God's Word is Bond

Word is bond. If you’ve heard these words before its because someone said them to you as a promise, or more than likely you listened to hip hop in the 80’s and 90’s. In the early stages of Hip Hop, when the young curators of a new culture wanted to emphasis a point, they would end their statement with “word is bond”. They would incorporate this phrase as way to explain that what they had said or were saying was true.

But, even if you didn’t listen to hip hop during that time you know what it means to keep your word--to be bound by your word. You know what it means to say what you mean, and mean what you say. There is even the common expression that, “A man is only as good as his word.” What we are discussing here is the way in which we value how individuals and institutions faithfully practice their proclamation and work their words.

And this sounds detached, until you were promised something and then were let down. Until someone told you something and you found out it was a lie. Until you were told one thing and it was something else entirely. If we are honest we must admit that amongst other things we do in life, we are not so good at keeping our word. But, I’m so glad to day. I said I’m so glad today, that God is not like we are. God is the only one who can say “Word is bond” and be able to back it up 100% of the time. God’ word is bond. If God said it, I believe, it and that’s all their is too it because “God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should [change his mind].”

Christ Kept God’s word

Christ is about to challenge his audience in the sermon now. He as set them up. He has comforted them in the Beatitudes, Called them in the Similitudes, and now he is about to Challenge them with his “But I say unto you...” statements. So, before he can go on he decides to give them this qualifying declaration. (v.17) He wants them to know that although he is about to free them from the legalism of the Law he is not about to destroy it. And he does this by informing them he is the fulfillment of that law.

Types and Shadows

Christ is the

Teachings

Paul says in Romans 10:4 that “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness.” meaning that people's righteousness is no longer evaluated on the bases of the OT Laws. We are evaluated by how much we love like Jesus. For love is the summery of the Law, and love is the way of Jesus.

Christ Expects us to Keep the Word

Proclaim

What I love about v.19 is Jesus assumes those listening are members of the Kingdom. He knows that his teachings will be offensive to some and difficult to others, but if you are to be great in the kingdom you will follow them.

Practice

When Jesus says that your righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees they were probably taken back because these were considered the holy men of their day.