But would we have understood what it meant? Jesus's life, death, and resurrection are the climax of a larger epic narrative. Avengers: Endgame is a great film, but it makes no sense without the previous 21 MCU films. I suspect that Jesus's death wouldn't have made sense to us if it had happened immediately. If we didn't understand what it meant, would we care? Would we follow him if we didn't understand what he came to do?
Jesus's death means what it means within the context of the larger narrative. Remove it from the narrative, and it makes much less sense, maybe even no sense at all. But within the narrative, it is the greatest and most wonderful thing you can imagine.
Recommended reading: The Day the Revolution Began, by NT Wright.