Jairus' Daughter - Bible lesson for kids

This lesson focuses on Jairus, a father who teaches us about faith and trust in Jesus during tough times. As we read from Mark 5:21-43, we’ll see how Jairus’ love for his daughter leads him to Jesus, reminding us that we can always turn to Him in our own needs.

Key Points:

The importance of faith.
God has a perfect plan.
We should pray without ceasing and without doubt.
We can always believe God.

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TEEN lesson

Lesson Guide – Jairus’ Daughter

Introduce various everyday scenarios and ask the children how they would react. For example:

If there’s a fire, you’re taught to stop, drop, and roll, and find a safe way out.

If you’re hungry, you ask a parent or guardian for food.

If you see someone being bullied, you seek help from a teacher or an adult.

After discussing each scenario, reinforce that no matter the situation, big or small, we can bring all our concerns to Jesus, just like Jairus did.

Read Mark 5:21-43. Talk about Jairus and what made him decide to go to Jesus. Discuss a time someone your child loved was ill. You may discuss what the child would do to make someone they love get well. Talk about how much Jairus loved his daughter, how sad and desperate he was, and how much he trusted that Jesus could help him. You may point out that as a leader of a synagogue, many of Jairus’s friends probably did not like Jesus. Jairus didn’t care. He went to Jesus for help in spite of what others might think.

Talk about the distraction on the way relating to the woman with the issue of blood. Discuss times that you or your child has been distracted. Maybe by playing with a toy when one was supposed to be cleaning their room. Talk about other times when distractions caused delays. Discuss how things we might see as annoying delays could be a part of God’s plan. Think about a time when a delay might have caused something good such as avoiding a wreck, seeing a friend unexpectedly, etc. Everything that happens is a part of God’s plan even if it’s not clear to us now. You may illustrate by dirtying a window. Point out how hard it is to see through it. Clean the window and discuss that someday we will see through the glass clearly. But even if the glass is dirty, we can know what is on the other side. Just like even if things that happen seem not good to us, we can know God is on the other side working it for our good.

Talk about prayer. Discuss how God always answers prayer. He will say yes, no, or wait. We should always trust that He has a reason for His answer. Even if we think that we aren’t receiving an answer, we can be sure that we are. Explain that we should never be afraid to talk to God or think we are bothering Him. We can talk to Him any time of the day or night about anything! Talk about times you maybe couldn’t listen or be with your child, but God is always there and always listening!

Jairus asked Jesus to heal his sick daughter. But his daughter died. Do you think it would be easier to heal a sick person or raise the dead? Jesus could do both equally, because He had all power.

Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid but to believe. Discuss with your child what Jesus might mean. Talk about impossible versus possible things. You may make a list of things that could happen and play a game with your child labelling each item as impossible, possible, or unlikely. Talk about how miracles are impossible things that God does.

Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead! Talk about the power of Jesus over death, emphasizing that he cared for everyone and had the ultimate authority over life and death. Discuss how Jesus’ power to bring back Jairus’ daughter is a testament to his divine nature and his authority over everything, even death.

Shift the discussion to the broader theme of eternal life. Explain that Jesus wants us all to have eternal life with Him. Use John 3:16 to illustrate that belief in Jesus offers us eternal life and that this spiritual life is a gift from Him, showcasing His ultimate power over death.

Point out how Jesus cared so much that He even made sure Jairus’s daughter had something to eat! Discuss ways you can show compassion.

Jairus’ Daughter – Bible story for kids

Games and activities

Get Up – “Talitha, Koum” Game

Invite the children to play a game inspired by Jesus’s miraculous words, “Talitha, koum.” Children start lying down and must quickly stand up when you say “Get up” or “Talitha, koum,” and lie down when you say “Lie down.”

Add fun by mixing up the instructions and increasing the speed as the game progresses. If a child does the wrong action, they sit out until the next round.

Discuss the power of Jesus’s words and how they bring life and healing.

Path of Opportunities

Create a fun obstacle course, each part should have a challenge or ‘distraction.’ Place a special reward at each station to represent the blessings we find in overcoming obstacles.

Guide the children through the course, helping them understand that what may seem like a distraction could be part of God’s timing, just like the woman in the story of Jairus’s daughter.

At the end, discuss each challenge and reward, linking them to how God uses every situation for good.

“How Long Does It Take?”

Prepare a simple activity like stacking blocks or threading beads, and provide a child-friendly timer.

Let the child complete the task individually, timing how long it takes. Discuss the concept of time and God’s perfect timing in our lives.

Next, repeat the same task but encourage the children to find ways to complete it faster. Compare the times. Emphasising that while we can strive to be quicker or more efficient, we should also trust in God’s plan for every moment.