The gates and doors were barred   And all the windows fastened down   I spent the night in sleeplessness   And rose at every sound   Half in hopeless sorrow   And half in fear the day   Would find the soldiers breakin' through   To drag us all away      And just before the sunrise   I heard something at the wall   The gate began to rattle   And a voice began to call   I hurried to the window   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 me where she'd been   She said they might have moved Him in the night   And 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 empty tomb   Just the way that Mary said   But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in   Was just an empty shell   And how or where they'd taken Him   Was more than I could tell      Oh something strange had happened there   Just what I did not 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   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   When at last it came to choices   I denied I knew His name   And even if He was alive   It wouldn't be the same      But suddenly the air was filled   With a strange and sweet perfume   Light that came from everywhere   Drove the shadows from the room   And Jesus stood before me   With his arms held open wide   And I fell down on my knees   And I just clung to Him and cried      Then He raised me to my feet   And as I looked into His eyes   The love was shining out from Him   Like sunlight from the skies   Guilt in my confusion   Disappeared in sweet release   And every fear I'd ever had   Just melted into peace      He's alive yes He's alive   Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven   Heaven's gates are open wide   He's alive yes He's alive   Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven   Heaven's gates are open wide   He's alive yes He's alive   Hallelujah He's alive   He's alive and I'm forgiven   Heaven's gates are open wide   He's alive He's alive He's alive   I believe it He's alive   Sweet Jesus