Mark 5
1On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes. 2As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. 3This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. 4Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him. 7And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!” 8For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!” 9“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region. 11There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. 12So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. 14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs. 17And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region. 18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him. 19But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.” 20So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed. 21When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea. 22A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet 23and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.” 24So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him. 25And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. 26She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse. 27When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?” 31His disciples answered, “You can see the crowd pressing in on You, and yet You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32But He kept looking around to see who had done this. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth. 34“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.” 35While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?” 36But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” 37And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly. 39He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” 40And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child. 41Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” 42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old, and at once they were utterly astounded. 43Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something to eat.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.