Answers To "The Real Christmas Quiz"

ANSWERS TO THE REAL XMAS QUIZ

(For more information please see my article “The Truth About Christmas.”)


What month was Jesus born in?
The Bible does not say which month Jesus was born in. The chronology points to the beginning of October.

What year was Jesus born in?
It was not 1 AD, neither was it 0 AD because there was no year “0”. Because of the calendar changes, it was most likely 2 BCE.

How many “wise men” were there?
The Bible does not say how many “wise men” visited the baby Jesus. It was always assumed to be 3 because the writers mention 3 gifts.

True or false? The barn animals miraculously began to speak that night
False: The Bible does not mention anything about the barn animals talking.

True or false? God told people to remember Jesus’ birthday
False: The Bible told people to remember Jesus’s death, not his birth.

Which town did the prophecy say Jesus would be born in?
The prophet Micah foretold (five hundred years before), that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem Ephrata (There were two Bethlehems) (Micah 5.2).

True or false? Jesus’ mother did not remain a virgin all her life
True: Mary went on to have other children with her husband Joseph (Matthew 13.55).

True or false? The angel said that the shepherds should worship the baby Jesus
False: The angel told the shepherds to worship “God in heaven”, not the baby Jesus.

True or False – Mary chose the name “Jesus”
False – The Angel Gabriel (not “Arch-angel”) who visited Mary instructed her to name him Jesus.

True or false? The angel declared “Peace on earth to all men”
False: The angel proclaimed “Peace to all men of goodwill” - (God-fearing people).

Who sent the “star” that led the three visitors to Jesus?
God did not send the “star.” It first led the three travellers to King Herod, who wanted to kill the baby Jesus. God would not have done that.

Who called the visitors from the east “wise”?
The visitors from the east were not “wise” men but astrologers. Astrology is forbidden by God and he would not have used it to guide people (Deuteronomy 18.10-12). The word used for the astrologers is “Magi” from which the word “magic” comes.

True or false? The baby Jesus was a Jew and was circumcised
True: Jesus was an Israelite (Jew) and would have been circumcised on the eighth day, according to the law of Moses (Luke 2.21).

What were the names of the three kings who visited the baby Jesus?
The Bible does not give any names of kings or visitors to Jesus

True or false? Jesus and his Apostles always celebrated his birthday.
False: The idea of birthdays was a pagan one and neither the Jews, the apostles, nor Jesus celebrated them. In fact, the only mention of “birthdays” in the Bible were those of Pharoah and King Herod, both of which ocassions led to the death of someone.

True or false? The 25th of December was the birthday of other gods and godesses.
True: The Pagan Roman emperor Constantine borrowed this birth date and adopted it as Christ’s.

How old was Jesus when the astrologers found him?
Jesus was nearly 2 years old when the astrologers found him. That is why Herod ordered the death of all boys “Up to two years old” (Matthew 2.16). The Bible says that the astrologers “Came into the house and saw the young child” (Matthew 2.11). When Mary went to the temple to offer up a sacrifice after Jesus' birth, she offered two doves instead of a ram. The law only allowed doves if a person was too poor to afford a ram. Mary was still poor because the astrologers had not yet given her the gold as a gift (Leviticus 12:1-4, 6,8; Matthew 2.11).

Which Bible prophet foretold the year of the Messiah's arrival?
The prophet Daniel listed the number of years when the Messiah would arrive, nearly 500 years before.

True or false? - Baby Jesus grew up in Egypt?
True, God instructed Joseph and Mary to go to Egypt with the baby Jesus, until Herod was dead.

Who was Jesus’ real father?
Jesus’ stepfather was Joseph but, his real father was God (Yahweh, Jehovah).

True or False? – Mary was a sinner and had to seek forgiveness by offering sacrifice.
True – Under God's law, Mary had to offer a sacrifice after her baby's birth, because she was ceremonially unclean.