What do demons in the Bible tell us about Jesus?

For the past two weeks,I’ve shared some of my research into demons and demonic possession in first century Israel and the surrounding lands. I’ve asked whether demons in the Bible were real and talked about how one becomes possessed be a demon. But the real question is this:

What do demons and demonic possession in the Bible tell us about Jesus?

When Jesus expels demons, as in Matthew 12:22, some of the crowd said, “Could this perhaps be the Son of David?”. But the Pharisees respond with the words, “This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”
Jesus provokes the opposition of the Pharisees, not because the Jewish leaders didn’t believe in demons, but because they didn’t believe in Jesus. And, even though the Pharisees didn’t believe in Jesus, the demons most certainly did. They announced who he was for all to hear:

“What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” Matthew 8:29

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:24

The demons the Jesus expelled recognized his power, even as the Pharisees denied it and called him a blasphemer.  Thus the demons play a positive role in the Gospels, that of announcing the identity of Jesus. They knew who he was, and were afraid.

So in this particular instance, who do you want to be like:

The Pharisees, who closed their eyes to the divinity of Jesus and denied his authority?

Or the demons, who recognized the son of God and knew his power over them?

In this particular instance, I’ll take the side of the demons.