And behold, they cried out, What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? The demons recognize Jesus immediately — Son of God, the title the voice at the baptism used — and ask the right theological question: have you come before the time? The demons know there is an appointed time for their judgment and destruction (Revelation 20:10); they are asking whether Jesus is initiating the final judgment ahead of schedule. The torment they fear is not the exorcism but the eschatological destruction. Their fear communicates their own understanding of Jesus' identity: they know who he is and what his presence means for their future.

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