May Day

Welcome to the start of summer! Yes, you heard right. With the arrival of May Day, ancient Europe would welcome the beginning of summer. By their calendar of long ago, spring commenced on February 1st, and June 21st was considered Midsummer.

Eventually, May Day became the official start of spring. It marked the end of winter when nothing could be planted or grown in northern climates. As such, it was a day of celebration—people were no longer cooped up inside, huddling together and trying to keep warm. The day featured much dancing, and the prominent use of flowers for decoration.

We don’t celebrate May Day as the start of spring any more. Most people don’t set up May Poles to dance around, crown a girl as May Queen, or arrange May Baskets full of flowers and leave them on the doorsteps of people who they fancy. We have pretty much forgotten about May Day as a holiday.

But who needs May Day when we have Easter? Easter has everything that May Day offers, and much more besides.

May Day used to mark the beginning of spring. After months of long cold nights and chilling winter storms, warmth banishes the snow and invites children to run outside. After endless weeks of being cooped up in the house, farmers can start turning ground and gardeners can dig into flower beds. Green shoots sprout from barren soil; gnarled tree branches start budding with fresh leaves. Colorful, long-absent birds start filling the air with song. After what seems like an eternity of bleakness, the world sparkles with the promise of returning life.

This is the promise of Easter. Our world has been trapped in a long, cold winter of our own making. We love to sin, even though sin results in pain, disappointment, and death. We indulge in pleasures that make us slaves to addiction. We dodge taking responsibility for our mistakes, tearing apart our relationships in the process. Because we sin, we provoke God’s anger; because we do wrong, each of us is sentenced to die. Life is a string of painful struggles and foolish decisions, coupled with the loneliness and fear which accompany death.

Thanks to God, Easter changes all that. Easter is God’s assurance of spring. When Jesus stepped out of the tomb alive, He was the first blossom of new life in a world held captive by death. Two days earlier, His suffering and death on the cross had paid in full the penalty we incurred for being sinners. When He breathed His last, Christ died a victor over the powers of darkness. He went down to hell, marched into that terrifying prison, and announced to Satan along with all the demonic host that they were failures—everyone who trusts in Jesus will avoid eternal punishment and rise to live forever in paradise. Then early on Easter morning, Jesus’ soul returned to His body; His heart began to beat, He started to breathe once more. He took off the funeral wrappings from His body, and stepped into the sunlight of a bright new future. By His resurrection, Jesus provided indisputable proof that He is Lord of both the living and the dead. In Him is life, new and glorious life, life that can never be brought to an end. Jesus is God’s promise of spring to a world that has been trapped in the bleak deadness of a long, sin-filled winter.

May Day celebrants used to choose a young woman to be queen for the day. Easter provides a much better figurehead. Christ is our Easter King. But He is not just king for one day—His rule extends for all eternity. And our Lord wields true authority. God the Father has given Him authority to judge the living and the dead. This is incredibly good news! Do you dread getting hauled into court to face a judge? Do you worry whether the verdict will be to your favor? With Christ as our judge, we have nothing to be concerned about! Why did Jesus go to Calvary? He went there because He loves you. He accepted the punishment for your sins to spare you from the terrible consequences of your misbehavior. On the day when you stand before Jesus, waiting to find out if heaven welcomes you, your Judge is the same man who laid down His life for you. Your entry to paradise is assured, so long as you are not so foolish as to reject Christ as your King.

It used to be customary to give May Baskets to someone you were sweet on. That tradition survives in the Easter Baskets many parents give their children. But Jesus provides something much better than a May Basket containing fresh cut flowers. When the Son of God returned to heaven, He sent us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God provides tremendous blessings. He gives us faith—the ability to believe in a Savior whom we’ve never met face to face. The Spirit also gives us those things necessary to lead a satisfying life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). He teaches us what love really is—not the mushy sentiment of a greeting card, not the lust-filled hunger for an attractive person, but this: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). And on top of all this, our Messiah gives us the greatest gifts of all—complete forgiveness without any strings attached, and everlasting life with Him and all the saints. The flowers in a May Basket wilt after a day or two; the gifts of Christ endure forever.

Let’s pause for a moment and shift gears. Some of you may know that there is another way to understand the term “Mayday.” Anyone who has spent time in the military or in search and rescue has an adrenaline reaction when hearing the word Mayday three times in a row. Used that way, it is a cry for help. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday means that someone’s life is in imminent danger and help is urgently needed.

Using Mayday as a plea for rescue started in 1923 when an English radio officer was asked to come up with a general distress call that would be easily understood by all who heard it. At that time, the concern was chiefly for air traffic between Britain and France; Mayday was chosen because of its similarity to the French word for “come help me.” Issuing a Mayday is so serious that other pilots and captains will divert course to offer assistance, and a false cry for emergency help is prosecuted as a criminal act.

Sending out a Mayday for help—how many times have you felt that desperate? Overwhelmed by your responsibilities at school or at work. Overwhelmed by a failing relationship. Overwhelmed by serious health problems. Overwhelmed by the shadow of death. How often have you felt all alone in the midst of a crisis? How often have things looked completely hopeless? How often have you felt powerless and inadequate? How often have you worried that you’ve ruined things beyond salvaging?

Easter is God’s answer to your Mayday. Easter is your promise from the Almighty that He will take care of you. Easter is Jesus’ assurance that you are not alone with your problems.

When Jesus came to save us, He was born like everyone else. He went through childhood, experiencing all the frustrations every kid has to face—bullies, social cliques, peer pressure. As an adult he was the target of gossip and insults. Satan worked on Him constantly, trying to get our Lord to waste His time and energy on distractions, take His relationships for granted, avoid facing difficult situations by looking for the easy way out. For 33 years, Jesus experienced the challenges common to us all. Although He never sinned, He understands and sympathizes with every emotional ache that you feel.

This is why Jesus promises to listen when you pray. He wants you to share your hurts with Him. Our Lord rose from the dead so He can listen to your Maydays. And as great as it is to know He is paying close attention, it is even more comforting to know that our Savior responds—He lives so that we might have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). We don’t have a Lord who sits on His hands and does nothing; the Son of God rose from the dead so He can reach into our lives and provide the rescue that we desperately need.

Our living Lord rescues us from the compulsion to sin. The Bible promises, God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Jesus wants us to look at Him when we feel the urge to do wrong; He will guide us past temptation if we entrust ourselves to His leadership. We only fail when we let our focus drift from Jesus to other things, things that lead us into trouble. Yet even when we mess up, as we frequently do, the Savior who died and rose is ready to restore the holy life that we so casually toss away.

Our living Lord rescues us from our own limitations. He gives this assurance: do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Can’t see the answer to a problem? Ask Christ to show you the best path forward. Feel too weak to hang on any longer? Ask the Good Shepherd to carry you in His arms. Afraid that you have done something so wrong that no fix is possible? Ask the Son of God to take the situation in His mighty hands and bring about something good. Trust Scripture’s promise that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.

Best of all, our living Lord rescues us from the long-term effects of sin. Because He suffered in our place, the cross symbolizes our rescue from hell. When any of our loved ones die trusting in Christ, we are assured of their peaceful rest in heaven. When death’s cold fingers start to take hold of you, you can be sure that Jesus has the gates of paradise standing open, and His arms are spread wide waiting to welcome you.

Easter is your May Day. Whether you hunger for new life or rescue from trouble, you can find everything you need in the Son of God. He rose from the dead to be your living source of hope and help. He is there for you today and every day, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).