John 3

Looking at John 3 as a whole, we see two main characters (aside from Jesus, of course).  We see Nicodemus and we see John the Baptist.  Nicodemus is a Pharisee and "a ruler of the Jews", but John the Baptist is quite different from Nicodemus.  Though they both have disciples (I'm assuming about Nicodemus), John the Baptist is somewhat the outcast.  He's an oddball who lives in the wilderness, wears camel's hair and a leather belt, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He is not on good terms with the Pharisees, calling them "brood of vipers" in Matthew 3.  Coming back to the book of John, we see that the Pharisees are confused as to what to make of John the Baptist himself.  They send priests and Levites to John the Baptist to ask him "who are you?".  These two characters are quite different and what's displayed here is the differences in their dealings with Jesus.  Nicodemus is curious, but he doesn't quite get it.  He's obviously not quite all in yet because he's coming to meet Jesus at night.  On the other hand, John the Baptist continues to point away from himself and toward Jesus.  Even looking back at previous chapters, he gets opportunities to exalt himself but he continues to make much of Jesus and less of himself.  These two characters and how they act with regards to Jesus is a striking contrast.

One of the main things that stands out to me in this chapter is what Jesus says in verse 19-21.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 3:19-21

Jesus comes and his coming is the judgment.  The result is that there is a division.  There are those who love the darkness and there are those who does what is true.  The lovers of the darkness will not come to the light but those who do what is true will come to the light.  This is the judgment.  Throughout the book of John we see this.  There are divisions among the people and some believe and some do not believe.  John the Baptist is one who comes to the light.