John Calvin Commentary John 12:9

"The common people therefore of the Jews learned that he was there: and they came, not for Jesus` sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead." — John 12:9 (ASV)

Then a great multitude of the Jews knew that he was there. The nearer the time of Christ's death approached, the more necessary it became that his name should be universally celebrated, so that it might be a preparation for stronger faith after his death. In particular, the Evangelist relates that the recent miracle of Lazarus's resurrection had become widely known: and as Christ showed in it a remarkable proof of his Divinity, God intended that it should have many witnesses. When he says that they came not on account of Jesus only, but also for the sake of Lazarus, he does not mean that they came out of respect for Lazarus, as if they bestowed this mark of honor on him specifically, but that they might witness the astonishing display of Christ's power in Lazarus.