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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The presence of the Glory Cloud at the presentation of the manna makes clear who is providing this meal.
Ascertaining the what and how of the Church greatly factor into the very purpose of the Church, that is, they essentially answer the question why the Church?
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament by Chad Bird is now available to order
The rainbow is a sign of the covenant God is making with “all flesh which is on the earth” and to the coming generations.
When we read about Noah, we are reading backward to Adam and forward to Jesus.
The LORD promises He Himself will gather up the remnants and they will prosper under His shepherding.
In spite of the many issues of unfaithfulness, the LORD still refers to them as, “My people Israel,” pointing to the Covenantal promise.
Mankind’s “thoughts and ways” on the matter of pardon and forgiveness do not even come close to exhausting, let alone fathoming, God’s “thoughts and ways.”
Our leaders, our pastors, our priests, our teachers, all have feet of clay, just as leaders in Israel did. We do not put our faith in them, even in the ones—perhaps *especially* the ones—in whom we are inclined to have great expectations. They preach the Messiah but are not the Messiah.
Ezekiel is not called/sent out to be “successful” in his prophetic ministry—he is sent out to be faithful!
As the sin-bearer, Jesus was also the sin-confessor in the psalms.
In the overall context of Lamentations this text stands out as a breath of fresh air, or perhaps more accurately, words of relief after so much dismal lamenting!