Many of us may be aware of one of the ultimate “dude movies” of all time “300”, starring Gerard Butler, which was based on the actual historical event “The Battle of Thermopylae”
Around the start of this battle, the Persian army invaded, and a Greek force of approximately 7,000 men led by Leonidas I marched north to block the pass of Thermopylae. The Persian army, estimated by ancient authors to number in the millions, and by modern scholars to be between 120,000 and 300,000 soldiers, arrived at Thermopylae by late August or early September. During two full days of battle, the Greeks blocked the only road by which the massive Persian army could traverse the narrow pass. After the second day, a local resident named Ephialtes revealed to the Persians the existence of a path leading behind the Greek lines. Subsequently, Leonidas, aware that his force was being outflanked by the Persians, dismissed the bulk of the Greek army and remained to guard their retreat along with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians. The Greeks fought the Persians to the death in one of history’s most famous last stands.
The Greek army was vastly outnumbered by the Persian Army, and yet, through military tactics and straight up grit, defeated them in one of the greatest recorded underdog victories of all time.
But Jesus was no underdog. He was and is the only real “alpha dog”. We’re talking about one who helped to create the heavens and the earth, and in this instance of the exorcism of legion, we were getting a glimpse into what His glorified, heavenly glory would really be like. We were getting a glimpse into the kind of authority He really had.
And let me tell you right now, if you’re battling depression, anxiety, insanity, mental health issues, debilitating addiction, suicidal ideation, marginalization, social ostracization, or any other mental, psychological, and emotional issue, Jesus has the power to bring healing like you could never imagine.
Dig into this Deep Dive Study Guide to find out more!