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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This is the first installment in the 1517 articles series, “What Makes a Saint?”
What I was missing—what so many are missing—is a Church that doesn’t just speak about Christ, but delivers him.
God chooses to clothe himself in promises and hides himself in his word.
“The fear of the Lord” is our heart’s awakening to and recognition of God’s outrageous goodness.
If you struggle with doubt, take heart: You are not alone.
The Psalm now is this: as Christ suffered and then was exalted, so we are also in him.
How intentional will we be about utilizing gospel spaces that already inescapably communicate?
In the liturgy, Christ is present, self-giving, and ever-addressing his people.
Christians don’t need a bucket list. We’ve got the whole bucket: the Word fulfilled, life fulfilled, and life in full.
The liturgy ensures that the gospel is never something inward, merely a thought or sentiment of the believer.
By the end of this prayer of wrestling, David finally has the strength to claim victory over his lying enemies.
"When God has his say, have confidence that his Word and sacraments bestow precisely what he says."