Lk.8:41,42 – Just then, a man named Jairus, the leader of the local Jewish congregation, fell before Jesus’ feet. He desperately begged him to come and heal his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, because she was at the point of death.

For some people this Palm Sunday was the coming out day, it was now or never. Before this many found a way to hide in the shadows in their beliefs about Jesus, that was coming to a finish as Jesus was making His public declaration, He was claiming to be the Messiah. For Jairus, his decision had already been made. It happened for him when his daughter was dying at his house. He made a decision back then to follow Jesus no matter the cost. For Jairus the cost was high, he was the leader of the local synagogue where Jesus had been banned from preaching. When he appealed to Jesus the cat was out of the bag, there was no going back for Jairus. He most likely lost his job and his social status, he gained his daughter back and a relationship with the Lord. For Jairus the decision was easy, he was right by Jesus side as they paraded into Jerusalem. Here is how Barclay describes Jairus.

“Jairus was the president of the synagogue. That is to say, he was the man who was responsible for the administration of the synagogue and the ordering of public worship. He had reached the highest post that life could give him in the respect of his community. No doubt he was well to do; no doubt he had climbed the ladder of earthly ambition and prestige. It seemed as if life – as it sometimes does – had given lavishly of many things but was about to take the most precious thing away. All the pathos of life is in the background of this story…..He was clearly a man who could swallow his pride. He was the president of the synagogue. By this time the synagogue doors were rapidly closing on Jesus, if indeed they had not already closed. He could have had no love for Jesus and he must have regarded Jesus as a breaker of the law. But in his hour of need, he swallowed his pride and asked for help.”

Maybe you have been hiding in the shadows concerning your faith in Christ. The times we are living in don’t allow us that luxury, it is either follow Him completely or be swallowed up by the crowd. Palm Sunday is a great time to join the joyful throng and declare, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.