John Calvin Commentary John 11:42

"And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me." — John 11:42 (ASV)

And I knew that thou hearest me always. This is an anticipation, so that no one would think that he did not have such high favor with the Father as to be able to easily perform as many miracles as he chose.

He means, therefore, that the agreement between him and the Father is so great that the Father refuses him nothing. Indeed, he did not even need to pray, because he only carried out what he knew the Father had commanded. However, so that people might be more fully assured that this is truly a divine work, he called on the Father's name for this reason.

Perhaps it will be objected: Why then did he not raise all the dead? The reply is easy. A certain fixed limit was assigned to miracles by the purpose of God, to the extent God knew was sufficient for confirming the Gospel.