Jesus Heals A Demon-Possessed Man

Dear Parents, Guardians, Teachers:

Our story today shows us the power of Jesus as seen in his ability to converse with powers of darkness that we humans cannot even see. He commanded the demons to transfer into the herd of nearby pigs. The pigs ran into the sea and drowned.

For many people a deranged wild man who lived in a cemetery would be someone to avoid. Instead of ignoring the man’s suffering, Jesus saw beyond the man’s outward condition. In an event very foreign to us today, Jesus actually spoke to the evil spirits inside the man and sent them out of the man and into a herd of pigs. The pigs then ran over a cliff to their death. Satan caused the man hurt by sending evil spirits to live inside of him.  Jesus had mercy on the man and used his superior power to help him.

Satan hurts people and wants them to suffer. Jesus is stronger than Satan.  He loves people so he helps them and saves them from Satan.

Scripture Reference: (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39)

Memory Verse:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

(Psalm 1 47:3)

Bible Lesson:

We’re going to read a story today about a man who was possessed by a demon. That means a demon went into his body with his soul and made the man turn dark on the inside. But then, Jesus came and healed the man! The man believed in Jesus and invited God to come into His life. The green color you see is because when we invite God to come into our lives, He makes our souls healthy and alive, like the grass that grows outside.

(Read Matthew 8:28.)
“When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.”

The two men were possessed by demons. What is a demon? (An evil spirit.)
So, an evil spirit went inside both of these men and made them go crazy and do bad things. Can a demon go inside of anybody they want to? (No.)

Demons can only go into people who don’t believe in God. God protects His followers from demons. God’s followers can’t have demons inside them because the Holy Spirit is living inside of them, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t let any demons come into you.

(Read Matthew 8:29.)
“’What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?’”

Were these demons afraid of Jesus? (Yes.)

They asked Jesus if He was going to torture them. The demons are afraid of Jesus because they know that when Jesus comes back, He will send all of the demons to Hell and not let them bother people or go inside people anymore.

(Read Matthew 8:30-32.)
“Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, ‘If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’

“He said to them, ‘Go!’ So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.”

Jesus told the demons to come out of the men. What did the demons want to do? (They wanted to go inside some pigs.)

And Jesus told them they could go inside the pigs. Why do you think Jesus let the demons go into the pigs?
(The demons asked and Jesus was nice to them. Jesus can even be nice to the demons if He wants to be.)

But then, the demons made the pigs go crazy and run off the cliff.

(Read Matthew 8:33-34.)
“Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.”

After Jesus made the demons leave the two men, it says that the people who lived in that town all asked Jesus to leave. Why do you think they asked Him to leave?

They were probably afraid of Him because He was so powerful that He could even make the demons listen to Him. They also might have been upset about that He let the demons go into the pigs and kill the pigs.

Review Questions:

1. Where did the man possessed by evil spirits live? In a cemetery (tombs)

2. What did the demon-possessed man tear off of his hands and feet? Chains

3. Where did the evil spirits go when Jesus cast them out? Into a herd of pigs

4. When Jesus cast the evil spirits into the herd of pigs, what then happened to the pigs? They ran off a cliff into water and drowned.

Learning Activities After the Lesson

1. Have your kids watch the animated story: Jesus Casts Out Demons

2. Craft: Video clip (2 minutes and 30 seconds) on how to make paper chains.

Sources: Ministry To Children, Mission Bible Class, Simple Kids Crafts