Post by John on Dec 17, 2007 11:56:14 GMT -5
A Christmas Quiz - Marriage Message #335
When you think of a "quiz" you might remember your schools days (with less than fond memories). Who likes to be quizzed? But when you work through a quiz that can change your thinking from something you THOUGHT you knew to be true, but now you know better, it can be helpful.
Jesus is referred to as the Truth. And as followers of Christ, we should seek after Truth -- both in Him as well as things that are true. Well, we discovered a quiz that separates what is true from what we may have thought was true. We'd like to share it with you hoping that it might provoke good conversations between you and your spouse (and others you want to share it with). It's written by Gary Kurz, who is a preacher and Bible teacher. We found it posted on ezinearticles.com. Here's an edited portion of the quiz:
"How much of what you think about Christ's birth is from the Bible and how much is from the world? Could you pass the following quiz on this topic? Test your knowledge. There are no trick questions, but you might be surprised by some of the answers. ... the answers are at the end of the quiz.
1. The day Jesus was born probably actually occurred on: a. December 25th b. March 29th c. April 1st d. We do not know.
2. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? a. 2 a multitude c. 1 d. It cannot be determined.
3. A manger is: a. a feeding trough b. a barn c. a stable d. a room behind the Inn
4. Where was Joseph's family from? a. Bethlehem b. Nazareth c. Jerusalem d. Galilee
5. How were the shepherds to find and recognize the Lord? a. by following a star b. by asking at the Inn c. by looking for a babe in a manger d. by looking for the Magi
6. How many wise men came to see baby Jesus? a. two b. the Bible doesn't say c. three d. none
7. How did Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem? a. walked b. by cart c. Joseph walked/Mary rode a donkey d. The Bible doesn't say.
8. When Mary was found to be with child, she and Joseph were: a. married b. companions c. engaged d. The Bible doesn't say.
9. Who told Joseph what to name the baby? a. Mary b. an angel c. God d. Jewish elders.
10. Where did the wise men find Jesus? a. In the manger b. on a donkey with Mary c. in the field d. in a house.
11. Who saw the star over Bethlehem? a. Joseph and Mary b. the shepherds c. the three kings d. everyone e. none of the above.
12. The Innkeeper told Joseph: a. there is no room b. we don't allow children c. You can use the stable out back d. none of the above.
13. Who told Joseph to go to Bethlehem? a. an angel b. Herod c. the tax collector d. Caesar
14. What is meant by "heavenly host"? a. an arch angel b. greeting angels c. an army of angels d. an angelic choir or herald
15. What song did the heavenly host sing? a. "Away in a Manger" b. "Joy to the World" c. "Glory to God in the Highest" d. they did not sing
16. What animals were present at the birth of Jesus? a. cows and sheep b. cows, sheep and donkeys c. cows, sheep and camels d. unknown
17. What is the most accurate definition for "Magi"? a. magicians b. wise men c. astrologers d. Eastern kings
18. Why did Herod want to know when Jesus was found? a. so he could worship him b. so he could tell others c. so he could kill him d. none of the above.
19. How long was the trip for the wise men after they saw Herod? a. two years b. less than 1 day c. a less than two years d. none of the above
20. How many shepherds were there in the field? a. 3 b. 4 c. 6 d. we are not told
ANSWERS TO QUIZ: 1. d ... 2. c ... 3. a ... 4. a ... 5. c ... 6. d (The Bible says they saw the child in the house. They were not present at the manger and no mention is made as to how many Magi there were. We assume there were three because there were three gifts that were presented, but there were probably many, many more.) ... 7. d ... 8. c ... 9. b ... 10. d ... 11. e (Three kings are not mentioned. All the wise men saw the star.) ... 12. d (No mention of the Inn Keeper is made) ... 13. d. (See Luke 2:1-3) ... 14 c ... 15. d (We are told "a heavenly host saying") ... 16. d (The Bible does not say what animals were present) ... 17. c ... 18. c ... 19. c (Herod had all the male children under two put to death) ... 20. d."
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Now that you've taken the quiz, you might wonder, what's the point? The point is that you are a little more informed of the events surrounding Christ's birth apart from what Christmas tradition and songs tell you. Does that mean that we should throw the traditions out? We don't think so? We just don't look at them as truth. We enjoy them, but look at them as we would any fictional story or movie. It's entertaining, but we keep it in its proper perspective. And some of the traditions may be true -- we just aren't told in the Bible whether they are or not.
We hope that you will use this holiday for the evangelistic and worship opportunities that can bring. Be a "light" in your home and community that enjoys the spirit of the season and the symbolism you can pull from it. Celebrate Christ and celebrate the joy of the Lord with everyone you can. Comfort those who are hurting and rejoice with those who are rejoicing.
We pray for you as it says at the book of Philemon, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
Whoa, I missed 9.
