NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–It’s a sobering thought that Eastern astrologers were more in tune with the signs of heaven than were the religious “experts” of Jesus’ day. Unfortunately we, too, often let tradition overtake truth.
We’ve seen and heard the Christmas story scores of times and still don’t have it quite right. It makes us wonder how many other places in God’s revelation we overlooked or replaced the truth. How about you?
1. For the journey to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph
a) walked
b) Joseph walked, Mary rode a donkey
c) rode a bus
d) Who knows?
2. When Mary became pregnant, Mary and Joseph were
a) married
b) just friends
c) engaged
d) none of the above
3. When Mary became pregnant,
a) Joseph married her
b) Joseph wanted to dissolve their relationship
c) Mary left Nazareth for a while
d) both b and c
4. Christmas has always been observed
a) on December 25
b) on January 17
c) at Grandma’s house
d) none of the above
5. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
6. Who directed Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?
a) Herod
b) an angel
c) Caesar
d) the IRS
7. Just what is a heavenly host?
a) an angelic choir
b) the welcoming angel in heaven
c) an array of angels
d) none of the above
8. How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
a) a multitude
b) two … Gabriel and Michael
c) one
d) Who knows?
9. What song did the angels sing?
a) “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
b) “Joy to the World”
c) “Glory to God in the Highest”
d) none of the above
10. Baby Jesus was born in a
a) cave
b) manger
c) Bethlehem
d) none of the above
11. Joseph’s family was from
a) Jerusalem
b) Nazareth
c) Bethlehem
d) none of the above
12. What animals were present at Jesus’ birth?
a) cows, sheep and camels
b) cows, sheep and donkeys
c) lions and tigers and bears
d) Who knows?
13. What is a manger anyway?
a) a barn
b) a place for hay
c) a feeding trough
d) a Bible term for the church nursery
14. When did baby Jesus cry?
a) when he opened the wise men’s gifts
b) whenever babies usually cried
c) when the cattle started lowing
d) “no crying he makes”
15. Who saw the star over Bethlehem?
a) Mary and Joseph
b) shepherds
c) three kings
d) none of the above
16. What in the world are Magi?
a) Eastern kings
b) bankers
c) astrologers
d) school teachers
17. When the wise men brought their gifts to Jesus, they found him in:
a) a manger
b) a house
c) Vacation Bible School
d) none of the above
18. What sign were the shepherds to look for?
a) a star over the stable
b) a barn outlined with Christmas lights
c) a baby in a manger
d) both a and c
19. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?
a) “I have a stable out back”
b) “Come back after the holidays”
c) “There’s no room in the inn”
d) none of the above
20. In what books of the Bible will you find these fascinating facts?
a) Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
b) Matthew and Luke
c) Mark and Matthew
d) Matthew, Mark and Luke
Answers:
1) d — the Bible gives no record of their means of travel
2) c — see Matthew 1:18
3) d — see Matthew 1:19; Luke 1:39,56
4) d – Dec. 25 was selected late in the fourth century as a day to celebrate Christ’s birth
5) See Matthew 2:11. The Bible doesn’t say how many — only that Magi came bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh
6) c — see Luke 2:1
7) c
8) c — See Luke 2:10
9) d — See Luke 2:13. They didn’t sing they spoke. OK, if you picked c, we’ll give you a point!
10) d — See Luke 2:7. We aren’t told where Jesus was born, only that after his birth he was laid in a manger
11) c — See Luke 2:4
12) d — The Bible doesn’t say anything about animals being present
13) c — A trough or an open box in which feed for livestock is placed
14) b — He was fully human as well as fully God
15) d — Three kings are not mentioned in the Bible, only in songs
16) c — astrologers who dabbled in the natural sciences
17) b — see Matthew 2:11
18) c — see Luke 2:12
19) d — an innkeeper is never mentioned in the Scriptures
20) b — Check it out!
Scoring:
19-20 correct — Congratulations! You can separate fact from fiction.
16-18 correct — Not bad! Truth wins over tradition.
11-15 correct — Uh oh! You’ve been to too many Christmas plays.
10 or below correct — Ouch!
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Steve and Ella Pettit and their five children live in Alachua, Fla. Reprinted from HomeLife, a monthly family magazine published by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
