Who was Jairus in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Jairus was an official in the synagogue who came to ask Jesus to heal his daughter. Jairus boldly came by faith to Jesus, knowing that He alone could heal his daughter.

Jairus was an official in the synagogue in Galilee who came to Jesus in faith and asked Him to heal his dying daughter. Most synagogue leaders were opposed to Jesus at that time. Jesus disregarded their strict Sabbath practices, cast out demons no one else could, and seemed to attract crowds everywhere He went. A few leaders in the Jewish faith were willing to consider Jesus's teaching and appreciate His miracles, among whom were Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Jairus. Jairus recognized Jesus for who He was and came to Him boldly, knowing that He alone could bring healing to his daughter.

from the old testament

Jairus is only mentioned in the New Testament.

from the new testament

Jairus, an official in the synagogue in Galilee, was willing to ask Jesus for help when faced with the possibility of the death of his daughter. His story is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels and can be found in Matthew 9:18–26, Mark 5:21–43, and Luke 8:40–56.
Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee and was surrounded by a great crowd, but Jairus was desperate. He made his way to Jesus in plain view of all the people. This public act of faith in Jesus was in direct contrast to "Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews" (John 19:38), and Nicodemus, who came to Jesus only under the cover of night (John 3:2). Seeing Jesus, Jairus fell at his feet "and implored him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live'" (Mark 5:23). Jairus humbled himself at Jesus's feet and boldly stated his need and his faith that Jesus could meet that need completely. Jesus responded to Jairus's request by going with him.
Along the way, a woman—who had been bleeding for twelve years "and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse" (Mark 5:26)—pressed through the crowd, reached out for the fringes of Jesus's robe, and was healed. Jesus stopped the crowd, interrupting and delaying His trip to Jairus's house, in order to publicly restore this woman and commend her faith. In the meantime, someone from Jairus's house arrived to inform him that his daughter had already died, that the situation was hopeless, and that Jesus's services were no longer necessary. "But Jesus on hearing this answered him, 'Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well'" (Luke 8:50). So, Jesus, Jairus, the disciples, and the crowd continued to Jairus's house.
Upon arriving at Jairus's house, Jesus asked that only He, the girl's parents, and his three closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—go in to where the girl lay. The people at Jairus's house laughed at Jesus when He told them not to weep because they knew she was dead and assumed He was wasting His time. However, "Taking her by the hand he said to her, 'Talitha cumi,' which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.' And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat" (Mark 5:41–43).

implications for today

On the same day, Jesus served a ceremonially unclean woman with no financial or social standing, announcing to the crowd His miraculous work on her behalf, and He served a "righteous" synagogue ruler, who likely had great financial and social standing, and then instructed them to keep the miracle a secret. Jairus's interaction with Jesus shows that Jesus loves not only the poor and lowly, but that He came to serve the rich and powerful as well. Everyone can come to Jesus. It is a person's recognition of his desperate need and his bold faith in Jesus as the only one who can completely meet that need that unites us in faith. Sometimes the miracles God works in our lives will be public, and other times, those miracles will be private, but we can expect that He desires to work in our lives and tells us all, "Do not fear, only believe" (Mark 5:36).

understand

Jairus, a synagogue official, humbly approached Jesus in public, seeking help for his dying daughter.
Jairus displayed remarkable faith despite his position, trusting in God to save.
Jesus responded to Jairus's plea and raised his daughter from the dead.

reflect

How does Jairus's boldness encourage you in your faith and the way you approach Jesus?
When have you humbled yourself before God, like Jairus did?
What role does humility play in the way you approach Jesus?

engage

How does Jairus's story contrast with the secrecy of some other followers of Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea?
Jesus stopped to heal a woman on the way to Jairus's house. What do you think this interruption teaches us about Jesus's character and priorities?
Discuss the significance of Jesus's response to Jairus when he received the news of his daughter's death: "Do not fear; only believe." How can we apply this in our own lives?