Wade Johnston, Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis: MO, 2025.
This ancient “tale of two mothers” concerns far more than theological semantics—it is the difference between a God who sends and a God who comes.
This story points us from our unlikely heroes to the even more unlikely, and joyous, good news that Jesus’ birth for us was just as unlikely and unexpected.

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God demonstrates his great love for us in the actions of Jesus, who came down into the flesh and soaked up all our sin.
When the Savior gets on our trail, nothing, not even the grave and hell, can stop him.
A “good death” and “good life” are not accomplished through personal striving but are grasped by faith in the promises of God.
Jesus will lead us through the deep waters onto the dry land of that celestial shore, where he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Jesus reveals to them again who He is. And that life can only be given when we feed on Christ.
Do our petitions move God?
Yes, Christmas brings joy, but no less danger
What’s the big deal about Jesus’ name?
God has a hall ready for us, for us and for so many more
When the waters of anxiety and depression rise, there is One who understands.
We know that death does not have the last word in Christ.
The Lord has remembered to help his servant Israel, to fulfill his promises to Abraham and to his offspring forever, not mostly or mainly because of his mercy, but exclusively so.