Jesus Has Power Over Evil

UNIT KEY PASSAGE
● Psalm 103:2-3 (Babies and Toddlers: Psalm 103:3)

NEXT WEEK
● “Jesus Healed a Woman and Raised a Girl” (Mark 5:21-43)

Dear Parents,

Jesus had enemies. In the midst of His public ministry, the Jewish religious leaders began plotting to kill Him. (See Mark 3:6.) So one day, Jesus went to a land on the east side of the Sea of Galilee where Gentiles lived. Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles was not a backup plan after the Jews rejected Him; when Jesus was an infant, Simeon prophesied that His work would be for all people—both Jews and Gentiles. (See Luke 2:30-32.)

In that land was a man who needed help. An evil spirit was inside the man, and he suffered greatly. The people had tried to control the man by tying him up with chains, but the man broke free. So he lived alone in the tombs, crying out day and night.

When Jesus stepped ashore, the man ran to Him and kneeled down. Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many evil spirits were in the man, and Jesus gave the evil spirits permission to go into a herd of pigs. They did, and the man was healed.

The healed man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told the man to go home to his own people and tell what the Lord had done for him. The man obeyed Jesus. He testified to the cities in that area about the Lord’s mercy, and the Gentiles were amazed.

Jesus is Lord over all things, good and evil. In His teaching, Jesus said, “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Matt. 12:28). Jesus—as well as the Bible—is clear that Satan exists, and he and the demons work against God and His purposes.

Only Jesus had the strength to control the man with the evil spirits. Jesus has power over evil, and He used His power to free the man. He has power over everything. Jesus came to earth to destroy the Devil by dying on the cross. One day, Jesus will end evil forever.