Cries of Hosanna

by Chrissy Zschomler

It was a joke- at least, it seemed like it was. None of us could believe that this man actual believed he was "God's own Son" or that he was the Messiah. You can't just come down and go around telling people you're the Son of GOD, can you?

I actually didn't really know what to think. I'd spent a lot of time reflecting and studying what this man had been teaching now, if not hearing him in person then hearing from a friend who had also heard his teachings. Everything he said actually made sense, and I had never seen anyone teach such selflessness and emphasis on love. 

But on this day, not many were thinking about the love he so passionately taught about. Not many of us were thinking, "Oh, he is so selfless." And we certainly weren't praising him or his "father" for that matter.

My neighbor leaned over to me and whispered something into my ear. We weren't really that close, but we socialized just to make small chat. 

"What?" I replied. The crowd among us was extremely loud as they mocked Jesus, who was now nailed to the cross.

"I said, I can't believe the fact that he is still calling himself the son of God, even though he's dying for it. Even more so, I can't believe that there are some people that are actually out there that are following this man!"

I nodded, but inside I wasn't fully agreeing. I honestly didn't know what to think of this man.

I watched him as everyone shouted threats and various mocking of him. They were so very harsh, and so vivid, and so dark. I guess I could understand why they didn't agree with him, but why did they have to be so hating of him? He didn't really harm anyone, and if I remember correctly, I think I even heard that he healed quite a few people? 

He seemingly started making small chat with the guys next to him. Why would he want to make conversation at a time like this? What could he possibly be saying? "Hey, how's it going? What did you get hung for? Well, hope to see you in the afterlife."

I jumped. Someone just smashed my foot with their own. I looked down to see that their violent stomp had torn my sandal strap, too. I began to question why I was even here. Watching a man die wasn't worth the discomfort I felt in the midst of this crowd- hot, squished, and even a bit scared at what was to come. Why was I so scared, anyway? Was I scared of the crowd or was I scared of what was going to happen to Jesus?

Or, was I scared of what would happen if he was right all along?

I forgot about my discomfort as I saw Jesus begin to lift his head. What was he doing? People started to crowd more around the cross and push by me, but I barely noticed. I could not take my eyes off of him for some reason.

Suddenly, he shouted something to the air. I could not exactly make out what he said, but I heard someone close by me ask someone else, "What did he say?" and the other person replied, "He said, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" I heard them wheeze laughter. One of them mumbled back, "Hah! He must be trying to call Elijah." 

One of the most popular people in the village ran up to the cross with a sponge in his hand. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. He then yelled out into the crowd. He cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his words: "Now leave him alone, Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him!" 

But my mind was still trying to wrap around what Jesus yelled earlier. If he had so much trust in his "Father", why would he say something that questioned God?

Suddenly, Jesus cried out something- a heart wrenching, lung-crunching wail- and his head dropped. 

That's the moment when everything changed.

I saw the King of glory coming on the clouds with fire- the whole earth shook, I tell you- the whole earth shook!!

Rocks began to split, tombs began to open, the sky tore with furious color. No one could have possibly predicted what happened next.

---

I was actually friends with the man who took Jesus' body to the tomb. His name was Joseph, and he was one of the wealthiest men I had known. Pilate had ordered for Jesus' body to be given to Joseph, and Joseph placed him in a tomb that was cut out of rock. I was walking back to my house that evening and I saw him carrying Jesus into the tomb. I saw Joseph walk into the actual tomb carrying Jesus, and then proceed to walk out and close the tomb. Tears began to fill my eyes. I didn't understand why this was happening. Emotions were raging inside of me that I had not classified before today. 

In that moment of his physical presence being gone was when I finally realized the love he so often taught about, and I could see the many sins I committed in my life. I felt a sense of weightlessness when I thought back to the cross. He died to pay the price for my sins? So I don't have to worry about anything, ever, ever again in my life? As I replayed the image of Jesus dying over and over again in my head- that sacrifice he made of himself to God- I could then see his love and mercy washing over all of our sin.

I looked over nearby the tomb and saw two women weeping. They were repeating something over and over as the tears continued to pour from their eyes. I could not make out exactly what they were saying. But I imagined they were asking God to save him- to save everyone as Jesus was our only hope, but now he was dead. I imagined these people singing. The people were singing, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the  highest," begging and pleading for God to save.

"Hosanna," I begged silently to God, as the tears that once filled my eyes now began to rush down my face. "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna."

---

I stayed in my home for all of the next day. I didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to see, and I didn't feel like making the effort to do any of those things. I couldn't stop thinking about Jesus' death, Jesus' burial, Jesus' words, and my new-found faith in them- and hope that they really were true. I had spent the day trying to write everything I had learned from him down, but I really did not have much of an education. I was lucky to even know a few words. I decided I did not have to write them down- they were so passionate inside of my heart that I had almost memorized all of what he had said, and I was sure to never forget it.

The next day came around very slowly and cautiously. But I had woken up that day, and something felt different. It was extremely dark the last two days, and when I finally decided to take a step outside that day, the sun was actually shining in the afternoon. There was quite an earthquake somewhere in between that time and the evening, and it reminded me a lot of the night Jesus died.

I went back outside later that evening to maybe try to see if anything suspicious might have happened, only to find my small-chat neighbor. As soon as I saw him, I remembered Jesus once saying to love our neighbors. I began to think about how I really should try to hang out with him more, to invest more in his life. 

We casually waved as these thoughts flooded through my mind. 

"Did you hear?" He called over to me.

"Did I hear what?"

His eyes widened. "I can't believe you haven't heard! Jesus has risen! He came back from the dead. My wife just came rushing home with the news! Maybe he really is the messiah!"

My heart was delighted, and tears began to lift from my eyes again- tears of joy. I embraced him, more surprised that my unwavering and dull neighbor actually chose to believe in a man who rose from the dead. If he believed in this joyous news, anyone could take heart to it. There really was joy and hope for all the nations. 

I looked out to the sky as the sun began to set. God's fingerprints were all over the beauty and wonder of the sky, not because it was "pretty" but because it was so creative, as is the rest of His creation. Jesus had risen, and people were finding an eternal, true, and promising hope in him. I began to smile as I kept my gaze at the glorious sky above.

After hearing my neighbor, I could truly see a generation rising up to take their place; doing it with selfless faith. I could picture a near revival that would stir as we prayed as sought out the Lord in everything we did.

I became overwhelmed with feelings of relief, comfort, hope, and love. I fell to my knees and began to talk to God for the second time.

"I'm on my knees. I'm on my knees. I know you are King. Please take me as your own. I love and believe in You. I am on my knees, pleading for Your forgiveness; already understanding and recognizing that you have already forgiven me." 

I shot my hands in the air begun to think of all the sins and wrongdoings and worries and every destructive thing in my life that I clang to before knowing this great love. I cried out to the Lord, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!!" I huffed, choking on my own tears. "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest."

And suddenly, I felt a rush of air next to my and heard a thunk of bone hitting the ground. I couldn't believe it- my neighbor was on his knees with me. 

He began to pray: "Lord, please heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have love me!"

"Yes, Lord," I cried.

"God, break my heart for what breaks Yours! Everything I am, make You make it all for Your kingdom's cause as I walk away from earth, now into eternity."

No words could describe what was happening before and beside us, and all around the earth. God's love was working, it was seeping through, it was alive.

The only words I could make out were once again, "Hosanna, Hosanna... Hosanna in the highest!! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest."