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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Justification and regeneration are, therefore, necessarily connected and have profound implications upon the craft of preaching.
God's power and works are awesome and cannot be stifled. His grace and mercy will be heard above the growls and howls of those who deny Christ Jesus is God and Savior
Our only claim to fame is that we have been claimed by a God who is consistently drawn to losers!
The church’s song goes on and on, singing and ringing down to us today.
Faith should later again flow forth from our heart’s depths to our neighbor freely and unhindered in good works; not that we wish to rest our salvation in them; for God will not have that, but wishes the conscience to rest in himself alone.
Christ has received the mark of law that we might be marked with the gospel, with the sign of his holy cross on our heads and hearts as redeemed children of God.
This Christmas season we are thankful that even though we “fallers” are unable to climb up to God, he came down the ladder to us.
Moses was sent to keep the house in order, but this Child is sent to bring the house home, and you are part of that house, the household of God.
The thought of losing even one of those for whom his Son died pains God beyond belief, and the angels rejoice when even one of his children repents.
Jesus is both the image bearer and the image giver. In Jesus’ incarnation we are redeemed and re-imaged.
Getting ready for Christ’s coming is a practice in humility.
“The days are coming,” and God said it. God, who kept his promise that Christ would come at Christmas.