JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div id="2">
    <ul>
        <li>john</li>
        <li>jack</li>
    </ul>
    <ul>
        <li>kate</li>
        <li>clair</li>
    </ul>
    <ul>
        <li>hugo</li>
        <li>desmond</li>
    </ul>  
    <ul>
        <li>said</li>
        <li>jacob</li>
    </ul>
</div>

<div id="3">
    <ul>
        <li>jacob</li>
        <li>me</li>
    </ul>
    <ul>
        <li>desmond</li>
        <li>george</li>
    </ul>
    <ul>
        <li>allen</li>
        <li>kate</li>
    </ul>  
    <ul>
        <li>salkldf</li>
        <li>3kl44</li>
    </ul>
</div>

CSS

div {
    background-color: #CCC;
    padding: 5px;
}

ul {
    background-color: #AAA;
    margin: 5px;
}

JavaScript

jQuery.expr[':'].containsAny = function(element, index, match) {
    var words = match[3].split(/\s+/);
    var text = $(element).text();
    var results = $.map(words, function(word) {
        return text === word;
    });
    return $.inArray(true, results) !== -1;
};

$('ul').hide();
$('li:containsAny(john123 kate212 kate)').parents('ul').show();