Jairus is a figure mentioned in three of the Gospels in the New Testament. He was an important community leader and synagogue ruler who came to Jesus seeking healing for his daughter. Examining the biblical accounts of Jairus provides insight into Jesus’ ministry and the faith required to receive miracles from God.
Jairus in the Gospel of Mark
The earliest account of Jairus’s encounter with Jesus comes from the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 5:21-24, Jairus is described as one of the rulers of the synagogue. His daughter was extremely sick, at the point of death. When Jairus heard that Jesus was passing by, he fell at Jesus’ feet and implored him repeatedly to come and lay hands on her so she could be healed and live.
Jesus went with Jairus, but on the way a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years touched Jesus’ cloak and was healed. Jesus paused to address this, and messengers came from Jairus’s house to tell him his daughter had died. But Jesus told Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” He continued on to Jairus’s house, took the child by the hand, and told her to arise. Immediately the girl got up and walked around, fully healed and alive. Jairus had demonstrated great faith by coming to Jesus and continuing to believe even when the situation looked impossible.
Jairus in the Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew also includes an account of Jairus coming to Jesus, found in Matthew 9:18-26. The details are very similar to Mark’s account. Jairus is described as a ruler who tells Jesus his daughter has just died. But he still has faith that if Jesus lays his hand on her, she will live again. Jesus goes with Jairus, heals the woman with bleeding, and raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead after others had mocked Jesus and said she was certainly dead.
Matthew provides a few additional details not found in Mark. Jairus refers to Jesus as “Lord” and knelt before him when making his appeal. Jesus took only Peter, James, and John along with him to Jairus’s house. And when the girl was raised, the news spread all over that region.
Jairus in the Gospel of Luke
The account in Luke 8:40-56 is expanded even further. Luke says Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue, and his only daughter about twelve years old was dying. When he fell down before Jesus, he begged him to come to his house. On the way, Luke includes details about the crowd pressing in on Jesus.
When Jesus stops to address the woman who touched his garment, Jairus is not identified by name but described as “the ruler of the synagogue” who was informed his daughter was dead. Yet Jesus encourages him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” At the house, Jesus limits the crowd to just Peter, John, James, and the girl’s parents. When she rises, Jesus tells them to give her something to eat.
Key Details About Jairus
Though there are some minor differences, the three Gospel accounts present a consistent picture of Jairus. Here are some key details we can learn about him:
- He was an important community leader as a ruler of the local synagogue.
- He had great love for his desperately ill daughter.
- He demonstrated humility and faith by falling at Jesus’ feet to plead for help.
- He persisted in belief even when informed his daughter had already died.
- He was willing to allow Jesus into his home and trust in his power.
- He witnessed his only daughter resurrected from death.
Lessons from Jairus’s Story
There are several valuable lessons we can take from the account of Jairus in the Gospels:
- Jesus cares about our deepest needs and hurts, including when our loved ones are sick.
- Jesus does not consider anyone too unimportant to receive his help when they come to him in faith.
- Persistent faith that does not give up opens the door for God’s power.
- Believing in Jesus can lead to miraculous turnarounds, even from impossible situations.
- Humility and earnestness are appropriate when making heartfelt requests of God.
- The trials of life are opportunities to press into stronger trust and reliance on Jesus.
Jairus’s Resurrected Daughter
The resurrection of Jairus’s daughter is one of the most significant miracles of Jesus’ earthly ministry. People assumed she was beyond hope and mocked Jesus for saying she still lived. But Jesus took her by the hand and commanded her to get up, demonstrating his authority even over death. This miraculous sign pointed forward to Jesus’ own resurrection and the future resurrection of all believers.
The raising of Jairus’s daughter is mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels, underscoring its importance. Matthew Henry notes that Christ showed his pity and power in meeting us at our greatest extremities when both body and soul are under sentence of death.
Insights on Faith from Jairus
The persistent faith of Jairus even in the face of his daughter’s reported death is held up as an outstanding example of trusting in Jesus. Though Jairus was an important community leader, he humbled himself before Christ. Augustine commented, “In the ruler were manifested two things worthy of rebuke, pride and despair: but both were corrected, both were instructed; his pride was corrected when he knelt; his despair was corrected when he was raised.”
Charles Spurgeon preached that we can all identify in some way with Jairus’s position: “You know right well that feeling which makes you stoop to the divine Conqueror and beseech him in agony to come and rescue your child, or to come himself and end your pain.” Like Jairus, we must persevere in faith when the situation seems bleakest.
Jairus as a Synagogue Ruler
As a synagogue official, Jairus would have been a prominent religious leader in Capernaum. Synagogues originated during the Babylonian exile in the absence of the temple. They functioned both as places of prayer and scripture reading and as local centers of administration.
The rulers of synagogues exercised oversight of worship services, upkeep of the buildings, and community administration. They supervised the other officers, maintained order during meetings, and often were in charge of the synagogue schools. Jairus’s position made him one of the most important men in the city.
Yet Jairus did not let his high standing prevent him from turning to Jesus. He clearly recognized Jesus as an authoritative messenger from God who could work powerful miracles. His leadership example calls us to humble ourselves and sincerely seek Christ regardless of earthly status.
Historical and Cultural Background
Situating Jairus’s story against the historical and cultural background provides richer insight into its significance. Capernaum was an important fishing town on the Sea of Galilee that Jesus adopted as a base. As a synagogue ruler there, Jairus would have been a prominent person.
The description of his daughter as about twelve years old highlights her being at the verge of adulthood. In that culture, a girl reaching twelve could marry. But instead of celebrating this milestone, Jairus was facing her untimely death.
Touching a dead body made someone ceremonially unclean. By taking the daughter’s hand, Jesus demonstrates his authority to overcome defilement. His command to give her something to eat emphasizes her full restoration back to normal life.
Conclusion
Across the Gospels, the story of Jairus highlights key themes of Jesus’ ministry: compassion for helpless people, power over disease and death, importance of faith, reversing expectations, inclusion of outsiders like a hemorrhaging woman, and restoration of life. This narrative offers encouragement, insight, and many lessons applicable for believers today. Studying Jairus provides a window into Jesus’ transformative works that continues to inspire Christian faith.