functions as a sign that the kingdom of God has arrived in power—restoring a ruined life and demonstrating that Jesus liberates where human strength and restraints fail.
The demon’s name “Legion” (Greek legiōn) echoes a Roman military unit, underscoring the oppressive “many-ness” of the possession. The setting among tombs also highlights ritual uncleanness in Jewish thought, intensifying the portrayal of the man’s isolation and defilement—both of which are overturned by Jesus’ word.
“And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.” — Mark 5:9 (KJV)
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. What name did the demon give when Jesus asked it for its name?
2. After the unclean spirits entered the pigs, what happened to the herd?