The Jewish had differing opinions sometimes as do we. The Pharisees believed in life surviving death via the soul. But the Sadducees believed death was a final end.

Read John 48 to 72. Jesus slowly revealed himself, starting at his first miracle enhancing the blessing of sacramental marriage, then to Baptism and finally to communion and finally just before the ascention, in giving the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter, he establishes the Priesthood and says :Thou art Peter(rock_)and upon this Rock, I build MY CHURCH... whatever you tie on earth is tied in heaven; what ever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. In Luke 13:1;5 He says to do penance or perish as well.

The MOST important is John:48-72. Unless you EAT MY FLESH and DRINK MY BLOOD you will not enter into the kingdom...At this many, except for the apostles, left.This is why confession is so important to Catholics:before one can receive Communion, one must be clean of Mortal sin(Mort means death or a sin bad enough to bring damnation to the soul, suchas abortion, adultery, etc). Communion is the priests consecration of the bread and wine into Jesus body and blood as He did at the last supper and said, in the original text, emphatically,DO THIS in memory of me.(because, He said unless you do this you have no life in Him). You have to read Johns chapters: 14 (Let not your heart be troubled),15(I am the vine)16, and 17, Jesus'beautiful prayer for (us) His disciples, where it says He wants us to be one with Him as He is like one with the Father, which is why we consume Him in communion, to be ONE with Him and thus one with the Father...