"Christmas Trivia Quiz"
A fun test of Christmas Story knowledge with a
contrary twist at the end.
The answers are all found in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 2.

1) Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?
a. An angel
b. A dream
c. Caesar Augustus
d. Rand McNally

2) When did the Magi begin following the star?
a. When they left Herod.
b. When they saw it in the East.
c. When they saw it in the West.
d. About 2:30 Greenwich Mean Time

3. What did the Innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?
a. We have no room in the inn.
b. You can stay in our stable.
c. The Holiday Inn is not too shabby.
d. a and b.
e. Who knows?

4. Where did the Magi find the child Jesus.
a. In a stable.
b. In a house.
c. In the Holiday Inn, which was not too shabby.
d. In a cave.
e. Who knows?

5. Where did the shepherds find the child Jesus.
a. In a stable.
b. In a house.
c. In the Holiday Inn, which was not too shabby.
d. In a cave.
e. Who knows?

6. What animals were around the manger?
a. Sheep, goats, and narwhals.
b. Babe, Willy, and Flipper.
c. Who knows?
d. Sheep, goats, and donkeys.

7. How did Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem?
a. They walked (she waddled)
b. He walked, she rode a donkey.
c. Limousine with all the fixins'.
d. Who knows?

8. What were the "Magi?" (Hint: They were from
Persia.)
a. Wise Men.
b. Kings.
c. Astrologers/Astronomers
d. College professors on Sabbatical
e. Who knows, but if they were women they would have
asked for directions and been there weeks earlier.

9. How many Magi were there?
a. 4
b. 3
c. 12
d. Who knows?

10. What did the angels sing to the shepherds?
a. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to all people . . . "
b. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to all men . . . "
c. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to men . . . "
d. All of the above are implied.
e. None of the above.

11. Where did the Magi first see the star?
a. While they were in the East.
b. In an Easterly position in the sky.
c. In a vision.
d. a. & b.

12. BONUS QUESTION: Were Mary and Joseph married
when Jesus was born?
a. True
b. False

Answers to the quiz appear in Christmas Day's
bulletin. See you at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow. (This is
the contrary twist at the end.)

Thanks to Pastor Mark Davis of Heart Land Presbyterian
Church, Clive, IA for this idea. Christmas Trivia
Answers
1. The answer is c. Luke 2:1

2. The answer is a. Mt 2:1-12

3. The answer is e. There is no innkeeper in the
biblical story. Lk 2:6-7

4. Answer is b. Mt 2:9-11

5. Answer is e. Lk 2:7;12 Luke talks about the child
lying in a manger and nothing else. (Okay, okay, this
is a pretty literalist interpretation.)

6. The answer is c. Lk 2:7;12 Since there is no
mention of a stable in Luke, there is certainly no
mention of animals. (Darn it! They're so cute in the
pageant)

7. Answer d. Luke 2:4

8. Answer c. Mt 2:1 'Magi' seems to mean
'astrologer' more than 'wise men,' as it is translated
in some versions of the Bible.

9. Answer d. Mt 2:11. They presented 3 gifts so many
assume 3, but it ain't necessarily so.

10. Answer e. Lk 2:13-14. They didn't sing, they
said. A host usually refers to an army and is not
used to portray a choir.

11. Answer d. (probably.) Mt 2:1&2. They certainly
came from the East, therefore saw his star while in
the East. The translation in verse 2 lends itself to
say they saw it rising from the East.

12. Answer a. or b. Matthew says yes (Mt 1:24) but
Luke says no (Lk 2:5-6).

How did you do?
9 to 12 right: New Testament Scholar
5 to 8 right: Good student of the Bible
2 to 4 right: You remember some of your Sunday School
days.
1 right: Hum, 12 was a gimme. Time to get back in a
Bible Class.


=====
John Maas
Christ Lutheran Church
4440 State St
Salem, OR 97301
503 363-3726 fax 378-7411
jsmaas@yahoo.com