"The Book of the History of Jesus Christ," poetry

Revised Edition: LukivPress (Sardis, BC), 2022.

Introduction

Matthew, once a tax collector, became an apostle of Jesus Christ. What a privilege he had as the first person to write an inspired account (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) about the life and preaching and teaching of God's Son (John 3:16). He wrote the book bearing his name, likely, primarily for Jews, completing it, in Hebrew, about 41 CE. Aside from Matthew having much to say about the Messiah, why should we pay close attention to its verses? Because, as Hebrews 4:12 says: "The word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart."

An excerpt

Chapter One

Not this David child,

Nor this man

Who would bring back

A dear friend

From earth's belly,

But a Melchizedeck,

A king-priest bruised

In the heel,

Who would crush the serpent's

Head, as one uses a sandal

To crush a scorpion-

This one,

How he would hold the earth

To his bosom.

The author

Dan Lukiv, published in 19 countries, is a poet, novelist, columnist, short story and article writer, and independent education researcher (hermeneutic phenomenology). As a creative writer, he apprenticed with Canada's Professor Robert Harlow (recipient of the George Woodcock Achievement award for an outstanding literary career), the USA's Paul Bagdon (Spur Award finalist for Best Original Paperback), and England's D. M. Thomas (recipient of the Cheltenham Prize for Literature, Orwell Prize [biography], Los Angeles Fiction Prize, and Cholmondeley award for poetry). He attended The University of British Columbia (creative writing department), the acclaimed Humber School for Writers (poetry writing program), and Writer's Digest University (novel writing program).