It is rare to see the raw power of evil.  Jesus was about to free Legion from the many demons that had controlled and manipulated his life.  Clearly, Jesus was now in charge.  Instead of the poor tormented man being at the mercy of evil, it was the agents of Satan who implored Jesus not to torment them before their appointed time (Matthew 8:29).  They were desperate to inhabit something and stay in control.  Having commanded them to leave the man, Jesus allowed them to terrorise the pigs.  The result was dramatic.  Very visibly, as the man’s wild nature quietened (Luke 8:35), the pigs tried in vain to shake off the demons as they ran down the hill.  All the pigs drowned.  The destructive power of evil had done its worst.

But why did Jesus allow this carnage?  Firstly, it was a warning to Satan that his wicked rule would be challenged until it was destroyed, because God’s King had come (Luke 11:20).  Secondly, it was divine compassion for a tormented man.  Thirdly, it would be evidence of the power of Jesus to the local townsfolk, jolting them out of their indifference to the Saviour.  But it also showed the disciples the extent of the devil's wicked power which could only be handled by Jesus.  As the trainee leaders of the Early Church, they would need to know that, in Jesus' Name, they could deal with Satan head on, and win.

Some have asked about the ethics of Jesus 'destroying the pigs'. Well, actually, it was not Jesus who brought destruction on the large herd, but Satan.  The drowned carcasses of the swine were a potent reminder of Satan's nature, to destroy and kill (John 8:44; John 10:10).  The demons had been operating in that naked man for so long and he had been held under sentence of death by the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15).  Jesus changed all that and considered the spiritual freedom of one man to be more significant than the loss of hundreds of pigs (Luke 12:7).

The values of Jesus are refreshingly wonderful in a greedy and corrupt world.  He put the salvation of one person above the wealth of a town; and He exposed the way in which Satan operates by showing that wickedness has great power.  In other words, the devil must be dealt with, and Jesus is the only One who can do it!  This was going to be the message of the cross and Pentecost, sparking the church into action around the world for the next two thousand years and more.  The disciples needed to see this message in action so that they might preach with confidence and have no fear of evil. We need that same assurance today.  Surrounded by evil, we must not be intimidated from our purpose as servants of the gospel; and so this account was included to encourage us that however strong the opposition, Jesus is able to rescue souls who have been held captive by Satan (Hebrews 7:25).