This Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. It is a week of opposites, of triumph, betrayal, alleged decline and final triumph again. With this up and down it is already a symbol for true life. Most of us know that life can be fantastic at one moment and just vulgar, like a cheap novel, soon after.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. All four gospels tell us about the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

It reminds me of an episode I experienced on a Friday evening about 20 years ago in Bermuda. Back then I was with my children at Leisure Time (many of you will remember this establishment) to pick a DVD for the weekend when there was a huge commotion on Queen Street.

Hundreds of mainly high school students, but also adults and children crowded the road and blocked traffic. When we asked about the reason, one shouted excitedly: “Michael Jackson is at KFC!”

I still don’t know whether it was true. Online I only find information about his visit in 1991. Still, the rumour was enough to bring crowds to Queen Street.

Thus I can imagine that Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem caused a lot of commotion as well. Wherever he appeared, people came to greet him. For about three years he had travelled the land and healed many, performed other miracles and even brought three dead people back to life (a widow’s son in Luke 7:11—17, Jairus’s daughter in Luke 8:40—56 and Mark 5:21—43, and Lazarus in John 11:1—44). His fame was great in those days. So people rushed to see him.

But there are more parts that are interesting than just the crowd. He was riding the colt of a donkey that had never been ridden. You may wonder why this is significant.

It was the first day of the week leading into the Passover festivities in Jerusalem, and he was not the only VIP to arrive. It is believe that both, King Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, arrived on or around that day at other gates of the city, Herod in a sumptuous coach and Pilate on an intimidating war horse.

Compared to this, a colt was very humble. Still, according to Mark, Luke and John the people called him King, and all four say the people shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna” is the Hebrew form of the Latin “salve”, or our “hail”. A greeting reserved for the highest of the highest.

The colt had never been ridden, which is important as well, as you have to train a donkey, just like a horse, to be ridden. The first couple of attempts usually are very bumpy and the animal tries to throw the rider off. However, this colt submitted to its master and creator.

It symbolically reminds us of Isaiah 1:3 (NLT): “Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognises its master’s care — but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognise my care for them.” (By the way: because of this verse there is traditionally an ox and a donkey at the nativity scene.)

So yes, the entry into Jerusalem was a triumphant but also humble one. Here comes a king, and the Gospels remind us of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) “Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion! Shout, daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Moments of triumph are important. That is why we celebrate special achievements in our lives, whether it is a graduation, a new job, a promotion, a marriage, the birth of a child or other achievements.

At the same time many of us have to deal with defeat and misunderstanding at other times. As God wanted in Christ to be as much human as we, Jesus had to go through a very dark valley as well.

Christ knew about what was to come. At least three times he foretold his death and resurrection. At his Last Supper on the Thursday evening in the upper room of that week he predicted the betrayal of Judas.

Later in the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed and cried about it just before his arrest. Indeed, one of his disciples, one of his friends, Judas, had betrayed him to the High Priests and made the arrest possible with a kiss, of all signs. Betrayal hurts, but when a friend betrays us, it hurts doubly.

After his arrest Jesus was interrogated by the High Priests and the Sanhedrin Counsel. This was the highest religious authority. However, they were human as well, and they thought they were doing what was best, and to achieve that they broke at least one of the Ten Commandments to get rid of Jesus, they intentionally called false witnesses.

That, too, is a very human experience. Witnesses may intentionally or unintentionally give false witness and destroy somebody’s life. A story that is as old as Israel.

Jacob gave false witness to his father Isaac to get his blessing, his son Joseph was betrayed by his brothers who gave false witness to their father, and Potiphar’s wife accused him of attempted rape when he was loyal to his master. Did people ever lie about you and tried to destroy your reputation? It hurts.

After this, Jesus was handed over to Pontius Pilate and King Herod, then back to Pilate. A night of back and forth and more false accusations. Even his best friend and disciple, Peter, who had just hours before pledged eternal loyalty, denied even knowing him three times before a rooster crowed. When people are at the lowest point, they are often very alone. What a bitter experience.

Pontius Pilate wanted to be fair at first, it seems, but he had to consider the Roman interests as well. Reasons of state override personal scruples. We all know about political vendettas, persecution, fake court hearings in some countries that don’t allow opposition.

In the movie Love Actually we laugh when the prime minister (played by Hugh Grant) says: “Ah! You know, um, being Prime Minister, I could just have him murdered. [ …] The SAS are absolutely charming. Ruthless trained killers are just a phone call away.” For Jesus it became reality.

On Good Friday, “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (Apostle’s Creed)

The crowd, many of those who shouted Hosanna! a couple of days earlier, now shouted: “Crucify!” This seemed to be the end. It was the absolute lowest point possible.

When supporters turn into persecutors, when nobody stands up for justice, all is lost. The original Good Friday is everything but Good, it seems. It represents the lowest possible moment of human history. Luckily very few of us will ever have to suffer like that, though there have been far too many since. It was and is a human tragedy.

While we have 2,000 years of testimony that Easter came on the third day, on the first Good Friday, Easter seemed impossible. How can anyone rise from the dead? Although, as mentioned above, Jesus had given this sign at least three times before.

Even on the Cross he was mocked by the soldiers, the spectators, and one of the criminals who were crucified with him: “Help yourself! You who helped others, why don’t you step down from the Cross?”

However, Christ was suffering for us, we believe, and he did not choose a shortcut. He was willing to go through with this lowest possible experience, so that we may have a hope even if we have to suffer and see no way out.

Just like Christ was raised to triumph after three days, we do have the hope that life is stronger than death and love will overcome hate. Only in this retrospective we can call Good Friday “good”.

On Good Friday the “Walk to Golgotha” is performed impressively in St George’s every year. If you have never seen it, you may want to consider it this year, though it can be quite graphic.

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s