The people in His day and age saw Him. Did they believe? Did they see God in the flesh walking with them? Teaching them? Giving them the eternal truths of life? Showing them how to live, the way to live - both by word and by example? Were they just so overwhelmed by the awe of knowing that this was God? He even proclaimed Himself as being such! Were they so overwhelmed that they said, Yes, I see. I believe. I'm going to follow. No. The Bible's own witness is that they did not know Him, even though they saw Him.
Just because one sees does not mean that one is going to believe. That is because, in the biblical sense, there is a spiritual aspect to seeing and believing. The scripture here indicates that there was not even a flash of recognition as to His true identity.
Now look at Jesus Christ for just a minute in your mind's eye. The most unique Personality that ever lived in the history of mankind! A one of a kind. The only human being who ever lived life sinlessly. And, yet, He could not be identified even by those who saw Him. He was not recognized when God was in the flesh and sharing life with the people of His generation.
All of this seems to indicate that one has to be predisposed to receive this belief - this ability to see. It is interesting, in the context of verses 12 and 13 especially, that those who exercised this faith…
That is, to enter into a relationship with God that results in nothing less than the creation of a new being.
