Jesus reveals His power over darkness through this miracle, proving He is the ultimate authority who can decisively defeat evil.
In this passage, Jesus, whose public ministry occurred around 27-30 AD in the region of Judea and Galilee, confronts a man possessed by many demons as He ministers near the southeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, an area called the country of the Gerasenes. “And He was asking him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said to Him, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.” (v.9). In the Roman military context, a legion could number into the thousands, evoking a sense of overwhelming force. By drawing on this term, the man suggests that he is under the control of a vast supernatural hostility, underscoring the severity of his condition.
Geographically, the region of the Gerasenes (also spelled Gadarenes in some translations) was part of the Decapolis—ten Hellenistic cities located primarily east of the Jordan River. Though this particular verse does not name the city explicitly, the surrounding narrative makes it clear that Jesus is on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. This land was marked by both Jewish and Gentile settlements, which sets the stage for the dramatic encounter with the demoniac. The man’s answer, “My name is Legion; for we are many,” (v.9) highlights the sheer weight of demonic possession he experiences, and it paves the way for Jesus’ subsequent demonstration of divine authority.
Spiritually, his self-revelation of being overwhelmed by numerous evil spirits points to the destructive hold these demons had on him, but it also sets the backdrop for the power of Christ to liberate and restore. Jesus, the central figure of the New Testament, validates His divine authority by engaging with this desperate man—a demonstration of Jesus’ compassion for those enslaved by darkness (see also Luke 8:30). This dramatic moment foreshadows the coming of the Kingdom of God, in which captives are set free and evil is decisively outrun by grace.
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Mark 5:9 meaning
In this passage, Jesus, whose public ministry occurred around 27-30 AD in the region of Judea and Galilee, confronts a man possessed by many demons as He ministers near the southeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, an area called the country of the Gerasenes. “And He was asking him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said to Him, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.” (v.9). In the Roman military context, a legion could number into the thousands, evoking a sense of overwhelming force. By drawing on this term, the man suggests that he is under the control of a vast supernatural hostility, underscoring the severity of his condition.
Geographically, the region of the Gerasenes (also spelled Gadarenes in some translations) was part of the Decapolis—ten Hellenistic cities located primarily east of the Jordan River. Though this particular verse does not name the city explicitly, the surrounding narrative makes it clear that Jesus is on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. This land was marked by both Jewish and Gentile settlements, which sets the stage for the dramatic encounter with the demoniac. The man’s answer, “My name is Legion; for we are many,” (v.9) highlights the sheer weight of demonic possession he experiences, and it paves the way for Jesus’ subsequent demonstration of divine authority.
Spiritually, his self-revelation of being overwhelmed by numerous evil spirits points to the destructive hold these demons had on him, but it also sets the backdrop for the power of Christ to liberate and restore. Jesus, the central figure of the New Testament, validates His divine authority by engaging with this desperate man—a demonstration of Jesus’ compassion for those enslaved by darkness (see also Luke 8:30). This dramatic moment foreshadows the coming of the Kingdom of God, in which captives are set free and evil is decisively outrun by grace.