Today our lesson paints a poignant picture of one of the most famous of Jesus' acts: raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been a dear friend of Jesus and the scriptures say Jesus loved him and his entire family. When news reached Jesus of Lazarus' death, his heart was sorrowful. He wept inwardly and outwardly. Despite the bad news, he kept confidence that Lazarus would be raised. Despite the woeful lament the news caused for those who loved and knew Lazarus, Jesus quietly assured his disciples and Lazarus' family that a great thing would soon happen. Jesus knew that he would raise Lazarus because he loved him so and understood that his mission of convincing others of his power would be partially fulfilled by this act.

There were fellow Jews who needed to be assured of the truth and …