After his arrest, the gospels describe Jesus receiving beatings and mockery from soldiers under the command of Roman governor Pontius Pilate. As John 19:1-3 puts it: “Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and struck him with their hands.” The crown and purple robe were meant to deride Jesus’ supposedly royal status.

More than a mere appeal for pity, Jesus’ suffering fulfilled his prediction that he would be arrested, beaten, mocked, and crucified. Despite repeatedly saying this, Jesus’ own disciples could not comprehend such a possibility and rejected it. As an interpretation of what it means to be a righteous savior, however, these indignities connect Jesus with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, in which a righteous person becomes a “man of sorrows” who bears the punishment of others and brings redemption through his innocent suffering. Within the context of Isaiah, the Suffering Servant might refer to a righteous prophet like Jeremiah or represent the trials of the entire people of Israel. In the New Testament, this role of suffering savior is clearly applied to Jesus, who—as he told his followers—“came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Although the dog at Jesus’ feet might seem a curious addition to the picture, it likely connects these afflictions with Psalm 22, the first words of which—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me me?”—Jesus cried out from the cross. Similarly, while Jesus was on the cross, the Gospel of John describes soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ clothing and then directly cites Psalm 22:18 to explain that action: “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Two verses before that, the Psalm also says, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” The psalmist then prays, “Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!” (Psalm 22:16, 20). With these references to Psalm 22 in the background, the Passional’s inclusion of a dog strengthens the ties between Christ’s suffering and Hebrew scriptures about the righteous one who suffers for others.