The Nativity Story

42 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set

1.Which prophet's "virgin shall conceive" saying does Matthew quote?
- A. Daniel
- B. Isaiah
- C. Jeremiah
- D. Micah
Show answer
Isaiah
Did you know? Isaiah's words anchor Matthew's account.
2.Which saint staged the first living nativity scene, at Greccio in 1223?
- A. Anthony of Padua
- B. Dominic
- C. Francis of Assisi
- D. Benedict
Show answer
Francis of Assisi
Did you know? St. Francis of Assisi staged the first living nativity in 1223.
3.Which opening connects John's Gospel to Christmas?
- A. The book of the genealogy
- B. A decree went out
- C. The spirit of the Lord
- D. In the beginning was the Word
Show answer
In the beginning was the Word
Did you know? "In the beginning was the Word" frames Christmas in John.
4.In which town did Gabriel visit Mary, according to Luke?
- A. Jerusalem
- B. Nazareth
- C. Capernaum
- D. Bethlehem
Show answer
Nazareth
Did you know? Luke sets the annunciation in Nazareth of Galilee.
5.Whom did the Magi first visit in Jerusalem?
- A. The high priest
- B. The Roman governor
- C. Herod the king
- D. The town elders
Show answer
Herod the king
Did you know? The Magi asked King Herod about the newborn king.
6.Where did John the Baptist grow and preach before Jesus' ministry?
- A. The wilderness of Judea
- B. The plains of Samaria
- C. The shore of Galilee
- D. The streets of Jerusalem
Show answer
The wilderness of Judea
Did you know? John grew in the wilderness and preached there.
7.What did Mary do with the shepherds' words, per Luke?
- A. Told only Joseph
- B. Treasured them in her heart
- C. Wrote them in a scroll
- D. Sang them in the Temple
Show answer
Treasured them in her heart
Did you know? Mary kept all these sayings in her heart.
8.Which Herod ruled Judea at the time of the birth, per Matthew?
- A. Herod Antipas
- B. Herod Philip
- C. Herod Agrippa
- D. Herod the Great
Show answer
Herod the Great
Did you know? Herod the Great reigned when the Magi arrived.
9.Which Moabite widow gleaned in Bethlehem, in the book named for her?
- A. Orpah
- B. Esther
- C. Ruth
- D. Naomi
Show answer
Ruth
Did you know? Ruth gleaned in the fields of Bethlehem.
10.Which basilica marks the annunciation site in Nazareth?
- A. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- B. The Basilica of the Annunciation
- C. The Church of the Nativity
- D. St. Peter's Basilica
Show answer
The Basilica of the Annunciation
Did you know? Nazareth's Basilica of the Annunciation honors Gabriel's visit.
11.What is Mary's song of praise in Luke 1 called?
- A. The Nunc Dimittis
- B. The Gloria in Excelsis
- C. The Benedictus
- D. The Magnificat
Show answer
The Magnificat
Did you know? Mary's "Magnificat" magnifies the Lord.
12.Matthew links the flight to Egypt with which prophet's words?
- A. Hosea
- B. Isaiah
- C. Jeremiah
- D. Amos
Show answer
Hosea
Did you know? "Out of Egypt I called my son," wrote Hosea.
13.What does "Bethlehem" mean in Hebrew?
- A. Field of flocks
- B. City of kings
- C. House of bread
- D. House of David
Show answer
House of bread
Did you know? Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew.
14.What did the unborn John do when Mary greeted Elizabeth?
- A. He grew heavy
- B. He leaped in the womb
- C. He was still
- D. He moved away
Show answer
He leaped in the womb
Did you know? The babe leaped in Elizabeth's womb.
15.To which town did the family settle after returning from Egypt?
- A. Nazareth
- B. Bethlehem
- C. Capernaum
- D. Jerusalem
Show answer
Nazareth
Did you know? Fearing Herod's son, they settled in Nazareth.
16.To whom is Luke's Gospel addressed?
- A. Theophilus
- B. Philemon
- C. Titus
- D. Timothy
Show answer
Theophilus
Did you know? Luke writes to "most excellent Theophilus".
17.What does the word "Magi" originally denote?
- A. Persian priest-sages
- B. Judean scribes
- C. Roman senators
- D. Egyptian astronomers
Show answer
Persian priest-sages
Did you know? The magoi were learned Persian priest-sages.
18.Luke says the census covered what extent?
- A. Galilee and Judea
- B. All the Roman world
- C. The eastern empire
- D. Judea alone
Show answer
All the Roman world
Did you know? All the world was to be taxed.
19.Under what age did Herod order the boys of Bethlehem killed?
- A. One year and under
- B. Ten years and under
- C. Five years and under
- D. Two years and under
Show answer
Two years and under
Did you know? Herod fixed the limit at two years, from the Magi's timing.
20.Which feast did the family keep every year in Jerusalem, per Luke?
- A. Hanukkah
- B. Passover
- C. Tabernacles
- D. Pentecost
Show answer
Passover
Did you know? The family went up yearly to Passover.
21.The word "Epiphany" comes from Greek meaning what?
- A. Appearance
- B. Gift
- C. Journey
- D. Light
Show answer
Appearance
Did you know? Epiphany marks the appearing of the newborn king.
22.The name "Jesus" comes from a Hebrew name meaning what?
- A. Light of the world
- B. The Lord saves
- C. Son of God
- D. Gift of God
Show answer
The Lord saves
Did you know? "Yeshua" means the Lord is salvation.
23.Which prophet foretold Bethlehem as the ruler's birthplace, quoted in Matthew?
- A. Jeremiah
- B. Isaiah
- C. Hosea
- D. Micah
Show answer
Micah
Did you know? Matthew quotes Micah on Bethlehem.
24.What happened to Zechariah for doubting Gabriel's message?
- A. He was left unable to speak
- B. He was exiled
- C. He was blinded
- D. He lost his hearing
Show answer
He was left unable to speak
Did you know? Zechariah's doubt cost him his speech until the birth.
25.Where did the star stop, per Matthew?
- A. Over Herod's palace
- B. Over Jerusalem's gate
- C. Over the child's place
- D. Over the Temple
Show answer
Over the child's place
Did you know? The star stood over where the young child lay.
26.Which pair of birds did Mary and Joseph offer, per Luke?
- A. A pair of turtledoves
- B. A ram
- C. Two oxen
- D. A lamb
Show answer
A pair of turtledoves
Did you know? A pair of turtledoves or pigeons closed the rite.
27.At which holy place was the infant presented, per Luke?
- A. The Temple in Jerusalem
- B. A sanctuary in Bethlehem
- C. The Jordan River temple
- D. A synagogue in Nazareth
Show answer
The Temple in Jerusalem
Did you know? The family presented him at the Jerusalem Temple.
28.On which day was the child circumcised and named Jesus?
- A. The fortieth day
- B. The seventh day
- C. The first day
- D. The eighth day
Show answer
The eighth day
Did you know? The eighth day brought circumcision and the name Jesus.
29.How did Gabriel greet Mary?
- A. Handmaid of the Temple
- B. Daughter of David
- C. Blessed sister
- D. "Favored one"
Show answer
"Favored one"
Did you know? Gabriel hailed her as the favored one.
30.Where did the Magi find the child, per Matthew?
- A. In a cave
- B. In a stable
- C. In a manger
- D. In a house
Show answer
In a house
Did you know? Matthew's Magi entered the house.
31.Which rite brought Mary to the Temple after the birth?
- A. The Sabbath rest
- B. Purification
- C. Passover
- D. A thank offering
Show answer
Purification
Did you know? Mary's purification followed the law's days.
32.How many angels appeared to the shepherds, per Luke?
- A. One
- B. Seven
- C. Twelve
- D. Three
Show answer
One
Did you know? One angel spoke; the multitude followed.
33.Which canticle did Simeon sing in the Temple?
- A. The Nunc Dimittis
- B. The Te Deum
- C. The Magnificat
- D. The Benedictus
Show answer
The Nunc Dimittis
Did you know? "Now dismiss your servant," sang Simeon.
34.Which canticle did Zechariah sing at John's birth?
- A. The Benedictus
- B. The Gloria in Excelsis
- C. The Magnificat
- D. The Nunc Dimittis
Show answer
The Benedictus
Did you know? Zechariah's Benedictus blessed the God of Israel.
35.How did Mary answer Gabriel?
- A. "I will go at once"
- B. "Why do you ask my name?"
- C. "Be it done to me as you say"
- D. "Let the Lord punish me"
Show answer
"Be it done to me as you say"
Did you know? Mary's answer opened the way: be it to me as you say.
36.Which son of the birth-narrative king appears at Jesus' trial?
- A. Herod Antipas
- B. Herod Philip
- C. Herod Agrippa
- D. Herod the Great
Show answer
Herod Antipas
Did you know? Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, judged Jesus later.
37.What detail about the Magi does Matthew never specify?
- A. When they arrived
- B. Where they came from
- C. How many there were
- D. What gifts they brought
Show answer
How many there were
Did you know? The famous number three comes from tradition, not the text.
38.About how far is Bethlehem from Jerusalem?
- A. About six miles
- B. About one mile
- C. About thirty miles
- D. About sixty miles
Show answer
About six miles
Did you know? Bethlehem sits on the hill road south of Jerusalem.
39.The word "presépio" comes from the Latin for what?
- A. Nativity scene
- B. Sheep pen
- C. Manger
- D. Village square
Show answer
Manger
Did you know? Praesepe meant the feeding trough.
40.How many generations does Matthew count in Jesus' genealogy?
- A. Forty-nine
- B. Twenty-eight
- C. Forty-two
- D. Thirty-six
Show answer
Forty-two
Did you know? Three groups of fourteen generations total forty-two.
41.Luke's genealogy traces Jesus back to which first man?
- A. Noah
- B. Adam
- C. Seth
- D. Abraham
Show answer
Adam
Did you know? Luke runs the line from Jesus to Adam.
42.Matthew's "Rachel weeping for her children" quotes which prophet?
- A. Ezekiel
- B. Hosea
- C. Isaiah
- D. Jeremiah
Show answer
Jeremiah
Did you know? Matthew borrows Jeremiah's image of Rachel weeping.

Questions are for entertainment — difficulty ratings are a guide, and you know your crowd best. Always follow the rules of your venue or event.