How Does Jesus Change Broken People?
Pastor Caleb Culver
June 7, 2026 Message Recap
On September 11, 2001, a photograph captured something that stopped people cold.
While thousands streamed down the stairwells of the World Trade Center, one man was going up. Firefighter Mike Kehoe was moving toward the very thing everyone else was running from. It felt unnatural because it was. Instinct says run from danger—heroes run toward it.
That is exactly what Jesus does in Mark 5.
He had just calmed a storm on the sea, and instead of pulling into a familiar port, He crossed into Gentile territory—pagan land, Satan's most uncontested ground—and stepped out of the boat into the most unclean place imaginable.
Waiting for Him was a man who had been chained, broken, and eventually given up on. He lived among the tombs, cut himself with stones, and cried out through the night. No one had been able to help him. Everyone had stopped trying, but Jesus walked straight toward him.
This is the most detailed account of demonic possession in all of Scripture, and Mark does not let us look away from it.
The enemy's goal in this man's life was total captivity, and it had nearly succeeded. But what the disciples were about to witness was not just an exorcism. It was a clash of Kingdoms. The Kingdom of heaven stepped onto the enemy's territory and announced its arrival.
Here is what makes this moment theologically staggering: the uncleanness did not spread to Jesus. His holiness spread to the unclean.
That is not how contamination works in the natural world, but it is exactly how the Kingdom of God works. Jesus does not keep His distance to stay pure. He moves close, and His nearness changes everything around Him.
With a single command, not a ritual or an incantation, the demons fled. Jesus exercises authority by direct sovereign command. There is nobody like Him. He speaks, and the storm is silenced. He speaks, and the demons flee. He speaks, and the shame that has gripped a person for decades simply falls away.
And moments later, the man who had been cutting himself among the tombs was sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed, calm, and in his right mind. Jesus sent him back to his community with one instruction: go tell your friends what the Lord has done for you.
He did not give him a theology degree or a ministry title.
He gave him a testimony. That man became one of the greatest witnesses in the New Testament, proclaiming through an entire region what Jesus had done, and everyone who heard him marveled.
The question Jesus is still asking is this: who are you willing to move toward?
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About Radiant Church
Founded in 1996, Radiant Church has grown into a multi-location church committed to biblical teaching, discipleship, and mission.
At Radiant Church, there is an invitation to grow in your spiritual journey, build meaningful community, and truly get connected. We are passionate about helping people grow in faith, encounter the Presence of God, and become part of a church grounded in Spirit and truth.