And Jesus immediately permitted them. And the unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs, and the herd, about two thousand, rushed toward the sea and was drowned in the sea.
This episode is very deep and sobering. When the demons enter the pigs, the whole herd is destroyed. This visibly shows what the true aim of evil is. It never brings life, peace, or good. It leads to madness, ruin, and death. This event is a simple testimony of what was happening in that man’s soul before Christ’s coming. If He had not set him free, his end would have been the same destruction. Thus, the loss of the pigs is grievous from an outward perspective, but it reveals the great value of a person’s salvation. In the destruction of the whole herd it becomes clear what deadly tyranny a person is being delivered from. This also reminds us that a human soul is more precious than earthly possessions.