I never said seeing meant regeneration. But being born again before you can see equals regeneration before you can see.
Please allow me to try to attempt to bring some clarity ...
Let's go to Numbers (since that's what Jesus did).
21:4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. Numbers
The Israelites are in the wilderness wondering around (oh yes, because of their unbelief).
Maybe they figured their journey should have been a cake walk, but I guess they forgot, this wasn't a reward for being good.
So times get rough, and they get discouraged.
21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. Numbers
So even though the people already have it rough, they decide the best course of action is to talk against God, and the man of God! Great!!!
21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Numbers
So God bless does one of those "Oh really" things.
21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. Numbers
So when people started dying for being stupid (on top of being rebellious), God now has their attention. So they run to Moses with THEIR solution to the problem.
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. Numbers
God however, has a different plan. You see, just taking away the serpents doesn't teach the people anything. No, God has a better idea.
Now forgive me, but I must sort of do this as I have done it in the classroom.
Let's look again at our text ...
"Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live".
Okay, Moses has his orders from God. He runs to a group of men, and tells different men to do different things, "but hurry, because people are dying".
One must dig a hole near the center of the camp. One must gather some brass (it's a judgment). One must build a fire, one must find the blacksmith. Then Moses says, Spread the word, I'm going to be raising up a brazen serpent on a pole in the middle of the camp; God said, If you look at it, you will live.
Now think about what is going on. There are a group of men preparing a brazen serpent to be raised in the camp. There are others who are spreading the word about the plan of God. Then there are those who are either sick, or near the point of death.
Among the sick, I'm sure there were those who angrily said, I ain't looking at no stupid brazen serpent. (Now depending on how close he was to death ... he probably died angry. That would be those people who simply said, I don't believe that's a good plan. Since they didn't first have faith, (to look), they obviously didn't look; and then obviously died.)
There were others there who thought to themselves, what do I have to loose, I'll just take God at His word, (faith), and go have a look! Guess what? They lived!
There were others that were too sick to get there on their own, but believed that God would do as He said, so they, in faith, asked to be taken to the brazen serpent, so they could look. So yes, they also lived.
In each case, either the lack of faith caused death, or faith led to God giving life.
It happened in the wilderness ... it happened again ... at Calvary.