BEMA Episode Link: 101: The Other Side
Episode Length: 39:56
Published Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2019 01:00:00 -0800
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue in Matthew’s narrative by jumping to the gospel of Mark, traveling to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Discussion Video for BEMA 101

BEMA 88: Setting the Stage

Transcript for BEMA 101

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 101: The Other Side - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 101 - The Other Side
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Mark 4:35-5:20 (parallel to Matthew’s narrative)

This episode explores Jesus’s deliberate journey across the Sea of Galilee to the Decapolis region, where he encounters and heals a demon-possessed man. The teaching examines the cultural significance of crossing to “the other side,” the symbolic nature of water in Jewish thought, and Jesus’s mission to bring the Kingdom of God to outsiders and pagans. The story reveals how one untrained, healed individual sharing his story catalyzed the eventual Christianization of an entire pagan region.

Key Takeaways

  • Jesus intentionally crosses cultural and religious boundaries by traveling to pagan territory in the Decapolis
  • The disciples resist going to “the other side” because it violates their religious upbringing and cultural norms
  • Large bodies of water represented chaos and the abyss in Jewish thought, not just physical danger
  • Jesus deliberately references the story of Jonah by sleeping on a cushion during the storm
  • The disciples demonstrate their knowledge of Torah by recognizing Jesus’s authority over creation (Psalm 107, Psalm 89)
  • The demon-possessed man represents the ultimate outsider - rejected by both Jewish and Greco-Roman society
  • Jesus sends the healed man to share his story rather than receive formal theological training
  • Personal testimony is powerful enough to transform entire communities, as evidenced by the later Christianization of Hippos
  • The Greco-Roman world resists the Kingdom of God because it threatens their economic systems and social structures
  • The Bishop of Hippos later helped pen the Nicene Creed, showing the lasting impact of one healed man’s testimony

Main Concepts & Theories

The Geography of Outsiders

The Sea of Galilee served as a dividing line between Jewish religious culture (the “triangle” of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin) and pagan culture (the Decapolis on the eastern shore). Later rabbinical tradition stated that even uttering the word “Decapolis” made a person unclean for seven days. Jesus’s command to cross to “the other side” would have been deeply uncomfortable for his disciples.

The Symbolism of Water in Jewish Thought

In Jewish understanding, large bodies of water symbolized chaos dating back to Genesis 1, where the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. While flowing water from springs or rain (maim chaim - “living water”) represented life and came from God, large static bodies of water like the Sea of Galilee represented the abyss or underworld. Luke’s Gospel explicitly refers to the Sea of Galilee as “the abyss” twice in this account.

The Jonah Parallel

Jesus sleeping on a cushion during the storm deliberately echoes Jonah’s story. Just as Jonah was called to bring God’s message to the pagan Ninevites and resisted, Jesus’s disciples resist going to the pagans of the Decapolis. The parallel serves as rabbinical teaching - Jesus acts out the text to help his disciples understand their mission to outsiders.

Textual References and Jewish Learning

When Jesus calms the storm by saying “Quiet, be still” (or “hush”), he uses language directly from the Psalms (Psalm 107:23-32 and Psalm 89:9). The disciples’ response - “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him” - echoes Psalm 89:5-8’s refrain “Who is like the Lord?” This demonstrates that the disciples are not bumbling idiots but well-trained Jewish students who recognize the scriptural references even in moments of crisis.

The Gerusim - The Cast Out Ones

The manuscript variations (Gerasenes, Gadarenes, Gergesenes) likely all attempt to translate the Hebrew term “Gerusim,” meaning “the cast out ones.” This references the seven Gentile nations cast out of Canaan in Joshua 3:10. In rabbinical tradition, the Decapolis was known as the land of the Gerusim. The number seven often represents the Gentile nations in Jewish numerology.

The Political Symbolism of Legion

The demon’s name “Legion” carries heavy political weight. The 10th Roman Legion was stationed just north of Susita (Hippos), and their standard was a boar/pig. The story contains layered political commentary: demons named Legion enter pigs (the Roman standard) and are sent into the abyss (the sea). This represents the ultimate defeat of Roman imperial power through the Kingdom of God.

The Ultimate Outsider

The demon-possessed man represents complete social rejection. He was:

  • Rejected by Jewish society (living in Gentile territory)
  • Rejected by Greco-Roman society (forced to live in tombs)
  • Unable to be controlled or helped (broke chains and irons)
  • Living among the dead (tombs)
  • Self-destructive (cutting himself with stones)
  • Naked and mentally ill

Jesus chose to restore this man who had no place in any social system, demonstrating the radical inclusivity of the Kingdom.

The Threat of Kingdom Economics

The Greco-Roman townspeople’s response reveals an important truth: they ask Jesus to leave after witnessing the miracle. The Kingdom of God threatened their economic security (2,000 pigs represented significant financial loss) and their social structures (the healed man no longer fit in his assigned box). This mirrors modern resistance to the Kingdom - we prefer comfort and economic security over God’s transformative work.

Story Over Training

Jesus refuses to take the healed man as a disciple despite his having no family, job, or community ties - he would have been the perfect candidate. Instead, Jesus sends him with only his personal story. This man received perhaps an hour or two of conversation with Jesus, no theological training, no Bible knowledge, yet his testimony alone was sufficient to begin transforming the Decapolis.

The Long-Term Impact

When Jesus returns to the Decapolis later in the Gospels, 4,000 people come to meet him. Archaeological evidence shows that Hippos (Susita) eventually became heavily Christianized with seven churches and a cathedral. The Bishop of Hippos was one of the key figures who helped pen the Nicene Creed, one of Christianity’s most foundational statements of faith. One healed man’s story catalyzed this transformation.

Examples & Applications

Modern Resistance to Kingdom Work

Just as the Greco-Roman townspeople asked Jesus to leave because he threatened their economy, modern Christians often resist Kingdom work when it threatens our comfort, economic security, or social systems. We may love studying the Kingdom theologically while practically resisting its implementation because it would disrupt our comfortable lives.

The Power of Personal Testimony

The healed demoniac had no seminary training, no Bible college degree, no small group experience, no 101 class - only his story of what Jesus did for him. Yet his story was powerful enough to transform an entire pagan region. This reminds us that formal theological training, while valuable, is not a prerequisite for Kingdom mission. Our personal encounter with Jesus and willingness to share it can have profound impact.

Crossing Cultural Boundaries

Jesus deliberately crossed the cultural and religious boundaries of his day, going to places “respectable” Jews would never go. This challenges modern believers to examine what boundaries we’ve erected and what “other sides” we resist crossing. Who are the modern equivalents of the Decapolis - the people and places we consider too pagan, too broken, or too far from God?

Recognizing Biblical Patterns

The disciples demonstrated deep scriptural knowledge by connecting Jesus’s actions to Jonah and the Psalms even during a crisis. This shows the value of knowing Scripture deeply enough that we can recognize God’s patterns of work in real-time situations.

The Journey Matters as Much as the Destination

The disciples wanted to turn back after demonstrating they “got the lesson” about Jesus’s authority. But Jesus wasn’t just teaching a theological point - he was taking them on a mission to actual people. Sometimes we’re content with intellectual understanding when God is calling us to uncomfortable obedience.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  • The significance of the number seven in Jewish thought and its connection to Gentile nations
  • The full story of Jonah and its parallels to Jesus’s mission to outsiders
  • The development of early Christianity in the Decapolis region and the role of Hippos
  • The 10th Roman Legion, their history in the region, and the political climate of first-century Decapolis
  • The concept of mamzer (outsiders/illegitimate ones) and how Jesus addresses this throughout his ministry
  • Other instances where Jesus calms chaos (storms, demons, etc.) and Old Testament parallels
  • The feeding of the 4,000 in the Decapolis and its significance
  • The archaeological evidence from Susita/Hippos including the seven churches and cathedral
  • The development and significance of the Nicene Creed in Christian history
  • Jewish attitudes toward water, the sea, and ritual purity
  • The geography and culture of the Decapolis cities
  • Jesus’s other encounters with Gentiles and the expansion of his mission beyond Israel

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why were the disciples reluctant to cross the Sea of Galilee to the Decapolis, and what cultural and religious factors influenced their resistance? How does Jesus’s command to go “to the other side” challenge their understanding of their mission?

  2. Explain the significance of Jesus sleeping on a cushion during the storm. What Old Testament story does this reference, and what message is Jesus communicating to his disciples through this action?

  3. How do the disciples demonstrate their knowledge of Scripture in their response to Jesus calming the storm? What specific Psalms are they referencing, and what does this reveal about their level of training?

  4. Describe the multiple layers of political and spiritual symbolism in the demon being named “Legion” and being sent into pigs. What would this imagery have communicated to both Jewish and Gentile audiences?

  5. Why does Jesus refuse to take the healed demoniac as a disciple, and what does this teach about the requirements for Kingdom mission? How did this man’s testimony ultimately impact the Decapolis region, and what does this reveal about the power of personal story versus formal theological training?

Personal Summary

This episode reveals Jesus’s intentional mission to break through religious and cultural boundaries by traveling to pagan territory. The journey to “the other side” represents far more than a simple boat trip - it symbolizes crossing into chaos, confronting the abyss, and bringing the Kingdom of God to the ultimate outsiders. The disciples’ resistance mirrors Jonah’s reluctance to minister to pagans, but Jesus persists in expanding their understanding of God’s inclusive love.

The demon-possessed man represents complete social rejection by both Jewish and Greco-Roman societies. Yet Jesus restores him fully and commissions him with only his personal story - no theological training required. This untrained man’s simple testimony catalyzed the transformation of the entire Decapolis region, eventually leading to the Christianization of Hippos and the penning of the Nicene Creed by the Bishop of Hippos.

The story challenges us to examine our own resistance to Kingdom work when it threatens our comfort, economic security, or social structures. Like the Greco-Roman townspeople who asked Jesus to leave, we often prefer maintaining our systems over embracing God’s transformative power. Yet like the healed demoniac, we’re called to cross boundaries, share our stories, and trust that God can use even our limited understanding to bring his Kingdom to the most unlikely places.

Study Note: This episode mentions that Marty reserves his “main thunderous conclusion” for those who experience this teaching on-site in Israel. These notes represent the content shared in the podcast, but additional insights are available through BEMA’s travel experiences.

Original Notes

  • Mark 4:35-5:20
  • 88: Setting the Stage Presentation
  • Crossing to the other side
    • Fear of the “other side” especially the Bethsaida boys.
    • “Just as he was” may imply tension between Jesus as the disciples.
      • I said, “Get in the boat!”
      • Why use a boat when we can walk? It’s not that far of a walk.
      • See the map.
    • Fear of the abyss.
      • Bodies of water are NOT living water.
      • Bodies of water represent chaos.
      • Anytime we get on the water, a storm comes up.
        • Creation
        • Jonah
        • This story to the other side
        • Jesus walks on water
      • Fishing off the shore is different from going across the entire lake.
  • The storm on the water
    • Remez to Jonah
      • Reference to ships?
      • Jesus is sleeping on a cushion–Jonah was sleeping on a cushion
      • Jesus took his disciples to the Gentiles–God took Jonah to the Gentiles in Nineveh.
      • Jesus tells the waves to stop.
        • “Be quiet! Calm Down!”
        • Why say it like that? It’s in the text.
        • Psalm 107: 23-32 (bonus: reference to ships?)
      • Are the disciples idiots or do they catch the references?
        • Who is this man that the wind and the sea obey him
        • Psalm 89:9 (Who is like this? Who is like the Lord?)
        • Marty thinks they know their text so well that they get it and are reciting text back to their Rabbi.
  • The otherside, the land of the who? The Gerusemes, Gaderenes, Gergesenes, or Gerruseme?
    • We don’t know who this verse refers to.
    • There is exactly one place on the sea where there is a cliff.
      • The pig farmers will leave their pigs and immediately run into town.
      • If they go Gerusa, that’s a 60 mile round trip.
      • If they go to Gadera, that’s also a 60 mile round trip and in the other direction.
      • If they go to Gergesa, but we have never found any place with that name.
      • What is a more possible options is that it’s referencing the Gerruseme and the Greek Translators did not know how to translate that when it was translated.
        • Gerruseme refers to the cast out ones.
        • Seven nations from Joshua 3:10: Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
        • Those seven nations became known as the Geruseme or “the cast out ones.”
        • Ted: The only way that we’ll be complete is when we include the Gentiles as well.
          • Re: the number seven being a reference to Gentiles and completeness.
  • The possessed man
    • The possessed man immediately runs to them.
    • Marty thinks we’re talking about Hippos and/or Susita.
    • Mental illness versus demon possession.
    • Brent: Mark does not mention the man’s nakedness. Is that referenced in another Gospel?
    • Reference to Legion: The name of the demon/s or the Roman Legion?
      • Just north of Susita was where the 10th Roman Legion was stationed.
      • The legion’s image was the bore.
      • Connection between the pigs and the symbol of the Roman Legion?
      • The demons ask Jesus not to send them into the abyss and instead into the pigs. So he does what they ask and then the pigs sent themselves into the abyss anyway.
    • The men run away to the town (Hippos or Susita).
    • The men from the town meet Jesus and ask him to leave.
      • We don’t want the Kingdom of God
      • It will be disruptive and ruin everything.
      • Same for our society?
    • Jesus tells the man no when asked if he could join Jesus and his disciples. Why?
      • Jesus: No… Go and tell others about what the Lord has done for you.
      • This man is NOT theologically trained and Jesus sends him away anyway.
      • Marty will argue we should know our text better BUT even when we don’t, a story is still enough.
    • All you need is a story.
      • The man does what Jesus asks.
      • In all Gospels, Jesus only shows up here twice. When he meets with this man and when he feeds the 4000.
      • The man tells his story and. it. worked.
      • Not only is the 4000 impacted but hundreds of years later, this place becomes Christianized.
      • The Bishop of Hippos, according to church history, penned the Nicean creed either by himself or as part of a group.
      • All of this because a single, untrained man shared his story about interacting with Jesus.

Questions

  • Key Takeaways
    • Context of where he’s at, what it means to be on the other side of the lake, the Geruseme, the Gaderenes or whoever, and other pieces of historical context.
      • It is a stunning, shocking move for Jesus to deliberately take his disciples to the other side of the lake.
      • Most Jews wouldn’t be caught dead there.
    • The significance of your story and not your training.
      • The demon possessed man had no training.
      • He tells his story.
      • He influenced thousands in Hippos and its bishop who contributed to the Nicene Creed.
    • The idea that we would have to follow Jesus where we ourselves wouldn’t be caught dead, talking to people we find disgusting, to bring kingdom to those who “aren’t in” (as it were thinking back to the sermon on the mount).
  • Head
    • Historical context.
    • Decapolis.
    • Was it the Gerusemes, Gaderenes, Gergesenes, or Gerruseme?
    • The passages that precede and follow this story?
    • What about Jesus falling asleep and its significance to Tanakh and specifically Jonah as he’s on his way to minister to Gentiles, who are clearly a group that the disciples, like Jonah, would not have wanted to go meet with?
  • Heart
    • Your story is enough.
      • What is your story?
      • Some people think their story is pretty normal.
      • Some think they don’t have a story.
      • Everyone has a story…
  • Hands
    • How do we tell our story well?
      • How do we tell an effective story?
      • Do we ramble?
      • This is how I tell my story.
      • This is the important aspect of my story, how Jesus moved/s.
      • How can we be prepared to tell our story well? How can we improve our story?

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