11th September 2026

In a 1972 study, 50 children sat with a researcher and a marshmallow. The researcher left the room for 15 minutes, promising another marshmallow if they were able to resist eating the one in front of them. Could they put off a pleasurable experience for a later time? A follow up, when they were 16 and 18 years old, found those who were prepared to wait were more successful, academically and socially. Maybe we have waited for something pleasurable – a birthday or a holiday – counting the minutes, hours or days; sometimes with patience, sometimes not.

Jesus shares with his disciples that he expects them to wait. Speaking of events that would culminate in his death, he reminds them of a resurrection and a meeting between them at that time. After the last supper, following the bread and the wine, he says, “…after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26:32). The disciples were expected to wait for that event. They had found it hard to wait in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was praying, and they ended up dozing off. And they found waiting for the resurrected Christ hard; some returned to their life before the three-and-a-half-year adventure with Christ. They went back to the old nets and boats – and fished. (John 21:1-3). What was the future they now saw?

Other characters, woven into the gospel stories, would have been struggling with the turbulent events surrounding the crucifixion – shepherds from Bethlehem, old men, if still alive. Were they still telling stories from over 30 years ago, about angels and a baby – asking themselves what it had come to? The mother of James and John, who had asked for favours to be shown to her two sons, in a kingdom that now looked unlikely? (Matthew 20:20-23) How did she see their future now? It all changed at the resurrection. The moment Mary Magdalene ran from the empty tomb something began to happen. What Christ’s disciples experienced during those 40 days between the resurrection and Christ’s ascension, changed them forever. The risks they took to preach Jesus, recounted throughout Acts, can only be explained by their conviction of Christ’s resurrection. 

We have the New Testament’s evidence of what the disciples witnessed and why they were prepared to risk everything to obey Christ’s admonition in Matthew 28:19 to, “…go and make disciples of all nations…”. In those early days of the New Testament church, it was expected that Christ would return quickly, probably in the lifetime of many who were baptised in Christ’s name. Paul came to realise this was not the case and urged Christians not to be ‘weary’ of doing God’s work, urging them to wait (Galatians 6:9). The message is the same for us, surrounded by seemingly insurmountable problems: corrupt governments; poverty; wildfires; pollution – and we want that wait to be over. We want the marshmallow now. The researcher has left the room – in Christ’s words he “went to a distant country”  (Luke 19:12-13). We wait faithfully doing whatever work God has called us to do, looking for the promised moment: “…behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me” (Revelation 22:12).

^1. Micah 7:7

Local congregation:
GCI Market Harborough
9 The Point
Rockingham Road
Market Harborough 
LE16 7QU

Meeting time:
Sunday 4.00 pm

Local congregational contact:
Sinead Henderson 
Email: sinead.henderson@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church