The Naked Man

1. In this wonderful Scriptural, symbolic production we see Jesus coming to

the Gadarenes. When leaving the ship immediately there met him out of the
tombs (place of the dead) a man with an unclean spirit. No man could bind
him not even with chains.

2. He had been bound in fetters and chains, just as people are today. They had
been plucked asunder by him. Day and night he was in the mountains, and
with the dead, crying and cutting himself with stones – quite out of his
mind.

3. When this wild-man with an unclean spirit saw Jesus afar off, he ran and
worshipped him, saying, “What have I to do with thee Jesus, thou son of the
most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.”

4. Jesus said unto the unclean spirit, “Come out of him.” Then he asked the
man, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion for we are
many,” Mark 5:1-9. “We are many”. Legion was a personification of those
with an unclean spirit. Jesus was also a personification of one Spirit – the
Spirit of the God of love. Here the two spirits met face to face.

5. “There was a great herd of swine feeding near by. All the devils or unclean
spirits besought Jesus saying, Send us unto the swine, that we may enter
into them…And the unclean spirit went out and entered into the swine: the
swine then ran violently down a steep place into the sea and were chocked.”
See Mark 5:10-13.

6. When people came to Jesus to see what was done, and the “one” possessed
with the devil, “They saw Legion sitting clothed in his right mind.” Matt.
5:15.

7. Now Legion (being many) prayed that he might be with Jesus. Jesus said go
home and tell your friends. Legion departed and published in Decapolis,
how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” Legion
had been converted. See Mark 5: 14-20.

8. Consider now the scene of Christ’s betrayal and arrest. Jesus said, “I was
daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not…and all forsook
 him and fled.” “And there followed him a certain young man, (certain from
TIS representing divers or different kinds of men/women) having a linen
cloth cast about his naked body; could we say “clothed in his right mind?”
“Young men laid hold of him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from
them naked.” Mark 14: 51,52.

9. This certain young man having a linen cloth cast about him has great
significance. Linen in Greek is from SIDON or BYSSOS from Hebrew
BUWTS meaning to bleach, be white, fine white linen.

10.At Christ’s burial Joseph of Arimathaea wrapped Jesus body in a linen cloth
(cloth same word as above).

11.Those who came to see Jesus’ body saw a young man sitting on the right
side of the sepulcher, clothed in a long white garment…” See Mark 16:5.
White from LEUKOS or LUKE and means light. “I am the light of the
world.” This man was the “I am”. The word garment from STOLE was a
long fitting gown, a mark of dignity.

12.Just as Legion, clothed in his right mind, wore a linen cloth, likewise all
who experienced and witness resurrection or conversion have redeemed
liberty and dignity, through the grace of the indwelling God.

13.The great apocalyptic book of the New Testament, Revelation, sees “seven
angels coming out of the temple…clothed in pure and white linen…” They
have work to do during the harvest. Linen in this text comes from the Greek
word LINON meaning flax-linen, as linen is a product of flax = fine white
linen.

14.Noted, in Rev. 19:8 & 21:2, is the marriage supper of the “Lamb” and his
bride, the holy city, “new Jerusalem”. “To her was granted that she should
be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of the saints.”

15.You see, Legion, when converted and in his right mind, wanted to be with
Jesus, Mark 5:18.

Seeing Jesus taken by authority to be silenced, Legion still wanted to be with him
and followed him. Mark 14:51. Now Legion had a linen cloth cast about him, a
symbol of the righteousness of saints. When the young men laid hold of him
Legion left the linen cloth and fled from them. He left them righteousness. He left
them all he had. It was a complete sacrifice, a burnt offering. Better than leaving
them fetters and chains, don’t you think?

Jean Cooke