OPENING SCRIPTURE:

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:38-41 NKJ)

• A metaphor for the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Sign: An Empty Tomb. A powerful symbol of hope for believers: triumph of life over death and promise of eternal life.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. (Matthew 27:50-51 NKJ)

Sign: A Torn Veil: Relationship. Relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron (the High Priest) your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:2 NKJ)

• That veil was a sign of separation between God and Man.
• No one could enter there except for the High Priest. Not any time. Only once a year could he enter and that day was the Day of Atonement.
• The verb to atone means to make amends, to clean, to repair, to reconcile.
• On that special day man can be cleansed, restore, reconciled to God.
• Can you imagine being able to access God only one day in a year?

The VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. (Matthew 27:50-51 NKJ)

• That torn veil means ACCESS TO GOD HIMSELF. Not just for the High Priest, not just for Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, Evangelists, etc. But to access to all who would believe in Jesus.
• That torn veil means a RESTORED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
• That torn veil means COME JUST AS YOU ARE.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, WE can BOLDLY enter heaven’s MOST HOLY PLACE BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS. (Hebrews 10:19 NLT)

• Boldly because the blood of Jesus has given the boldness of a triumphant believer!
• Not just one time, but all the time!

By HIS DEATH, Jesus opened A NEW AND LIFE-GIVING WAY THROUGH THE CURTAIN into the Most Holy Place. (Hebrews 10:20 NLT)

• New life as we enter in!

And since we have A GREAT HIGH PRIEST who rules over God’s house LET US GO RIGHT INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH SINCERE HEARTS FULLY TRUSTING HIM. (Hebrews 10:21-22 NLT)

• Jesus took the place of the High Priest in the Old Testament.

For OUR GUILTY CONSCIENCES have been SPRINKLED WITH CHRIST’S BLOOD to make us CLEAN, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22 NLT)

When you step in your guilty conscience is erased.

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12 NLT)

That torn veil was a sign that you and I are: NOT GUILTY!

CONCLUSION
• What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?
• If you were guilty, the blood of Jesus has declared you not guilty!