The Qur’an is very clear on this issue. It says what means:
*{Behold! Allah said, O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the falsehoods] of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: then shall you all return unto Me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein you dispute}* (Aal `Imran 3:55).
*{That they said [in boast]: “We killed Christ jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah”, but they killed him not, nor crucified him. Only a likeness of that was shown to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge. But only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- No! Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise}* (An-Nisaa’ 4:157-158).
The critical word is the bal in verse 157 which translates to but in “but they killed him not.” Arabic rules of grammar require opposites to be compared when bal is used.
So, putting these two verses together, since Allah clearly says *{But they killed him not}*, it means they didn’t kill him. Therefore he must have been alive. So, *{I will raise you to Me}* implies “I will raise you to Me alive.”
The passage in verses 4:157-158 only emphasizes that many people talk about what they do not know. Muslims believe that all knowledge is with Allah. He knows and Man knows not. What Allah tells us is the truth. Your question only reiterates that Man is contentious and will argue on many things, even those things that he doesn’t know. Yet, here the issue is, I believe, very clear.