The Nativity Story
40 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set
1.Why did Joseph travel to Bethlehem, per Luke?
- A. To pay taxes at the Temple
- B. To escape Herod
- C. For the census registration
- D. To trade at the market
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For the census registration
Did you know? The census brought each man to his own city.
2.The Brazilian "presépio" nativity tradition arrived with which colonizers?
- A. The Dutch
- B. The Portuguese
- C. The French
- D. The Spanish
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The Portuguese
Did you know? Portuguese settlers brought the presépio to Brazil.
3.From which direction did the Magi come, per Matthew?
- A. The South
- B. The North
- C. The East
- D. The West
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The East
Did you know? Wise men came from the east to Jerusalem.
4.What did the Magi do when they saw the child?
- A. They warned the town
- B. They asked for directions
- C. They reported to Rome
- D. They worshiped and gave gifts
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They worshiped and gave gifts
Did you know? The Magi fell down and worshiped, opening their treasures.
5.Why was the infant laid in a manger, per Luke?
- A. The inn was reserved for soldiers
- B. The city was under curfew
- C. There was no room at the inn
- D. They arrived during a storm
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There was no room at the inn
Did you know? No room remained in the inn, so the manger received him.
6.Which priest was the father of John the Baptist?
- A. Simeon
- B. Eli
- C. Zechariah
- D. Joseph
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Zechariah
Did you know? Zechariah the priest fathered John.
7.How old was Jesus when he stayed behind in the Temple, per Luke?
- A. Eight
- B. Sixteen
- C. Ten
- D. Twelve
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Twelve
Did you know? At twelve, the boy stayed among the teachers.
8.In Portuguese Bibles, what is the name of the feeding trough where the baby was laid?
- A. Manjedoura (manger)
- B. Estábulo (stable)
- C. Presépio (nativity scene)
- D. Celeiro (barn)
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Manjedoura (manger)
Did you know? The Almeida translation records the baby laid in the manjedoura, the manger.
9.Which town, called the city of David, hosts the birth in Luke?
- A. Bethlehem
- B. Nazareth
- C. Jericho
- D. Jerusalem
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Bethlehem
Did you know? Joseph went up to Bethlehem, the city of David.
10.To whom did the angel explain Mary's pregnancy, per Matthew?
- A. The shepherds
- B. Joseph
- C. The magi
- D. Mary
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Joseph
Did you know? An angel spoke to Joseph about the child.
11.Which righteous old man blessed the infant in the Temple?
- A. Zechariah
- B. Simeon
- C. Eli
- D. Nicodemus
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Simeon
Did you know? Simeon held the child and blessed God.
12.In what feeding trough was the infant laid, per Luke?
- A. A wooden cart
- B. A basket
- C. A manger
- D. A clay jar
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A manger
Did you know? She laid him in a manger.
13.The shepherds kept watch over their flocks by what time of day?
- A. Dusk
- B. Night
- C. Noon
- D. Dawn
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Night
Did you know? Shepherds kept watch over the flock by night.
14.What name did Elizabeth insist on for her son?
- A. Simeon
- B. John
- C. Gabriel
- D. Zechariah
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John
Did you know? "His name is John," said Elizabeth.
15.Which prophetess also recognized the infant in the Temple?
- A. Deborah
- B. Elizabeth
- C. Anna
- D. Miriam
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Anna
Did you know? The prophetess Anna gave thanks in the Temple.
16.Which angel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary?
- A. Michael
- B. Gabriel
- C. Rafael
- D. Uriel
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Gabriel
Did you know? Gabriel brought the announcement to Mary.
17.To which country did Joseph flee with the family, per Matthew?
- A. Syria
- B. Egypt
- C. Galilee
- D. Babylon
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Egypt
Did you know? An angel sent the family to Egypt by night.
18.What was Joseph's trade, per Matthew?
- A. Farmer
- B. Fisherman
- C. Carpenter
- D. Shepherd
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Carpenter
Did you know? Joseph the carpenter raised the child in Nazareth.
19.What did Herod ask the Magi to do?
- A. Bring him gifts
- B. Report the child's whereabouts
- C. Name the child
- D. Leave Judea at once
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Report the child's whereabouts
Did you know? Herod asked to be told, so he might worship too.
20.Which Roman emperor's census sent Joseph to Bethlehem, per Luke?
- A. Tiberius
- B. Nero
- C. Julius Caesar
- D. Caesar Augustus
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Caesar Augustus
Did you know? Caesar Augustus decreed the registration.
21.In which city did Herod's palace host the Magi?
- A. Jericho
- B. Bethlehem
- C. Caesarea
- D. Jerusalem
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Jerusalem
Did you know? The Magi reached Herod in Jerusalem.
22.What did the shepherds do after seeing the child?
- A. Brought more shepherds
- B. Returned to flocks in silence
- C. Went to Herod
- D. Spread the word everywhere
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Spread the word everywhere
Did you know? The shepherds made known what they had heard and seen.
23.What sign were the shepherds told to look for?
- A. Three kings at the door
- B. Angels in the fields
- C. A baby in a manger
- D. A star over the inn
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A baby in a manger
Did you know? A babe in a manger was the sign.
24.How was the infant clothed, per Luke 2?
- A. In swaddling clothes
- B. In wool cloaks
- C. In camel hair
- D. In fine linen
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In swaddling clothes
Did you know? She wrapped him in swaddling clothes.
25.Which Gospel opens by jumping straight into John the Baptist's preaching, with no birth narrative?
- A. John
- B. Luke
- C. Matthew
- D. Mark
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Mark
Did you know? Mark launches straight into John the Baptist.
26.What sign led the Magi toward Jerusalem, per Matthew?
- A. An angel's trumpet
- B. A comet
- C. A pillar of fire
- D. A star
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A star
Did you know? The Magi followed his star in the east.
27.What is the Portuguese name of Jesus' birthplace?
- A. Belém
- B. Jericó
- C. Jerusalém
- D. Nazaré
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Belém
Did you know? Em português, a cidade natal se chama Belém.
28.What does the name "Emmanuel" mean, as Matthew quotes Isaiah?
- A. Son of David
- B. God with us
- C. Anointed one
- D. Prince of peace
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God with us
Did you know? Matthew explains Emmanuel as "God with us".
29.With whom did Mary travel to Bethlehem?
- A. The shepherds
- B. Joseph
- C. Elizabeth
- D. Her father
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Joseph
Did you know? Joseph and Mary went up together.
30.How was Elizabeth related to Mary, per Luke?
- A. A mother
- B. A relative
- C. A sister
- D. A neighbor
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A relative
Did you know? Elizabeth was Mary's relative.
31.Which two Gospels contain birth narratives of Jesus?
- A. Matthew and Luke
- B. Mark and Luke
- C. Mark and John
- D. John and Matthew
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Matthew and Luke
Did you know? Matthew and Luke alone record the birth story.
32.Who sang "Glory to God in the highest" at the birth, per Luke?
- A. The magi
- B. Simeon
- C. The heavenly host
- D. The shepherds
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The heavenly host
Did you know? The heavenly host praised God over the fields.
33.Complete the angels' line: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth ___"
- A. Salvation to Israel
- B. Light to the nations
- C. Peace to men
- D. Goodwill to kings
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Peace to men
Did you know? "Peace on earth, goodwill to men" closes the song.
34.Which church stands over the traditional manger site in Bethlehem?
- A. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- B. The Basilica of the Annunciation
- C. The Church of the Nativity
- D. The Dormition Abbey
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The Church of the Nativity
Did you know? The Church of the Nativity marks the traditional site.
35.Which Gospel calls Jesus "the Word" become flesh?
- A. Matthew
- B. Mark
- C. Luke
- D. John
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John
Did you know? John opens with the Word made flesh.
36.Which Gospel gives the fullest account of the birth night?
- A. Luke
- B. Matthew
- C. John
- D. Mark
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Luke
Did you know? Luke tells of shepherds, angels and the manger.
37.To which workers near Bethlehem did angels announce the birth?
- A. Carpenters
- B. Fishermen
- C. Merchants
- D. Shepherds
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Shepherds
Did you know? Angels brought the news to watching shepherds.
38.How did God warn Joseph, per Matthew?
- A. By a prophet's letter
- B. At the Temple gates
- C. In dreams
- D. Through the magi's warning
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In dreams
Did you know? Dreams guided Joseph's every move.
39.In which region of Israel is Nazareth?
- A. Samaria
- B. Galilee
- C. Perea
- D. Judea
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Galilee
Did you know? Nazareth sits in Galilee.
40.Bethlehem is also the hometown of which king?
- A. Solomon
- B. Saul
- C. David
- D. Hezekiah
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David
Did you know? David of Bethlehem gave the town its royal name.
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