Execution

One of the chaplains at Parchman once shared a story with me that I have not been able to forget.

He had been asked by a man on death row to spend the final moments with him before his execution. When the appointed time came, the chaplain sat with him, talked with him, and simply remained present. Eventually, a correctional officer entered the room and quietly told them it was time. Their conversation had to end.

The chaplain told the man he wanted to pray for him before they walked to the execution chamber.

When he finished praying, something happened that caught him completely off guard.

The condemned man reached out, took hold of the chaplain’s wrist, and said, “Wait a minute. I want to pray for you. I’m going to be in the presence of Jesus in just a little while.”

Every time I hear that story, I pause.

It is one thing to say we trust Christ when death is a distant thought. It is another thing entirely to rest in Him when you know that, in just a few minutes, your life on this earth will end.

I wonder how many of us possess that kind of confidence.

We often speak boldly about heaven. We quote verses about eternal life. We say we are not afraid to die. But would our faith remain just as steady if the clock on the wall was counting down our final moments? Would we still be comforting others instead of asking to be comforted ourselves?

That man’s final prayer was not for himself. His concern was for someone else.

Even in his last moments, he was serving. He was encouraging. He was reminding another believer that Christ is faithful all the way to the end.

I also find it remarkable that the one who came to minister was himself ministered to.

We sometimes imagine that pastors, chaplains, and Christian volunteers are always the ones giving encouragement. The truth is, they need it too. Their faith is strengthened the same way ours is—by witnessing God’s grace at work in the lives of other believers.

That man’s life ended that day, but his witness did not.

His prayer has continued to encourage at least one chaplain, and I’d bet a few more. Through the chaplain’s story, it has now encouraged me. And perhaps, through these words, it will encourage someone else.

That is one of the beautiful truths of the gospel.

A life surrendered to Christ never stops bearing fruit simply because the heart stops beating.

I think about The Long Mercy when I remember this story. We are often tempted to believe that a person’s final chapter is defined only by the worst thing they have ever done. But the gospel tells another story. In Christ, even the final breaths of a forgiven sinner can become a testimony that strengthens the faith of countless others.

That man walked toward death with peace because he believed he was walking toward Jesus.

And for those who belong to Christ, perhaps that is the greatest testimony of all.

Stephen Jernigan, August 2025