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.
God never delights in seeing his children struggle or suffer. But God does desire that we trust him no matter what the circumstances might look like.
In normal human relationships, when reconciliation is necessary, we place the burden on the person who did wrong, who disrupted the relationship.
A “good death” and “good life” are not accomplished through personal striving but are grasped by faith in the promises of God.
God gives his church a story that helps to make sense of this life.
Your justification isn’t a matter of “Jesus plus” anything.
It would serve us well to embrace the beauty of our diversity within the unity of the body of Christ.
What (if anything) makes a sermon distinctive?
Tolkien's hero Tom Bombadil functions to showcase the Gospel
When the waters of anxiety and depression rise, there is One who understands.
Amy Mantravadi asks if we should forgive others even if they are not repentant
No plot spoilers here just some really Good News