A Christmas trivia quiz is both fun and an opportunity to learn a bit more of the Christmas story. I wrote this quiz years ago and have given it many times. It is meant to be entertaining but educational at the same time, so I add comments here and there. There are 50 questions. Good luck. So, what do we learn from this quiz? Well, we learn that the creche displays and nativity scenes we all love… are somewhat inaccurate. There are many legends that have been written about the birth of Jesus Christ. For example, Jesus’s birth was not in December, it was in April. Mary probably did not ride a donkey to Bethlehem and the wise men apparently did not arrive in time for the manger scene. There were no little drummer boys either. But the important thing is that the birth of the Savior did happen. This reality check can be done on Christmas hymns as well. “We Three Kings” is probably in error since we don’t know if there were really three wise men or if they were kings. “Away in a Manger” claims that cattle were lowing, which the scriptures do not mention. But there is one hymn that is accurate. The manger scene described by “Silent Night” is just how I imagine it was. In recognition of its accuracy and spiritual effect, I play an instrumental “Silent Night” as I sign off.
Email - scottrfrazer@gmail.com
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S2E12 – A Christmas Quiz
This is the podcast “Science and Scriptures”, Season 2, Episode 12, or “A Christmas Quiz”.
Hello again, this is Scott Frazer, and welcome to the podcast “Science and Scriptures”. Christmas is about here, which should be a time of spirituality – and fun. So I decided this podcast needed to have some fun today. A Christmas trivia quiz is both fun and an opportunity to learn a bit of the Christmas story. I wrote this Christmas quiz as my Sunday youth lessons for the Sunday before Christmas. I have used it in multiple classes, home teaching lessons, and family gatherings since then.
Today, I am going to give the quiz to you. I will give you about 5 seconds to think and answer. Even if you are alone, you are welcome to state your answer verbally, so you can really commit to it. You don’t have to count your number of right answers, unless you are competing with someone. Just remember the answer to the questions you didn’t know. This is meant to be entertaining but educational at the same time, so I may add a comment here or there. If you are ready, let’s begin…
In which of the four Gospels do we find the account of the wise men? (Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience, so emphasizes how Jesus’s birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.)
In which of the four Gospels do we find the account of the shepherds? (Luke. The Gospel of Luke was written for a Gentile audience and focusses more on the miracles and the angelic visitations such as seen by the shepherds at Jesus’s birth.)
What does the word “Christmas” come from? (means “Christ mass,” a special celebration of the Lord’s supper in the Catholic Church)
Name the city and state of Jesus’ birth and the king at the time. (Bethlehem, Judea, Herod the Great)
How did Herod know where Christ was to be born? (Written prophesy – Matt 2:5, “And thou Bethlehem…out of thee shall come a Governor”.
Whose prophecy was it?(Micah’s – Micah 5:2)
What children did Herod have slain? (Two years old and younger & residing in Bethlehem and all the coasts thereof – Matt. 2:16. Herod the Great was an evil man.)
However, what was Herod the Great mostly known for, outside of the Christmas story? (Being a great builder of buildings, including a massive remodel of the Temple of Jerusalem, thus called Herod’s Temple. This was the temple featured throughout the New Testament.)
I will give you the name of the person who had a dream or angelic visitation in connection with the Christmas story. What was the message given to each?
(To Mary – Guess what, you’re going to have a baby)
(To Joseph – Marry Mary)
(To the Wise Men – Follow that star and find Jesus)
(To Joseph – Flee to Egypt)
(To Joseph – Return to Israel, specifically Nazareth)
Before the trip to Bethlehem, where did Joseph & Mary live? (Nazareth – Luke 2:4)
How far a journey is it from Nazareth to Bethlehem (+/- 10 miles)? (65 miles)
How did Mary get from Nazareth to Bethlehem?(We don’t know. She probably walked or, less likely, rode in a wagon, or even less likely she rode a donkey.)
To what building was Joseph and Mary directed?(Does not say; only a manger is mentioned) Of what material was the barn probably made? (Probably a cave)
What animals are mentioned in the gospels as present by the manger in which Jesus lay? (None)
When the angels appeared to the Shepherds, they sang… “Glory to God in the Highest… What comes next? (…and on earth peace, good will toward men.) (Actually, they did not sing. They simply said these things…)
How did the wise men travel from the East to visit Jesus? (Scriptures do not say, although millions of Nativity scenes put them on camels).
Were the wise men kings, or magi, or neither?(Probably Neither. Christmas stories made them kings in the 2nd or 3rd century and magi are Zoroastrian priests.)
When did the wise men arrive and meet the Savior? (From 1 - 2 years after the birth, Matthew 2:11)
What was the sign of the baby Jesus that the shepherds were to look for? (Wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger – Luke 2:12)
At Jesus’s circumcision, 2 people recognized Jesus as the Savior. What were their names? (Simeon – Luke 2: 25 – 35; Anna – Luke 2: 36-37)
Who visited Mary to tell her she would have a son?(The Angel Gabriel – Luke 1:26)
What else did Gabriel do, which is related to the Christmas story? (Visited Zacharias to tell him about upcoming birth of John the Baptist– Luke 1:19)
When Joseph and his family returned from Egypt, where did they go (city & state)? (Nazareth, Galilee)
Who was the political king of Judea? (Herod Archelaus, son of Herod the Great. When they returned from Egypt, Joseph was thinking of settling in Judea, but hearing Archelaus was king, decided to go to Galilee instead. Matt 2:22)
So, who was the king of Galilee? (Herod Antipas, the man who would eventually have John the Baptist beheaded. He was the half-brother of Herod Archelaus and also the son of Herod the Great.)
According to Matthew, how many wise men were there? Extra point, give the name of one of the wise men. (Trick questions – Scriptures never stated how many and certainly never named any of them. The logic behind the idea there were three wise men was that there were three gifts…)
How many generations were there from Abraham to Jesus? (42 – In Matt 1:17, we read, from Abraham to David there were 14 generations; from David to Israel being carried away into Babylon – another 14 generations; from Babylon to Jesus – another 14. So, 14 + 14 + 14 = 42)
Jesus was a descendant of kings. Name the first and second. (King David, King Solomon - Matt 1:6)
One of Jesus’ names is Emmanuel. What does it mean? (“God with us” – Matt 1:23)
What were the wise men’s gifts? (Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh)
What are Frankincense & Myrrh? (Perfumes)
At Jesus’ circumcision, what offering was made?(Two turtledoves or two young pigeons)
What does the fact that Mary offered this sacrifice (Luke 2:24) tell us about her and Joseph? (It is an indication that they were part of the working poor. In the Talmud, theirs was called the ‘poor’s offering.’)
Is there evidence that the star actually moved?(Yes – Matt 2:9)
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was not the first son in the scriptures to be born to an older mother. Name another.(Isaac to Sarah & Abraham)
How was Jesus related to John? (2nd cousins; Elizabeth & Mary were 1st cousins)
How pregnant was Elizabeth at the time of Mary’s visit? (Six months – Luke 1:36)
What did the friends of Zacharias & Elizabeth want to name John? (Zacharias – Luke 1:59)
What did Zacharias have to say about this suggestion? (Nothing – he was dumb)
How old was John when his father was able to speak?(8 days – Luke 1:59)
What was John’s nickname? (Elias – Luke 1:17)
Why was John’s father Zacharias killed? (According to non-canonized texts, John’s father was killed because he would not John and Elizabeth’s location to Herod during his search for the baby Jesus.)
Jesus’s family
Jesus had an aunt and uncle. What were their names? (Mary and Cleophus – John 19:25)
What evidence do we have that Joseph died during the Savior’s life? (From the cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to John, which would have been unnecessary had Joseph been alive – John 19:27)
Do we have evidence that Mary remained active in the church? (Yes – Acts 1:14)
Jesus probably had brothers. What were their names? (James, Joses, Simon, & Judas – Matt 13:55)
Book of Mormon
From whom do we first hear of the Savior in the Book of Mormon? (Lehi – 1 Nephi 10:4)
Regarding the Savior’s birth, whose prophesy was the one being looked for among the Nephites? (Samuel the Lamanite – 3 Nephi 1:9)
What were the two signs of Christ’s birth they were looking for? (No darkness and a New Star - 3 Nephi 1:19 & 3 Nephi 1:21)
Who was the prophet at the time of the Savior’s birth and when He visited the Nephites 33 years later? (Nephi, son of Nephi. That’s a long time to be a prophet…))
Finally, we know that Jesus was born in April. Whose idea was it to celebrate Christmas on December 25? (The Roman emperor Constantine. Trying to establish peace between the Christians and pagan religions, he combined some of their holidays. The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336 AD.)
And that is the end of the quiz questions. I hope you had fun and learned a few things.
So, what did we learn? Well, we learned that the creche displays and nativity scenes we all love… are often somewhat inaccurate. There are many legends that have come up regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus’s birth was in April, not December. Mary probably did not ride a donkey to Bethlehem and the wise men apparently did not arrive in time for the manger scene. There were no little drummer boys either. But the important thing is that the birth of the Savior did happen
This reality check can be done on Christmas hymns as well. “We Three Kings” is probably in error since we don’t know if there were three wise men or if they were kings. “Away in a Manger” claims that cattle were lowing, which the scriptures do not mention. But there is one hymn that is accurate – and it just happens to be my favorite. The manger scene described by “Silent Night” is actually just how I would imagine it was. Many Creche displays are crowded, with lots of people, angels, and animals around. But I picture the actual Nativity as very quiet place, with only Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and a few awed shepherds standing at a respectful distance. So, in recognition of its accuracy and spiritual effect, I’d like to play an instrumental “Silent Night” for you as I sign off.
That is all I have for you today. Thanks for listening to this podcast. Tis the season of giving, so please share this quiz with family and friends who might enjoy it. It’s a fun activity and may give you something to do at family gatherings.
This is Scott Frazer from the podcast Science and Scriptures. Take care and may you have a very Merry and Meaningful Christmas.