Jesus and Human Death
John 11
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend
Lazarus
sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them
plainly, Lazarus is
dead.
Jesus taught that death is a sleep. If a person is asleep and breathing, he/she can be awakened out of their sleep. If the person is not breathing, then they are considered dead. However, Jesus called death a sleep. Why? Jesus can awaken a person out of their "death" (sleep), otherwise, the person would be considered dead, not asleep. So, because Jesus could awaken Lazarus out of his "human death", Lazarus was considered asleep, not dead. You and I cannot awaken people out of their death. It takes a power beyond ourselves to awaken one out of their death, and that one is Jesus.
Jesus said in John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live", and continuining in verse 26 He continues "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?". If Jesus is the resurrection, then He can raise others to life. Consider that He brought Lazarus back to life and others before He himself actually died on the cross - before our salvation was actually purchased. That's how much confidence Jesus had in the plan He and His Father had designed for our salvation.
The rest of the Scriptures agree with Jesus. Lets look at some of these. The Old Testament agrees with Jesus.
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6
So then, the Scriptures, God's Word to all the human race consistently teaches that when a person dies, their breath returns to God who gave it to them, and their physical bodies lie in the grave.