We live in a culture where we have to see it to believe it. We capture photos of every moment, filling our camera rolls with thousands of images from food, to our kids and so much more. The world says, “Pics or it didn’t happen.” But in God’s Kingdom, Jesus turns this idea upside down. He says, “Believe it, and you’ll see it.”

In a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus illustrates the importance of faith by referencing the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness in Numbers 21. Using a hermeneutical hyperlink–a method of connecting different parts of Scripture to show their unified meaning–Jesus ties this story to His mission. Just as the Israelites needed to look at the serpent representing their sin to be healed, we must look to Jesus, who takes our sin, to be born again.

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With the gospel, you don’t see to believe—you believe to see.

1. Trust and Obey

The truth is, everybody has to walk through the wilderness, but the wilderness leads to the promise. The wilderness is not a punishment—it’s a place of waiting, refining, and preparation. What should have been an 11-day journey for the Israelites to the Promised Land turned into 40 years of wandering because of their disobedience and grumbling against God’s provision.

Even after 40 years, when the Israelites were close to the Promised Land, fear almost caused them to miss out on what God had for them. We remember Joshua and Caleb for their faith to take the land that God promised. We don’t remember the names of the other 10 spies, who in fear thought the giants in the land would stop them from God’s promise.

As believers, obedience is the mechanism we use to exercise our faith. It may not always be easy and, at times, full of fear. But we must put aside our fear and place our faith in the only one who can move us forward—God.

2. Look and Live

In Numbers 21, the Israelites, like us, found themselves complaining. Their grumbling and doubt led God to send venomous snakes among them, and people began to die, but the snakes weren’t the punishment—they were the wake-up call. Think about an alarm clock. It doesn’t exist to hurt us but to wake us up.

When the people cried out, God provided a way to live. He told Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it on a pole. Anyone who looked at it would live. It’s a peculiar cure, but God was saying, “Look and live!” It wasn’t the quick fix they expected—it was an invitation to trust Him again, obey, and have faith even when it didn’t make sense.

Sin, like snake venom, works quietly and deeply within us. But just as the Israelites looked to the bronze snake to be saved, we are called to look to Jesus on the cross for our salvation.

Faith calls us to trust God’s unseen plan and act in obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense. The Israelites’ journey in the wilderness shows how doubt and disobedience delay God’s promises, but looking to Him brings healing and transformation. Just as they looked to the bronze serpent, we must look to Jesus on the cross to find salvation and freedom from sin. Replace fear with trust, complaints with praise, and step forward in faith this week.