Christmas Bible Trivia and a Puzzle for the Children
How well do you know the story of the first Christmas. There are many aspects of the Christmas story that have been embellished by history. When we read Bible for ourselves, we find the account is much simpler. See how you do with these questions:
Mary and Joseph were already married when Jesus was born.
- True
- False
Mary was still a virgin when she delivered Jesus.
- True
- False
Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
- The angel told them to go
- Caesar Augustus required it
- King Herod
- The Bible told them to go
How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?
- Walk
- Donkey
- Mary rode, Joseph walked
- No reference / None of the above
Which animals were present at Jesus’ birthplace?
- Cows
- Sheep
- Donkeys
- Camels
- No reference / None of the above
How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
- One
- Three
- A multitude
- None
What sign did the angel(s) tell the shepherds to look for?
- A baby in a manger
- A star over Bethlehem
- A baby that doesn’t cry
The angels sang “Glory to God”
- True
- False
When did the baby Jesus cry?
- When they slapped Him at birth
- When all the shepherds tramped in
- When the babies of Bethlehem were killed
- He didn’t cry
- No reference / None of the above
Who saw the “Star in the East?”
- Shepherds
- Mary and Joseph
- The wise men
- Herod
How many wise men were there?
- One
- Two
- At least two
- Three
- No reference / None of the above
Why did the wise men stop in Jerusalem?
- To tell Herod about Jesus
- To find out where the baby King could be found
- To ask about the star that they saw
- To feed their animals and buy gifts
Where did the wise men find Jesus?
- In the manger
- In the stable
- In a house
- No reference / None of the above
Why did Joseph take his family to Egypt?
- To teach Jesus the wisdom of the Pharaohs
- To show Jesus where the OT stories occurred
- An angel told Joseph to go there in a dream
- To avoid the Roman taxes
The correct answers are below.
Mary and Joseph were already married when Jesus was born.
True. They married after Joseph learned she was pregnant with the Christ Child.
Mary was still a virgin when she delivered Jesus.
True
Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
Caesar Augustus required it
How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?
No reference / None of the above. The Bible doesn’t give us any details on this. What we recall in our minds comes from artists’ speculation. It could be correct, but can’t be documented.
Which animals were present at Jesus’ birthplace?
No reference / None of the above. Again, the Bible doesn’t provide these details.
How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
A multitude. Initially one appeared to them to give them the message of Jesus’ birth. Then multitudes appeared glorifying God.
What sign did the angel(s) tell the shepherds to look for?
A baby in a manger
The angels sang “Glory to God”
False. The Bible says the multitude of angels were “saying” not “singing.” An occasional newer translation may use the word singing, but they are exceptions.
When did the baby Jesus cry?
No reference / None of the above. This idea comes from a Christmas carol, not from Scripture.
Who saw the “Star in the East?”
The wise men. The only report of the star comes from the account of the wise men who recognized it as a sign that the promised king of the Jews had been born.
How many wise men were there?
No reference / None of the above. There were three gifts. Tradition has turned this into three wise men or sometimes kings. It is highly unlikely only three men would have made that trip carrying valuable gifts as the danger of getting robbed was great.
Why did the wise men stop in Jerusalem?
To find out where the baby King could be found
Where did the wise men find Jesus?
In a house. The wise men saw the star when Christ was born, but it took much time for them to travel there.
Why did Joseph take his family to Egypt?
An angel told Joseph to go there in a dream. This was because King Herod would soon require all male children in and around Bethlehem be killed.
How did you do?
Perhaps you were caught by surprise with some of the answers to some of these questions. The important thing is not how much Bible trivia we know or how smart we are, however. What really matters is knowing the True God and not some collective idea of common beliefs about God. When we read the Bible for ourselves and spend time with God in prayer, we are less likely to be deceived by false doctrines, many of which are quite dangerous to our faith.
Perhaps you have children or grandchildren or a Sunday School Class that might enjoy a Christmas Puzzle. Click here to download the Nativity Puzzle.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy Janice D. Green’s timeless treasure The First Christmas which is appropriate for children ages four through one hundred and four.