When he came to the other side, to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. (Mt 8:28-34)
Jesus is in a gentile territory. There are two demons, here in Matthew’s gospel. And they recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Son of God). They were so terrible that no one could travel by the road. It looks that they had a time frame for their activities. All the above statements tend to show that Jesus confronted the evil force. Evil force was destructive and it had its time bound activity. Jesus challenges this evil force and ends its activity before time. So Jesus arrival is to end the activity of evil force before time.
Through this story the author is saying that Jesus not only had authority to preach, teach, heal the sick (be it close at hand or at a distance), over the wind and waves, but also he had authority over evil forces. Jesus was not just a good man who did a lot of good to the others or he was not just a good preacher or a guide who helped people to build up relationship but he was someone with authority. He had authority over physical and non-physical world.
Wherever Jesus went the people asked him to stay with them, but here they asked him to depart. The people were afraid of him. Were they afraid because the lost the herd of pigs? We do not know. But certainly they did not recognize him to be the messiah. But the demon possessed men acknowledged him to be the messiah and also recognized the ministry of the Son of God. So Jesus was a force to be reckoned with.
