Answers to Christmas IQ Quiz

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Here are the answers to David Langerfeld’s Christmas IQ Quiz. I have added my comments to a few answers.

1. A. He worked and lived in Nazareth, but he was returning to Bethlehem - “his own city” (See Luke 2:3).

2. E. The innkeeper didn’t “say” anything (See Luke 2:7). The Bible doesn’t even mention an “innkeeper” because the “inn” was probably more like a guest room in a house.

3. C. Feeding trough - Interestingly enough, most mangers in New Testament times were made of stone. If you visit Israel today, you can see stone mangers used by Solomon to feed his horses at Megiddo.

4. E. The Bible doesn’t say, we just assume that since Jesus was born in a stable that there were various barnyard animals present. This is really a double assumption because the Bible doesn’t mention a barn or a stable. However, the feeding trough was used by animals so a stable or barn adjoining a home would be a reasonable inference. 5. E. This is a “trick” question. The “magi” saw the star. However, the Bible doesn’t say how many there were and they were not kings, but astronomers (see answer 14). 6. F. Although the modern “pictures” in my Children’s Bible show Mary on a donkey with Joseph beside her, the Bible doesn’t say! 7. A. Luke 2:10. A semi-trick question because verses 13-14 record what the angel company said as they praised God together. However, only one angel spoke directly to the shepherds. 8. A. Luke 2:14.

9. D. The word means “army” - literally thousands. Now, since there was a “multitude” of the heavenly army” (hosts), there could easily have been from 10,000 - 100,000 angels there that night! No wonder the shepherds were “sore afraid"! I missed this one when I took the quiz because I thought the word “host” referred only to a large multitude, but D is correct. It refers to a heavenly army of angels.

10. D. Another trick question. There is always snow on Mt. Hermon. I thought this was a very good question that I missed when I took the quiz.

11. C. Frankincense was used in the temple worship of the Lord. It represents his deity because he is truly God born in human flesh.

12. C. The word “Magi” literally means “star-gazers”. Although there is no Biblical record of exactly who they were or their point of origin, I personally believe that they were descendants of the “wise men” of Babylon. I believe that God, in His great providence, used Daniel (while he was in captivity in Babylon), to teach these men about future events - including the birth of the Savior of the world. Read Daniel 5:11 - Daniel was put in charge of these men! David chose “C. Men who studied the stars” so that’s the answer we’re going with. But A or D would work also. Who were the magi? They were the professors and philosophers of their day. They were trained in history, religion, prophecy and astronomy. They were also trained in what we would call astrology.
 
13. D. Herod was buried with over 150 lbs. of Myrrh wrapped in his burial clothes. Myrrh was used in embalming in those days. John 19:39 tells us that Jesus’ body was bound in linen wrappings along with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes.  The gift of myrrh pictures his suffering and death.
 
14. E. We don’t know. They were magi, not wise men - but the Bible doesn’t give the number. Many people assume that there were three because of the three gifts. However, in ancient times these men usually traveled in caravans of ten to twelve, along with a full entourage for protection.

15. E. Read Matthew 2:11 (see next answer)

16. B. Read Matthew 2:11 When the Shepherds found Jesus (Luke 2), he was a “babe” in a manger. The Greek word used in Luke 2 is for a “newborn baby”. However, by the time the Magi appeared, Jesus had been moved from the manger to a house (verse 11) and the Greek word used in Matthew is for “toddler or young child”. He was probably somewhere between 12-24 months old. David is totally correct on this point. In many of our Christmas programs, we bring the magi and the shepherds to worship Jesus together at the manger. Nice thought and it makes for a beautiful scene, but it didn’t happen that way. The shepherds were there the night Jesus was born. The magi came months later.

17. C. Read Matthew 2:9 Most people miss this question. The star did not stay stationary over the manger or the house. This verse makes it clear that the star moved “in front” of the magi and guided them till it “stood over where the young child was.” I missed this one because I chose “B. The star disappeared and reappeared.” I think you can infer that from Matthew 2:9, which can be read to say that they saw the star in the east, knew from prior study that the baby was to be born in Bethlehem, and made the journey across the desert. And then the star reappeared when they journeyed to Bethlehem. That’s a possible reading of the text. But “A. Stayed in the same place” is clearly wrong. So here’s the deal. We’re going with C. because that’s what the quiz says. B. is possible but you get no credit, only my sympathy for missing it with me.

18. B. Read Matthew 2:2. They assumed Herod would know. I find it fascinating that although the scribes knew exactly where the Messiah was to be born (according to Micah 5:2), they were not interested enough to travel the four or five miles to Bethlehem to see for themselves.

19. G. Isn’t it amazing how God divinely inspired these two gospel writers to write His exact words, but he used their interests and professions to recall different aspects of Jesus’ birth. Matthew, a tax collector, records the genealogy of Jesus (used for taxation) and the “magi” - men of means from a foreign country. Luke, a physician, records the pregnancy and birth.

20. E. Joseph wants to “put her away” secretly and Mary left town to see her cousin. Matthew 1:19 and Luke 1:39, 56 21. E. “There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus... everyone into his own city... “ (Luke 2:1-5). This is a tricky question because Caesar Augustus never met Mary and Joseph and almost certainly never even heard of them. He “made” them return to Bethlehem only in the sense that he gave the order for the census, forcing Joseph and Mary to make the difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the latter stages of Mary’s pregnancy.

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Visitor Comments:

December 23, 2008, 8:27 AM Teresa says:
	This was fun! I missed #9 & #10. And thanks for your added commentary. I’m planning on using this dring our Advent time this evening. Merry Christmas!
December 23, 2008, 10:55 AM Tom says:
	I have preached for 30 plus years and I missed more of these than I can pridefully admit!!!!
December 23, 2008, 11:12 AM Ray Pritchard says:
	Teresa, you did great if you only missed two! Ray
December 23, 2008, 11:13 AM Ray Pritchard says:
	Tom, I know the feeling! Same thing happened to me when I took the quiz. Ray
December 23, 2008, 5:31 PM cat1 says:
	The answers to #17 and #18 aren’t shown. I guess it doesn’t matter, I failed miserably (missed 7!)
December 23, 2008, 5:45 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Cat1, Thanks for letting me know. I’ve added the answers to 17 & 18. I actually had the answers prepared but somehow they disappeared and I didn’t realize it. Check it now to see how you did on those two questions. Ray
January 4, 2009, 3:40 PM David says:
	Ray, As additional consideration for 19: it is my understanding that we don’t have the birth recorded by Mark as his perspective was that of Christ the “Servant-Slave” and slave’s births are not typically recorded in any detail. And John’s perspective was of Christ the Divine, Who was the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. So John does record the Incarnation, just not the “Christmas Story”.
December 14, 2009, 6:25 AM Blacksheardad says:
Medically retired firefighter/EMT and full time single dad of two beautiful young daughters.	Wow! I have to get my Bible out and do some more studying! Although I didn’t miss as many as you. Not that I am bragging or anything. I had to guess on a few. It is amazing the things that we take for granted that we know. Thanks for enlightening me.
December 14, 2009, 1:26 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Congrats on doing so well on the quiz. It’s not as easy as it appears because of the “trick” questions and also because we sometimes confuse tradition (which might be true) with what the Bible actually says (which is true).
December 18, 2009, 2:41 AM Christmas IQ Quiz says:
	great quiz...sad to say I got 12 correct! Want to print this out and have it on Chrstmas day after family lunch! Thanks so much....make you wanna dig more into the Word!! Sal Williams Sri Lanka
December 26, 2009, 3:07 AM ebony101 says:
	I don’t think that there should have been any “trick” questions. Other than that it is a good quiz. I got 12, and I think that I did Ok because I passed the halfway mark.
December 26, 2009, 10:48 PM Parsely says:
	I disagree with the commentary for #18, that they weren’t interested enough to travel the four or five miles to Bethlehem to see for themselves. Babylon to Jerusalem is at least 500 miles, what’s another 5? More likely, they knew it had been a year since the star first appeared and it just makes sense to ask if they were still in town.
December 27, 2009, 6:02 AM Ray Pritchard says:
	Remember that it was not the scribes who had traveled 500 miles, it was the Magi. The scribes hadn’t traveled anywhere at all. It was the scribes who weren’t willing to travel even five more miles to check out the baby born in Bethlehem.