What does Matthew 8:31 mean?
Jesus has been confronted by two demon-possessed men. The demons know Jesus is the Son of God and that He will order them out of the men. They know, also, that they will have no choice but to obey whatever command He gives to them (Matthew 8:28–30). The "herd" of pigs nearby is not a small cluster, but several thousand animals (Mark 5:13).Now the demons appear to accept their impending fate. Luke tells us that they didn't want to be sent into the abyss (Luke 8:31), while Mark says they did not want to be sent out of the country (Mark 5:10). The abyss was understood to be a place where demons were kept until the time of God's judgment (Revelation 9:1–2). Rather than face those options, the demons beg to be sent into the pigs, instead. Scripture does not specify how this would be ultimately any different, given how the animals respond (Matthew 8:32). Still this is their plea.
Matthew 8:28–34 describes what happens when Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a mostly Gentile region. He is immediately confronted by two demon-possessed men who live in tombs. The demons recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and ask if He has come to torment them. They beg Jesus to cast them into a huge herd of pigs visible in the distance. He does so and the pigs immediately run straight into the sea and drown. The men are freed from the demons, but the people of the region ask Jesus to leave.
Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus' authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man's amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.
