Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
There are two crowds, one following Jesus from Bethany and the other coming out to meet Him from Jerusalem (12:13). This crowd is going out to see Him because they want to see for themselves the one who has done such a marvelous thing.
John 12:13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
“sign” = is something full of meaning that is not an end in itself; it points men beyond itself. John sees miracles as a means of teaching men spiritual truth and pointing them to God (3:2, 9:16). Morris observes that the signs take their origin from God and point men back to Him, so it is not surprising that they result in faith.
John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
John 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.