The raising of Lazarus is a preview of the upcoming Easter event!  here we learn just how much Jesus hates death--has come to defeat it, in fact.  And resurrection, as it turns out, does not wait for death... it can happen now!  Every dead-end job that gets turned around, every life renewed and made over, every addiction and pain from which we're set free, every bad behavior that gets turned around, and every time new love and life is discovered a resurrection has happened!  This is our hope that keeps us going as followers of Jesus.