A deranged man approached Jesus.  Satan had caused the man hurt by sending evil spirits to live inside of him.  Jesus confronted the demons and sent them out of the man and into a herd of pigs. The pigs then ran off a cliff and plunged to their death.

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

Bible verses used in this episode:
Mark 5:1-20
Ephesians 6:10-12

Outline:

1. A man living among tombs (Mark 5:1-5)
2. Jesus addresses the demons (Mark 5:6-13)
3. The town reacts (Mark 5:14-17)
4. The commission (Mark 5:18-20)

Extra Links:
Downloadable illustrations from Free Bible Images

Tips for teaching:

• To recreate the scene, tell this story by candlelight or in a dark room.
• Talk about the mercy of Jesus and apply that to ways we can be merciful to those around us.  For children, use examples such as a boy who has lost his dog, a girl that fell off the slide or a new child at school.
• Adults can discuss situations or habits that "possess" us and then ask God to use his power to remove them from our lives.  

Full teaching instructions available free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson:  Healing of a Demon-Possessed Man

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org