The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness, rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow, half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through to drag us all away
Just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle, a voice began to call
I hurried to the window and looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches and the sound of soldiers' feet.
But there was no one there but Mary so I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me as she told us where she'd been
She said, "They've moved him in the night, none of us knows where
The stone's been rolled away and now his body isn't there!"
We both ran toward the garden, then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and the empty tomb just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they'd wrapped him in was just an empty shell
How or where they'd taken him was more than I could tell
Something strange had happened there but just what I didn't know
John believed a miracle but I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify him, and then I saw him die
Back inside the house again the guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised him just added to my shame
'Cause when at last it came to choices I'd denied I knew his name
Even if he was alive it wouldn't be the same
But suddenly the air was filled with strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room
Jesus stood before me with his arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees and just clung to him and cried
He raised me to my feet and as I looked into his eyes
Love was shining out from him like sunlight from the skies
Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had just melted in to peace
He's alive, he's alive, he's alive and I'm forgiven heaven's gates are opened wide
He's alive, he's alive, he's alive and I'm forgiven heaven's gates are opened wide
He's alive, he's alive, he's alive and I'm forgiven heaven's gates are opened wide
He's alive, he's alive, he's ali- ive!
