Jesus was his friend but he died! The story of Lazarus depicted the very truth that Jesus in actual fact never forsaken his friend even though it seemed as if He did. Things had to be the way they were. God was about to promote Lazarus. The vessel with the call upon his life has to be emptied first in the spiritual realm before he could be held up as an example. It is horrible to die to yourself, to give up your dreams, to abandon what you love. "You must decrease, he must increase!" For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son life so that you might live!