What does John 12:17 mean?
The gospel of John was written to compile evidence that Jesus is divine, and divinely sent (John 20:30–31). Miracles are a major part of this proof, and John focuses on seven such "signs" in his gospel. The seventh, and most spectacular, of these was the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:38–44). That miracle was witnessed by many people from Jerusalem (John 11:31) who had come to comfort Lazarus' grieving sisters. Enthusiasm over what they'd seen—and the publicity it generated (John 12:9)—was a major factor in the huge crowd that greeted Jesus during this triumphal entry (John 12:12–13).According to this verse, Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus is being repeatedly mentioned by the crowd. Most of these people expect the Promised One to be a military or political leader. So, their excitement is both understandable and unfortunate. These cheering crowds are celebrating because they are excited at the prospect of challenging Roman rule through a God-ordained conqueror who can raise the dead.
That buzz also confirms the local religious leaders' prejudice: that Jesus is going to attract Roman anger and cause problems for the Jewish people (John 12:19).