“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 7:22 Mean?
Matthew 7:22 is the most terrifying verse in the Sermon on the Mount — because the people being rejected aren't outsiders. They're insiders. "Many will say to me in that day" — polloi erousin moi en ekeinē tē hēmera. Many — polloi, a large number. Not a few confused individuals. Many. And they speak to Jesus directly: to Me. They know His name. They address Him. "Lord, Lord" — kurie, kurie. The double address is emphatic, urgent, claiming relationship.
"Have we not prophesied in thy name?" — ou tō sō onomati eprophēteusamen? They prophesied — spoke God's word, delivered messages, functioned as mouthpieces for divine revelation. In Your name — under Your authority, claiming Your commission. "And in thy name have cast out devils?" — kai tō sō onomati daimonia exebalomen? They performed exorcisms — genuine spiritual power encounters, demons actually expelled, using Jesus' name as the mechanism. "And in thy name done many wonderful works?" — kai tō sō onomati dunameis pollas epoiēsamen? Many wonderful works — dunameis pollas, many powerful deeds, miracles, supernatural demonstrations.
Verse 23 delivers the verdict: "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Never knew — oudepote egnōn humas. Not: I knew you and then forgot. Never. At no point. The relationship they claimed never existed. The prophecies were real. The exorcisms were real. The miracles were real. And the relationship was nonexistent.
The verse demolishes every metric of spiritual success except one: known by Jesus. You can prophesy, cast out demons, and work miracles — and be a stranger to the One whose name you used to do it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If spiritual performance (prophecy, exorcism, miracles) isn't the test — what is? How do you know if Jesus 'knows' you?
- 2.How is it possible to use Jesus' name effectively (real results, real power) without actually being in relationship with Him?
- 3.What confidence have you built on spiritual activity rather than on being known by Christ?
- 4.What does the word 'never' do to the assumption that past spiritual experiences guarantee present relationship?
Devotional
They prophesied. They cast out demons. They did miracles. And Jesus said: I never knew you.
The most terrifying word in the verse isn't "depart." It's "never." Oudepote — at no point, at no time, not once. The relationship they claimed — Lord, Lord, we did all these things in Your name — never existed. Not once was there a moment of genuine knowing between Jesus and these miracle-workers. The activity was real. The power was real. The results were real. And the connection to Christ was fiction.
This should dismantle every confidence built on spiritual performance. They had the résumé. Prophecy — speaking God's word to others. Exorcism — confronting and defeating demonic power. Miracles — many of them, pollas, not one or two but many powerful deeds done in Jesus' name. By every visible metric, these people were powerfully effective spiritual leaders. Their ministry produced results. Their track record was impressive. And Jesus says: I don't know you. I never did.
The gap between performance and relationship is the chasm this verse opens. You can use Jesus' name without being known by Jesus. You can produce supernatural results without having a supernatural relationship. You can say "Lord, Lord" with complete sincerity and be a complete stranger to the Lord you're addressing.
The only metric that survives the judgment isn't prophecy. Isn't exorcism. Isn't miracles. It's being known. Egnōn — the deep, personal, experiential knowledge that constitutes relationship. Everything else — every gift exercised, every power demonstrated, every impressive work performed — is irrelevant if the One in whose name it was done says: I never knew you.
Do you know Him? More importantly: does He know you?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the rains descended, and the floods came,.... These several metaphors of "rain", "floods", "stream", and "winds",…
In that day - That is, in the last day, the day of judgment; the time when the principles of all pretenders to prophecy…
We have here the conclusion of this long and excellent sermon, the scope of which is to show the indispensable necessity…
in that day The day of judgment. This is a forecast far into the distant future, when it would be worth while to assume…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture