The Nine Faces of Jesus
When I think of Jesus and then myself, I think of ways to be like Him. Pretty quickly, then, I think of how I am not like Him and how I wish I looked more like Him. This, in part, is likely due to my root emotion of shame, per the wisdom of the enneagram.
When I think of the humanity of Jesus, in fact, often I think of His emotions. His compassion, His anger, His sorrow. This comes to mind likely because I am a 4 and am often thinking about feelings.
This got me wondering about how all numbers are represented in Jesus life and in His humanity. Regardless of type, however, it seems we put even Jesus’ humanity on a pedestal.
In one sense, this is correct. He impeccably merged divinity and humanity. He attended to the human needs of Himself and those around Him in the precise and particular way in all accounts of scripture. We aspire to be Christ-like for a reason; in all circumstances and situations, He did what was necessary, what was right, and what He saw His Father doing.
But on the other hand, it seems we see Jesus humanity in a compartmentalized way. Said differently, although we are learning to dwell on specific human moments in His life, ie His sweating blood in Gethsemane, weeping over Lazarus’ death, and His withdrawal from the crowds for proper RnR, Jesus was actually just another guy.
Jesus pooped. Laughed. Joked. Drank. Kissed a lot of people (on the cheek to be fair).
He likely had opinions about Jewish customs. It seems he had a favorite prophet, Jeremiah. Without sounding heretical, it seemed like He got irritable often.
In spite of all of these things, Jesus doesn’t have a “number” on the enneagram. Some have stated His being a 2 due to His altruism and self-giving. I have wondered if He was an 8 due to His regular confrontations with the religious elite.
In truth, I know Jesus’ true number on the enneagram.
He was... a 10.
Cringey jokes aside, here are nine stories of Jesus where He embodied the strengths and divine qualities of the nine types. Hope it is a blessing.
Type 1 (John 8:1-11)
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
The sinlessness of Jesus is well known by anyone reared in Christian culture. Jesus never swore at His friends during Call of Duty, never lusted after the pretty girl in class, never missed His morning quiet time.
But how was Jesus human in his sinlessness? By using his own righteousness to defend a marginalized person. In other words, by being without sin, He perfectly illustrated what divine justice looks like. Unselfconscious of the egoic “chops” of actually being someone entirely blameless, He used that very quality to defend someone who was guilty and illustrate the whole point of being righteous at the same time.
Following the law isn’t for the sake of the law, it’s for the sake of love. That’s how a healthy 1 operates at their best.
Type 2 (Luke 7:35-50)
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[c]and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The compassion of Christ is one of his defining traits, especially as perceived outside of the church. In Islam, Jesus is seen as a great revealer of the mercy of Allah. In the teachings of many Hindi gurus, His compassion is sought after with great fervor.
Jesus reveals the power of the compassion of the 2, namely, lifting up those who are low while also bringing down those who believe they are higher.
He never calls the Pharisee a name in this story (in fact He only ever labels Pharisees in a collective sense). Yet it is His compassion that directs this teaching moment; it is His dignity bestowing and loving empowerment of the prostitute that illustrates why loving a lot generally comes from needing a lot of forgiveness. He additionally channels 2 by affirming her faith and charging her with a blessing of peace.
Type 3 (Matthew 14:15-21)
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus was the first mega church pastor. Just kidding (mostly). Nevertheless, Jesus was very popular (until He wasn’t). He drew a big crowd because of His larger than life persona.
Because of this, people would come from all corners of Israel and beyond to see Him. And, seeing that the crowds gathering were miles away from food and rather ravenous, Jesus didn’t sit on His butt and do nothing.
He asked disciples to get food, blessed it, and also assured that none of it was wasted. Embodying the giterdun attitude of productive type 3s, Jesus saw a problem and immediately went to work to fix it. He was quick to act when it was necessary, trusting His Father that results would come with a little faith and a lot of sweat.
Type 4 (John 11:32-36)
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Jesus was emo. He was no stranger to saying cryptic things which made even His disciples scratch their heads. “The Son of Man had nowhere to lay my head” is a personal fave of mine as a 4.
But as simple as it sounds, I believe Jesus weeping over the death of His friend is the strength of the 4 broadcast.
Although mental health in the church is a topic that continues to be embraced, for decades it wasn’t. Christianity was a faith of right thoughts and right actions. Emotion was acceptable only when positive. By weeping over the death of His friend, Jesus shows how impactful healthy mourning can be. Even the crowds said “look how much He loved Him.”
Type 5 (Luke 5:16, many other mentions)
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
(Verse is brief but I don’t think 5s will mind). Debating Jesus introversion versus extroversion is silly but exciting to ponder. While He channeled major extroverted vibes in how He spoke and gave of Himself to large crowds, it was introverted, type 5 energy beforehand that enabled His ministry to endure.
By withdrawing often, praying often, and resting often, Jesus shows that even He only had so much human energy in the tank. He may have been the Savior of the world, but He knew He only had “x” amount to give every day.
By embracing solitude and rest, Jesus also modeled God in Genesis. In our modern go, go, go world, sometimes we forget that even God and Jesus needed proper days off to rejuvenate.
Type 6 (Luke 22:39-44)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives,and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Jesus was not afraid. Bold in His beliefs and teachings, He was willing to do things that would scare and intimidate anybody else.
But in Gethsemane and with the weight of the world literally on His shoulders, Jesus showed true courage in the midst of great fear embodied by healthy type 6s.
Notice how Jesus didn’t minimize His fear, even to the point of sweating blood because of it, yet His resolution, in complete trust of His Father, was to tackle the fear directly. Even earlier, He stated in the Upper Room, “in this world you will face trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Type 7 (John 2:1-11)
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Jesus was joyful. Without intentionality, often we see Jesus as being overly serious. Obviously, He was very serious about many things. And yet, Jesus understood the power of catharsis and celebration. He liked to use humor often in His parables which is lost on modern ears.
Most people know that Jesus turned a lot of water into a lot of wine. Fewer people ponder how this reveals Jesus’ love of fellowship. It seems to me that Jesus likes when people have a good time, a hallmark of healthy 7s.
He revels in the happiness of the group to the point of prolonging that happiness, not taking credit for it, and not pointing a finger as people partake (which, might just maybe mean He allowed some level of drunkenness). He also loved children, claiming they had the keys to the kingdom too.
Type 8 (Matthew 21:12-13)
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.”
Jesus knew when to call things out. Perceptive of the bigger implications of temple taxes and money changers, Jesus was not having it, even to the point of finding a whip and literally driving out those profiting from exploitation of the poor.
The kicker comes when we learn what Jesus said as He did what, at some level and at first glance, feels like an overreaction. By stating His wrath was rooted, in fact, by His deep concern and compassion for those wishing to convene with God as Father, Jesus shows that the best anger is always rooted in love.
He will not sit by as the needy are hindered in their ability to convene with God. There are too many roadblocks for the downtrodden to connect with God, and you bet Jesus would not let money get in the way of their desire to worship and love His Father.
Type 9 (Matthew 26:47-54)
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
They didn’t call Jesus the prince of peace for nothing. While he was no stranger to indicting religious leaders and compelling sinners alike to repentance, Jesus also embodied a non-anxious presence.
While His disciples slept as Jesus sweat blood of anxiety in private, when met with the public, an aggressive, vengeful, corrupt public, Jesus addressed them calmly. And yet, when Peter sliced the ear off of one of the men, Jesus rebuked the violence then healed the man.
Jesus is non-anxious, calm, patient, and also knows precisely when to act. Like a healthy 9, when Jesus did scold his disciple and heal the man, He diffused even the possibility of further violence. He wasn’t passive, but rather active in His non-violence and peace.