“I no Longer live”
Galatians 2:20
WEEK 2 – 3.22.2026
Easter is not just a holiday… It is the CENTER of Everything
EASTER declares:
? Jesus died for our sins on the CROSS
? He was buried
? And on the third day… He rose again…the TOMB is EMPTY
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NIV):
“Christ died for our sins… he was buried… he was raised on the third day…”
But Easter is not:
? just about what happened to Jesus…
? It’s about what happens to us
The Apostle Paul says Galatians 2:20 (NIV):
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live…”
Easter means:
? The old you can die
? And a new you can LIVE
Easter is a big deal for everyone:
- because we all have sin that needs forgiveness
- and because Jesus displayed His love for us on the CROSS
That’s why Easter matters:
? Because Easter is not just about a resurrection…
? It’s about your resurrection
Easter proves that Jesus has the power to bring dead things to life.
But here is the CATCH:
? Jesus won't compete with you for the throne of your heart.
? He didn't come to be your co-pilot; He came to be your Pilot.
For Him to live in you:
? The 'you' that wants to run the show has to STAND DOWN.
? The Christian life begins by declaring The End of Self-Rule."
1. The end of Self-Rule
When we come to Christ:
- we MUST surrender to His Lordship
- there is a new boss
- and it is Christ, not us who is in charge
You can’t follow Christ and still be in charge
On a trip recently:
- I rented a car, it was a fancy “Chevrolet Equinox”
- it had all the features…
- I soon discovered I did not like the car
The car seemed to have a mind of its own:
- if I got too close to someone it would slow me down
- if I thought I wasn’t in the exact center of the lane
- it would somehow take control of the steering wheel and
- pull the car in direction it wanted me to go.
At first, I had no idea what was going on
The car thought it was helpful:
- and maybe it was making me safer
- but I did not like to constantly be undermined by the car
- I did not like the car telling me how to drive.
Eventually I learned how to disable all the “self-driving” controls on the car
In hindsight:
- the car was helping me be safer
- but I still do not like the car
The reason I don’t like the car:
- is that I like to be the one in control
- I do not want to hear input that says I am going the wrong direction
- I don’t want to hear any correction or input…
I want to be the master of my fate:
- I want to do things my way
- Don’t tell me what to do…
- No one is the boss of me…
And I think….
- that is how many of us approach God
- we’ll take Love, the forgiveness and the comfort
- but “Don’t try to be the boss of me”
But God requires full surrender…death even…
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
— Galatians 2:20
It is natural for us to want to have things our way:
- but our way leads us into sin and death
- it is God’s way that leads to salvation, forgiveness, eternal life and PEACE
It is time to surrender to God:
- ask the Lord to lead you
- die to yourself and live with Christ in you
- let go of the need to be in control, let go sin
Freedom and new life come:
? only when we fully let go and
? surrender to Jesus
? dying with Him so we can truly live.
2. Death PRODUCES LIFE
In John 12, everything is building toward the cross:
• Lazarus has been raised, and Jesus’ popularity is rising.
• Crowds follow Him from Bethany into Jerusalem.
• He rides in on a donkey, and the people shout, “Hosanna!”
It looks like Jesus is about to be Crowned King—but then JESUS begins talking about death.
Jesus teaches a truth that runs straight through the cross:
• The truth is that, If we cling to our life, it remains small and fruitless.
• But if we surrender it, even to death,
• Then, God brings a harvest of eternal life.
John 12:24–25 (NIV)
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Imagine a seed:
? It has a hard shell designed to keep everything inside 'safe.'
? But that safety is actually a prison.
To become a harvest:
? that shell has to crack.
? It must be buried in the dark, and
? it must fall apart…it has to die
Jesus is speaking of His own death:
• He will go to the cross
• He will be buried
• And through that death, He will bring life to many
The cross is not defeat—it is the doorway to life.
The miracle of the Resurrection isn't just:
? that Jesus came out of the grave; it’s that He went into it.
? Jesus did not owe anything, yet He offers us EVERYTHING
Like a seed:
? Our lives must hit the ground and die
? If we are buried with Him,
? we rise to a life that multiplies far beyond ourselves.
Glory, in God’s kingdom, comes through cross—not a throne.
This is the paradox of the cross:
• Live for yourself ? lose everything
• Die to yourself ? gain eternal life
That message cuts against our world’s messaging:
• “Do what makes you happy”
• “Climb higher”
• “Protect your life at all costs”
But Jesus says:
- Take up your cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)
This kind of death shows up in everyday life:
• Letting go of control
• Surrendering your plans to God
• Repenting of sin
• Forgiving when it hurts
• Obeying even when it costs
At the heart of it is one question: Am I clinging to my life… or laying it down at the cross?
3. A new IDENTITY begins
In the 2002 movie “The Bourne Identity”
There’s a scene that gives us a picture of identity:
? A man is pulled from the ocean…
? Alive—but with no memory
Jason Bourne doesn’t know:
? His name
? His past
? Who he is
As the story unfolds, he discovers:
? He was Jason Bourne
? A trained assassin
? A man with a violent past
And here’s the turning point:
o He realizes… I don’t want to be that man anymore
So what does he do?
? He walks away from his old life
? He rejects his former identity
? He chooses a different path
That’s a powerful story…
? But the gospel goes deeper than that
? Because Bourne had to walk away from his past…
But in Christ…
? Your old self doesn’t just get walked away from
? It gets crucified
Paul doesn’t say in Galatians 2:20:
? “I improved my life”
? “I changed my habits”
He says:
? “I have been crucified with Christ” - Galatians 2:20
That means:
? The old “me” is dead
? The old identity is gone
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
In the movie:
Jason Bourne still lived with the memory of who he was
But in Jesus:
? Your past is not just remembered differently
? Your old self is put to death
The old you, with it’s:
o Sin
o Guilt
o Shame
o Condemnation
Scripture says that person is dead and gone:
o “The old has gone, the new is here”
The problem is:
o Many Christians are still living like the old person
Still thinking:
o “That’s just who I am”
o “I’ll always struggle like this”
But if you are in Christ:
o That person was nailed to the cross
When Jesus went to the cross…
• He didn’t just die for you
• You died with Him
And when Jesus rose again:
? You didn’t come back the same
? You came back new
In Christ:
• You are not your past
• You are not your sin
• You are a new creation in Christ
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
o In Christ, we are not who we were
o Salvation changes who lives, not just how we live
To be “in Christ” means you are:
? united with Him in His death and resurrection,
? forgiven of sin,
? given a new identity,
? empowered to live a new life,
? and promised eternal hope.
Being “IN CHRIST” is not:
? just believing something about Jesus
? it’s being placed into Him,
? where His life becomes your life.
A man buys a brand-new chainsaw:
? The salesman says: “This will cut a lot of wood”
? He takes it home…
? Works all day…
He Struggles… sweats… barely gets anything done:
? He comes back frustrated: “This thing doesn’t work!”
The store worker takes it…
? Pulls the cord…
? The engine roars to life
? The man jumps back and says: “What’s that noise?!”
The problem wasn’t the chainsaw…
? The problem was that
? He never accessed the power
? He never turned it on
There are people trying to live the Christian life like that:
? They believe in Jesus
? They try to do better
? They work harder
But there’s no power:
? No transformation
? No new life
Galatians 3:27 (NIV)
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Romans 6:3–4 (NIV)
“All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… we too may live a new life.”
The power of the Christian life is found in Christ
And Scripture says:
o Baptism is the moment you are placed into Christ
That’s where:
? The old self dies
? Sins are washed away
? New life begins
? Christ begins to live in you
Remember the man with the new chainsaw:
? He had the right tool…
? But he never engaged the power
Some people:
? Know about Jesus
? Believe in Jesus
? Even try to follow Jesus
But they’ve never come to that point of surrender
You don’t have to keep struggling:
• You don’t have to keep trying harder
• The power is not in you
The power is “In Christ”:
• And the question is
• Have you been buried with Christ?
• Have you been baptized into Him?
Why keep living without power???
? When new life is available?
? Why keep carrying the old you…
? When it can be buried?
Today:
o You can die to your old life
o Be buried with Christ
o Be raised to walk in a new life
Don’t just hold the chainsaw…
• Turn it on
• Be baptized into Christ…
• And step into the life He died to give you
Credit: I did use AI to help sort ideas
