A Christmas Quiz
How well do you know the Christmas story? The Answers are bolded.
Jesus was born December 25, 1 A.D. False (most likely born 5-4 B.C. in the spring or fall when shepherds were in the fields; December 25th emerged later in church tradition)
Joseph was from…
Bethlehem
Jerusalem
Nazareth - Joseph was originally from the line of David, and his ancestral town was Bethlehem -Luke 2:4, but he was living in Nazareth at the time -Luke 1:26; 2:4.
Egypt
None of the above
How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?
Camel
Donkey
Walked
Joseph walked, Mary rode a donkey
Who knows? - The Bible never tells us how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph were married when Mary became pregnant? False - Mary and Joseph were betrothed, not yet married, when Mary became pregnant-Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:27. Betrothal was legally binding, but they had not yet come together as husband and wife.
Mary and Joseph were married when Jesus was born? True - By the time Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were married. Matthew 1:24–25 says Joseph “took Mary as his wife,” though he did not have relations with her until after Jesus was born.
Mary was a virgin when she delivered Jesus. True - Scripture affirms that Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus’ birth, Matt. 1:23–25; Luke 1:34–35. Joseph “kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son,” Matt. 1:25.
What did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph?
“There is no room in the inn”
“I have a stable you can use”
Both 1 and 2
None of the above - The Bible never mentions an innkeeper or records any words spoken to Mary and Joseph. Luke 2:7 simply says “there was no room for them in the inn,” without dialogue, a named innkeeper, or an offer of a stable.
Jesus was delivered in a…
Stable
Manger
Cave
Barn
Unknown - Scripture does not specify the location where Jesus was born. Luke 2:7 only tells us that He was laid in a manger, which indicates an animal feeding trough—not the place of delivery itself.
A “manger” is a:
Stable for domestic animals
Wooden hay storage bin
Feeding trough - A manger is a feeding trough used for animals-Luke 2:7, 12, 16. It is not a stable or barn, but the place where animals eat.
Barn
Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus’ birth?
Cows, sheep, goats
Cows, donkeys, sheep
Sheep and goats only
Miscellaneous barnyard animals
Lions, tigers, bears
None of the above - The Bible does not mention any animals being present at Jesus’ birth. While a manger implies animals were nearby, Scripture never specifies which animals, if any, were there.
Who saw the “star in the east”?
Shepherds
Mary and Joseph
Three kings
Magi - Matthew 2:1–2 describes Magi from the east who saw the star and followed it to find Jesus.
None of the above
How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
One - Luke 2:9–10 says “an angel of the Lord appeared to them,” singular. After the initial angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared praising God - Luke 2:13, but only one angel spoke to the shepherds.
Three
A “multitude”
None of the above
What sign did the angels tell the shepherds to look for?
A star over Bethlehem
A baby that doesn’t cry
A baby in a stable
None of the above - Luke 2:12 says the shepherds would find “a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” The Bible does not mention a star, stable, or that the baby wouldn’t cry as the sign.
What did the angels say?
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come”
“Alleluia”
“Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given”
“Glory to God in the highest, etc.” - Luke 2:13–14 records the angels saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
“Glory to the newborn King”
“My sweet Lord”
What is a “heavenly host”?
The angel at the gate of heaven
The angel who invites people to heaven
The angel who serves drinks in heaven
An angel choir
An angel army - The term “heavenly host” - Luke 2:13, also used in other OT passages like Psalm 103:21, refers to a vast army of angels, not a choir or individual angel.
None of the above
There was snow that first Christmas
Only in Bethlehem
All over Israel
Nowhere in Israel - Bethlehem and the surrounding region of Israel rarely experience snow, especially if He was born in the Spring or Fall. There is no biblical mention of snow at or around Jesus’ birth.
Somewhere in Israel
The baby Jesus cried…
When Joseph slapped Him on His head
When little drummer boy banged on his drum
Just like other babies cry - The Bible does not record anything unusual about Jesus’ birth except that He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger - Luke 2:7. As a newborn, it is reasonable to assume He cried like any other baby.
He never cried
What is frankincense?
A precious metal
A precious fabric
A precious perfume - Frankincense is a fragrant resin used in incense and perfumes, often in worship - Exodus 30:34–38.
An eastern monster story
None of the above
What is “myrrh”?
An easily shaped metal
A precious fabric
A precious perfume - Myrrh is a fragrant resin used for perfume, anointing, and burial preparations - Exodus 30:23; John 19:39.
None of the above
How many wise men came to see Jesus? __________ We do not know. Matthew 2:1–12 mentions “wise men from the East” (Magi) but never gives a number. The tradition of three wise men comes from the three gifts—gold, frankincense, myrrh— not Scripture.
What does “wise men” refer to?
Men of the educated class
They were eastern kings
They were astrologers
They were smart enough to follow the star
The were “sages” - The Greek word used in Matthew 2:1 is “μάγοι” (magoi), which refers to wise men, sages, or astrologer-priests from the East. They were not necessarily kings (that’s later tradition), nor simply “smart enough” in a casual sense. They likely combined astronomy, astrology, and religious wisdom in their culture.
The wise men found Jesus in a…
Manger
Stable
House - Matthew 2:11 says the wise men “came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother.” This indicates that by the time they arrived, Jesus was no longer in the manger.
Wayside Inn
The wise men stopped in Jerusalem…
To inform Herod about Jesus
To find out where Jesus was - Matthew 2:2 says the wise men came to Jerusalem “saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’”
To ask about the star that they saw
For gas
To buy presents for the Christ child
Where do we find the Christmas story to check up on these questions?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Only 1 and 2
Only 1 and 3 - The Christmas story is found in Matthew 1–2: Focuses on Joseph, the Magi, Herod, and the flight to Egypt. Luke 1–2: Focuses on Mary, the angel Gabriel, the shepherds, and Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
1, 2, and 3
All of the above
When Joseph and Mary found out that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, what happened?
They got married
Joseph wanted to break the engagement - Matthew 1:18–19 says that when Joseph learned Mary was pregnant, he planned to divorce her quietly, since he knew she had not been unfaithful, betrothal was legally binding. Later, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary as his wife - Matthew 1:20–24.
Mary left on her own to break the engagement
Mary left on her own for 3 months
An angel told them to go to Bethlehem
Both 1 and 4
Both 2 and 3