The Crucifixion (as depicted by Mel Gibson) is today a religious belief. In Roman times it was a civil punishment. The true story is that Jesus infuriated high priest Caiphas by throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. This was Caiphas' reasoning for bringing Jesus before the chief priests of the temple....and the fact that Jesus was preaching and had a following....things that Caiphas considered a challenge to his own power.
The chief priests had no power to get rid of Jesus. They needed Pilate --and Roman law that prevailed---to do that for them.
But Pilate as a Roman leader had no say over Jewish (religious) transgressions and had in fact said he thought Jesus was innocent. Pilate was also sensitive to his wife begging him to save Jesus.
So Caiphas cleverly changed the charge made against Jesus, and instead made Jesus' crime look to be, not a religious issue, but sedition against Rome: Caiphas told Pilate that Jesus said he was King of the Jews---an affront against Rome---which helped Caiphas turn Pilate against Jesus, and command the Crucifixion.
The Romans mocked Jesus by attaching the legend used by Caiphas to indict him at the top of the cross.....Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.