Luke 18 - Confused

"'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'

The disciples did not understand any of this."

How could they not understand this? How could Jesus have been any clearer? He flat out said exactly what was going to happen and they still didn't get it. Sometimes I think that the disciples had this huge surprise when Jesus was captured and crucified - but they had advanced notice. Jesus told them explicitly what was going to happen.

Why didn't they believe? Was it because they didn't want to? They had an idea of what Jesus' mission would be. They saw military victories and a physical kingdom (that they would be in charge of as his closest followers). This was an idea that they loved and wouldn't let go of. Even after Jesus died and came back, they still asked, "Lord, are you then at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

So, what are the ideas that I won't let go of? What are the things that I want so strongly that I refuse to see the truth? Where am I blocking my own view of God?