Jesus Is Alive
Shai Linne Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elvis is dead, Picasso is dead
Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are dead
Marilyn Monroe is dead- however…
Jesus is Alive

Brando is dead, James Brown is dead
Princess Di and John Lennon are dead
Biggie and Pac are dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Give praise to King Jesus, the blessed Son
Victorious, glorious resurrected One
To Him belongs the power, glory and honor
Ascended where He sits at the right hand of the Father
At the cross He made atonement- His people He saved
After three days He was raised in defeat of the grave
By faith the elect behold Him, His scepter is golden
He must have been hot or slippery because death couldn’t hold Him
The spotlight is on today’s icons
In a thousand years, nobody will care- their light’s gone
But at that time, Christ will still shine bright
He’s not in the limelight- He IS the limelight
Criminal minded, you’ve been blinded
Looking for the body of Jesus? You won’t find it
We never lack spirit, letting you cats hear it
Because His tomb is empty like most secular rap lyrics

Plato is dead, Socrates is dead
Aristotle and Immanuel Kant are dead
Neitzsche and Darwin are dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Buddha is dead, Mohammed is dead
Ghandi and Haile Selassie are dead
Elijah Mohammed is dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Throughout history there’s been mad religious leaders
Prophets, preachers, scholars, teachers
But when it came to the grave, no one could climb out
That’s where Jesus stands alone like taking a ‘timeout’
And don’t be mislead- I got a level head
No resurrection, Christianity would have never spread
The disciples weren’t stupid guys who would ruin their lives
And then choose to die for what they knew was a lie
That would be beyond ridiculous- Nah, the issue is
The risen Christ seen by 500 eye-witnesses
Imagine 500 people in a court of law
Each of them taking the stand reporting what they saw
If their stories lined up and made sense
The evidence would have to leave you convinced
But still it’s by faith that we trust and praise the Son
Who was raised for our justification

Nero is dead, Constantine is dead
Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun are dead
Alexander the Great is dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Napoleon is dead, Lao Tzu is dead
Che Guevara and Henry VIII are dead
Saddam Hussein is dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Through faith in Christ, we’ve been saved from hell
Because He’s risen, it means we’ll be raised as well
In glorified bodies fit for the new earth
For now, we participate in the new birth
The universal reality of the true church
With resurrection power, watch the Spirit do work!
United with Christ, we reside in His light
Abide in His might, keep in stride as we fight
The pride in our life, the lies and the spite
We strive to be wise as He guides through the night
He’ll chide and He’ll slice- recognize that He’s right
His brightness inside lights our eyes and it’s tight
(He) decided to die to wash white all our strife
His life was the price to delight in His wife
He told death “sike” just to rise like a kite
All eyes on the Christ- let’s prize Him tonight

Pharaoh is dead, Cyrus is dead
Darius and Sennacharib are dead
Nebuchadnezzar is dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Caesar is dead, Herod is dead
Annas, Caiaphas and Judas are dead




Pontius Pilate is dead- however
Jesus is Alive

Overall Meaning

The song "Jesus Is Alive" by Shai Linne is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The lyrics begin by listing several famous figures from history who have died, such as Elvis, Picasso, and Marilyn Monroe. Each time, the chorus declares that although these people are dead, Jesus is alive. The verses go on to describe the power and significance of Jesus' resurrection, pointing out that no other religious leader or historical figure has ever risen from the dead. The song ultimately encourages listeners to place their faith and trust in Jesus, as he is the only one who can save them from eternal death.


One of the interesting facts about the song is that it was released in 2008 as part of Linne's album "The Atonement", which was generally well-received by Christian hip-hop fans. Another interesting fact is that the song features samples from the song "Love Alive" by legendary gospel singer Walter Hawkins. Linne has said in interviews that he chose to use this sample because Hawkins' lyrics fit well with the message of his own song. Additionally, although Linne is known for his uncompromising stance on doctrinal matters, "Jesus Is Alive" was praised by critics for its accessibility and the way that it presents the gospel in a clear and compelling way.


Another interesting fact about the song is that it draws on a rich tradition of gospel and spiritual music that emphasizes the power of Jesus' resurrection. Through its use of call-and-response vocals and uplifting melodies, the song invites listeners to celebrate the victory that Jesus has won over death. Finally, it is worth noting that "Jesus Is Alive" has remained a popular song in evangelical and Christian hip-hop circles since its release, with many fans citing it as a standout track from Linne's career.


The chords for "Jesus Is Alive" are not available at this time.


Line by Line Meaning

Elvis is dead, Picasso is dead
Many famous people from history have died, including influential musicians and artists such as Elvis Presley and Pablo Picasso.


Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are dead
Other famous musicians from the past have also died.


Marilyn Monroe is dead- however…
Another famous person who died, but now there is a contrasting idea coming.


Jesus is Alive
Despite all the people who have died and the passing of time, Jesus Christ is alive and well.


Brando is dead, James Brown is dead
More famous people who are no longer living.


Princess Di and John Lennon are dead
Other well-known people who have died.


Biggie and Pac are dead- however
Even famous rappers who have passed away are no match for this next idea.


Jesus is Alive
Jesus has defeated death and continues to live.


Give praise to King Jesus, the blessed Son
Let us worship and honor Jesus, who is God's Son and is greatly blessed.


Victorious, glorious resurrected One
Jesus was victorious over death and was resurrected from the dead, which is glorious and amazing.


To Him belongs the power, glory and honor
Jesus deserves all the power, glory, and honor because of what He has done.


Ascended where He sits at the right hand of the Father
After being raised from the dead, Jesus ascended into heaven and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father.


At the cross He made atonement- His people He saved
Jesus made a sacrifice at the cross to pay for the sins of His people and save them.


After three days He was raised in defeat of the grave
Jesus was raised from the dead three days after His crucifixion, showing that He had defeated death and the grave.


By faith the elect behold Him, His scepter is golden
Through faith, those who believe in Jesus can see Him and recognize His authority and royal status.


He must have been hot or slippery because death couldn’t hold Him
Death could not contain Jesus because He was too powerful and glorious.


The spotlight is on today’s icons
People today often focus on current celebrities and famous individuals.


In a thousand years, nobody will care- their light’s gone
In the future, nobody will remember the famous people of today because they will have passed out of the cultural spotlight.


But at that time, Christ will still shine bright
However, even in the future, Jesus will remain a shining light in the world.


He’s not in the limelight- He IS the limelight
Jesus is not just a celebrity or a famous person - He is the light of the world.


Criminal minded, you’ve been blinded
Those who are focused on worldly things have been blinded (metaphorically) and need to open their eyes to the truth.


Looking for the body of Jesus? You won’t find it
Jesus' body is not on earth because He ascended into heaven after His resurrection.


We never lack spirit, letting you cats hear it
We always have spiritual energy and will proclaim the truth boldly.


Because His tomb is empty like most secular rap lyrics
Similar to the way that many rap songs lack substance, Jesus' tomb is empty and has no physical evidence left behind.


Plato is dead, Socrates is dead
More historical figures who have died.


Aristotle and Immanuel Kant are dead
Other philosophers who have passed away.


Neitzsche and Darwin are dead- however
Even famous modern thinkers and theorists are not as important as this next point.


Jesus is Alive
Jesus is still alive despite the passing of time and the death of notable people.


Buddha is dead, Mohammed is dead
Other religious figures who are no longer alive.


Ghandi and Haile Selassie are dead
Other influential figures who have passed away.


Elijah Mohammed is dead- however
Even more recent religious figures cannot compare to the significance of this next statement.


Jesus is Alive
Jesus is still alive and continues to be central to Christianity.


Throughout history there’s been mad religious leaders
There have been many religious leaders throughout history.


Prophets, preachers, scholars, teachers
Different types of religious leaders include prophets, preachers, scholars, and teachers.


But when it came to the grave, no one could climb out
No one else has been able to escape death and come back to life like Jesus did.


That’s where Jesus stands alone like taking a ‘timeout’
This sets Jesus apart from other religious leaders.


And don’t be mislead- I got a level head
The singer is trustworthy and clear-headed.


No resurrection, Christianity would have never spread
If Jesus had not been resurrected, Christianity would not have become a worldwide religion.


The disciples weren’t stupid guys who would ruin their lives
The apostles were intelligent people who would not have given up their lives for something they knew was false.


And then choose to die for what they knew was a lie
It is highly unlikely that the disciples would have chosen to die for something they knew to be untrue.


That would be beyond ridiculous- Nah, the issue is
The idea that the disciples died for a lie is so absurd that it is not worth considering.


The risen Christ seen by 500 eye-witnesses
Jesus was seen after His resurrection by over 500 people who testified to the event.


Imagine 500 people in a court of law
If 500 people testified to an event in a court of law, it would be highly convincing evidence.


Each of them taking the stand reporting what they saw
Each witness would describe their experience of seeing Jesus after His resurrection.


If their stories lined up and made sense
If the witnesses' stories matched up and were logical, it would be further proof of the resurrection.


The evidence would have to leave you convinced
The volume and consistency of the evidence would make it difficult to doubt the occurrence of Jesus' resurrection.


But still it’s by faith that we trust and praise the Son
Even with evidence, believing in Jesus is ultimately a matter of faith.


Who was raised for our justification
However, Jesus' resurrection is a vital component of His saving work that makes justification possible for those who believe in Him.


Nero is dead, Constantine is dead
More historical figures who have passed away.


Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun are dead
Other famous conquerers and leaders who are no longer alive.


Alexander the Great is dead- however
Even historically significant military figures cannot overshadow this next statement.


Jesus is Alive
Jesus remains alive and well despite the passing of time and the deaths of historical figures.


Napoleon is dead, Lao Tzu is dead
More historical and philosophical figures who have died.


Che Guevara and Henry VIII are dead
Other famous people who are no longer alive.


Saddam Hussein is dead- however
Even very recent or contemporary figures are not as important as this final statement.


Jesus is Alive
Despite all the changes and upheavals of history, Jesus Christ is still alive and remains central to Christian faith.




Contributed by Ellie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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