Jesus is the message of Galatians. He is in every line,
behind every plea, and at the heart of every rebuke. Paul is not just writing
theology here—he is writing with urgency, emotion, and deep spiritual anguish.
Because when Jesus gets distorted, everything gets distorted. And in Galatians,
Paul is determined to bring them—and us—back to Jesus.
As I read Galatians, I see Paul holding up Jesus like a
banner—high, unwavering, and unashamed. Paul is not concerned with looking
scholarly here. He is not interested in tiptoeing around the issues. No, in
this letter, Paul is fighting for the truth of the Gospel—the Gospel that isJesus.
What strikes me most is that Paul does not waste time with
small talk. He skips the long greeting and goes straight for the heart of the
matter: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who
called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…”
(Galatians 1:6). That “different gospel”? One that adds works to grace. One
that subtracts the sufficiency of Jesus.
And Paul will not have it.
Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Jesus is not just a piece of the Galatian Gospel. He is the whole
thing.
Paul makes it clear—Jesus did not die on that cross so we
could keep dragging ourselves back under law, rules, performance, or trying to
earn God's love. The cross is enough. Jesus is enough. And anything else is a
lie.
I felt that.
I felt Paul’s frustration when he asked, “Did you receive
the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?”
(Galatians 3:2). I felt his heartbreak when he said, “My dear children, for
whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
(Galatians 4:19). And I felt his love when he wrote, “It is for freedom that
Christ has set us free…” (Galatians 5:1).
Paul wants Jesus formed in us—not just in word, but in
power. In freedom. In identity.
Jesus the Liberator
Jesus in Galatians is not just a teacher or an example. He
is a liberator.
He liberates us from:
- Trying
to earn salvation
- Living
under condemnation
- Letting
others define our righteousness
- Performing
instead of trusting
He brings us into:
- Grace
- Sonship
- Spirit-led
living
- True
freedom
Paul says it plainly: “I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...” (Galatians 2:20). That
verse hits every time. That is not poetic fluff. That is resurrection
reality. Jesus becomes the new life within us.
Jesus in Me. Jesus Over Me. Jesus Through Me.
By the time I finished Galatians, I saw Jesus more clearly
than I did when I started. Not because Paul made Him simple—but because Paul
made Him central.
And I get it now.
Jesus is not a figure we follow from afar. He is the center
of our faith, the source of our freedom, and the power that keeps us standing
when religion tries to drag us back into chains.
Jesus Is the Message. Do Not Add to Him.
I am so glad Paul wrote Galatians the way he did—sharp,
soulful, and full of spiritual fire. Because we still need to be reminded that Jesus
alone saves, transforms, and sustains.
And I am grateful that through Paul’s pen, we get to see
Jesus—not watered down, not dressed up in law, not reduced to a checklist.
But Jesus, crucified and risen.
Jesus, enough.
Jesus, everything.