Alexander H. Stephens served as Vice President of the Confederacy. He was a cripple, and died shortly after becoming the governor of Georgia. When it became known that he was soon to die, that the physicians had no hope of prolonging his life, the great men of state crowded his bedroom and besought him to sign important documents.
But Stephens waved them away and called for his private secretary -- and told him to bring out of his desk an old, faded paper. The secretary found it. It was the petition of an old humble woman back in the hills seeking the pardon of her sinful son in the penitentiary.
With the great state officials begging Stephens to lay it aside and take up weightier matters, he replied: "No. I am going to sign this. The great matters of state will take care of themselves." And, being propped on his pillow, Governor Stephens took the yellow, faded appeal of the heart-broken mother who had no other intercessor at the governor's mansion. He dipped the pen in the ink, and across the appeal he wrote "P-A-R-D-O-N-E-D." Underneath he scrawled his name, "Alexander H. Stephens, Governor." The he dropped back upon his pillow -- dead.
Likewise, almost 2,000 years ago, high on the hill called Calvary, the Son of God was dying. All the sins of the world were upon Him. At His side a thief and murderer, an outcast, hung suspended between time and eternity. He was unfitted to go into eternity, and he was being forced out of the era of time. He cried out, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into thy kingdom." From the bruised lips of Jesus came the answer that has echoed down the corridors of the ages: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The man judged unfit to live with men was made suitable to live forever with Jesus!
Source: Robert G. Lee, SERMONIC LIBRARY, pp. 93-94.
Topics/Tags: Pardon; Deliverance