To understand the serpent in the wilderness you have to start at the beginning.   3,500 years ago God was leading the nation of Israel in the Wildernes when they became discouraged because of the way.   And the people spake against God, and against Moses, there leader saying, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?   For there is no bread,   niether is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread (Manna, a special type of bread God provided for the nation of Israel to sustain them in there wilderness wanderings.)   And the LORD sent fiery sepents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.   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.   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.   And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent bad bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

1,500 years after this incident there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:   The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.   Jesus answered and said unto him,   Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.   Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?   can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?   Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.   That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.   Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.   The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:   so is every one that is born of the Spirit.   Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?   Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?   Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.   If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?   And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down form heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.   And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son   of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,   that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.   For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Friend, just as those Jews recieved a death sentence with no escape when bitten by a fiery serpent, you and I are dead in our sins and tresspasses with no hope for a cure.   For it is written that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death (see Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23).   Look not   to the law for your salvation, for it can only condemn you.   A man who looks on a woman to lust after her is guilty of adultery and one who hates his brother without a cause is guilty of murder (Matthew chapter 5).   Now listen to what says the law, "Cursed is every on that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."   (see Galations 3:10 Deuteronomy 27:26)   Look not to your own rightouesness for it is written   that our rightouesness is as filthy rags to a   Holy God (Isaiah 64:6).   Turn not to religion for it is a vain thing and follow not after mortal men for we are all but a   vapor.   There is but one way to eternal life, and that is Jesus.    Behold him now.    Do you not now hear the Spirit speaking to you, calling you?     Look to   Him now, his yoke is easy and   His burden is light.   Are you a sinner?     He   came to give his life for such.   Are you ungodly?   He justifies the ungodly.  

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."