Mark 5.11-13: Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, (12) and they begged him saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” (13) So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. (ESV)
I believe there are insights that can be drawn from this event of the Legion of demons leaving the Gadarene demoniac and provoking the herd of pigs to rush down the cliff and to be drowned in the sea.
First, Jesus has absolute authority over the devil and all of his forces of demons. Legion and his group of demons bowed themselves down before Jesus and their submission set forth in the Gospel accounts show them as begging before Jesus. The devil doesn’t fight Jesus with any strength like it is a close arm-wrestling match and the devil might have a chance to win. No. The devil is completely outmatched by the power and authority of Jesus. So much so that by comparison to Jesus, the devil is without any power.
Likewise, God is the holder of all authority over this place set aside for the devil and his demons. Legion’s actions and begging show that Jesus held the authority to send them to the abyss. And this place of confinement is a horrible place. The abyss is not just some myth or ancient world metaphor. We can learn from the Legion that they were terrified of the abyss.
And another truth to draw from these events is how much Jesus loved and cared for this horribly tormented man of Gadara. Jesus worked all of this for the eternal wellbeing of a man who was a gigantic outcast from society. No one on the planet, no matter how seemingly insane or how seemingly isolated is beyond the reach and transforming love of Jesus. And Jesus is the one who travelled purposefully to this man. And in so doing Jesus brought about this encounter and worked the miracle of salvation of the demon possessed man.