Did the twelve disciples understand that Jesus was going to die?
No. The Twelve did not understand that Jesus was going to die. Despite Old Testament prophetic references to His death and resurrection, they had no idea He would go to the Roman cross, and after His death they thought everything was over and hopeless.
Les explains that the Twelve did not understand because God had kept it secret. Even though the Old Testament contained prophetic references about His death and resurrection, you would have thought the Twelve would have understood that He was going to die, but they did not. They had no idea He was going to go to the Roman cross. When He hung there, they did not expect to see Him on Sunday; they thought it was all over, all done. Peter said, “I go fishing,” because everything was now hopeless. God kept it secret and did not reveal it to people, just as many today are kept blind to the truth of the Gospel until God opens their eyes.