2020 Christmas Quiz Answers

(7 Minute Read. 16Dec2020)

Every knee will bow, of those who are in
heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue will confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:10-11)

To help us all focus on the true meaning of Christmas, last week I posted my
2020 Christmas Quiz
consisting of 12 questions about Christmas.

If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, click 2020 Christmas Quiz to take the quiz before you look at the answers below.

Here are the 12 original quiz questions followed by answers and explanations. Links to supporting Bible verses are included with each answer for the Bible questions.

Questions & Answers for
2020 Christmas Quiz

1. Which department store created the Christmas favorite “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?
A. Sears
B. JCPenney
C. Macy’s
D. Montgomery Ward

Answer: D. Montgomery Ward
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in a 1939 booklet written by Robert Lewis May that was commissioned and published by the Chicago-based department store Montgomery Ward. The store distributed 2.4 million copies of the story in its first year of publication. May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the story for lyrics of a song. Gene Autry’s recording of the song was number one on the charts for the week of Christmas 1949. His recording sold 2.5 million copies the first year and eventually sold a total of 25 million. It was the second best-selling record of all time until the 1980s.
Sadly, this traditional Christmas favorite has nothing to do with the reason for Christmas.

2. To whom was the first prophecy concerning Jesus given?
A. Adam
B. Eve
C. Abraham
D. Satan

Answer: D. Satan (Genesis 3:14-15)

3. What is the name of the angel who appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus?
A. Raphael
B. Uriel
C. Michael
D. Gabriel

Answer: D. Gabriel (Luke 1:26-38)
In addition to announcing Jesus’ birth to Mary, Gabriel is mentioned three other times in the Bible as a messenger angel. He appeared to Daniel twice and to Zechariah to announce John the Baptist’s birth (Daniel 8:15-17; 9:21-22; Luke 1:18-19). An unnamed angel who may well have been Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream three and maybe four times (Matthew 1:20; 2:13,19,22).

4. Who was the Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ birth?
A. Augustus
B. Tiberius
C. Julius Caesar
D. Herod the Great

Answer: A. Augustus (Luke 2:1-7)
Caesar Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD) served as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until 14 AD. His maternal great-uncle was Julius Caesar who named Augustus as his adopted son and heir. The month of August is named after him.
Tiberius (42 BC – 37 AD) succeeded Augustus and was the Roman emperor during Jesus’ ministry.
Herod the Great (c. 72 BC – 1 BC) was the king of Judea when Jesus was born. He sent the magi to Bethlehem to find Jesus, and he is the one who slew all the baby boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under in an attempt to kill the newly born king.
The church fathers Irenaeus (130-200 AD), Tertullian (160-225 AD), and Eusebius (263-339 AD) all say Jesus was born 15 years before Caesar Augustus died and 28 years after Cleopatra’s death (30 BC). This would place Jesus’ birth in 2 BC since there is no year 0. (Read my articles What Day Was Jesus Born? and What Year Was Jesus Born? for more on when Jesus was born.)

5. Was the First Christmas a White Christmas?
When Jesus was born, there was snow . . .
A. Nowhere in Israel
B. Only in Bethlehem
C. Somewhere in Israel
D. All over Israel

Answer: C. Somewhere in Israel
Mount Hermon’s 9200-foot peak in northern Israel always has snow on it. One of the modern names for the mountain is Jebel eth-thilj, meaning “mount of snow.” Some scholars think Mount Hermon was the site of the Transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17:1-9 and Mark 9:2-9.

6. Through which of Jacob’s 12 sons is Jesus physically descended?
A. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn
B. Levi, father of the priestly tribe
C. Judah, who served as a hostage in Egypt
D. Joseph, savior of Israel in Egypt

Answer: B. Levi AND C. Judah (both are correct)
This was a hard question. Many people probably answered “C. Judah” but for the wrong reason: the prevalent teaching on this topic is mistaken. The most commonly taught theory for Jesus’ ancestry uses the genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, but they are not relevant for answering this particular question. That’s because they are both genealogies of Jesus’ adoptive father Joseph who was a descendant of King David of the tribe of Judah. Jesus did inherit His kingly right to rule through His legal father Joseph, but He was NOT a physical descendant of His adoptive father Joseph.
Jesus’ physical descent must be traced through His mother Mary, since he was born of a virgin without a human father through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not explicitly state Mary’s tribe. Many people have the mistaken view that Luke’s genealogy of Jesus through Joseph son of Eli (Heli in KJV) is really that of Jesus through Mary. They presume Mary to be the daughter of Eli and suppose Joseph to be Eli’s son-in-law. But this is wrong. Luke 3 is truly Joseph’s genealogy, not Mary’s. Read my article Genealogies of Jesus to learn why the Matthew and Luke genealogies cannot be for Mary and for the explanation of why there are two different genealogies of Joseph.
What is found in Scripture about Jesus’ physical ancestry?
Mary’s tribe was the priestly tribe of Levi. This is because Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:26-27; 35-36). These verses use the Greek word συγγενής (suggenēs) meaning blood relative, although it is variously translated “relative” or “cousin” or “kinswoman” in English Bible versions. Elizabeth was most likely Mary’s cousin or aunt, and thus Mary and Elizabeth shared common ancestors.
Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah the priest and mother of John the Baptist, was a daughter of Aaron of the tribe of Levi (Luke 1:5). Here is how we know from Scripture that Elizabeth was also a descendant of Judah.
Aaron of the tribe of Levi married Elisheba of the tribe of Judah. Elisheba was the daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, and aunt to Salmon the husband of Rahab. Under Moses, Nahshon was the military leader of the tribe of Judah, the largest of the 12 tribal armies. (Numbers 1:1-16; Exodus 6:23) Thus all descendants of Aaron were descendants of both Levi (through Aaron) and Judah (through Aaron’s wife Elisheba). This means Elizabeth and Mary were physical descendants of both Levi and Judah since they were descendants of Aaron and Elisheba.
Thus Jesus was a legal descendant of Judah through his adoptive father Joseph and a physical descendant of Judah and Levi (and Aaron) through His mother Mary. In this way Jesus could legitimately serve as both Priest and King.
Click Genealogies of Jesus for more on Jesus’ genealogy.

Christmas Island
1976 CIA Map

7. Christmas Island is in which ocean?
A. Atlantic Ocean
B. Pacific Ocean
C. Indian Ocean
D. Arctic Ocean

Answer: C. Indian Ocean
Christmas Island was named on Christmas Day 1643 by English sea captain William Mynors as he sailed by it. It is a 52-square-mile Australian island territory about 960 miles northwest of Australia and 220 miles south of Java in the Indian Ocean. In 1958 Great Britain transferred sovereignty over Christmas Island to Australia. It could have been named Dog Island because of its shape as viewed from the air.
Kiritimati, translated Christmas, is part of the Republic of Kiribati in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

8. What did the angelic host say to the shepherds?
A. Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
B. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
C. You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
D. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Answer: D. (Luke 2:8-14)
This was a bit tricky. The first three statements were made by one angel to the shepherds before the host of angels appeared to proclaim the fourth statement.
The Greek words πλῆθος (plēthos) and στρατία (stratia) translated “multitude” and “host” respectively literally mean “a great number” and “army.” Thus there could have been thousands of angels filling the sky to proclaim the news to the shepherds. What an awesome spectacle that was!

9. In what town did the magi (wise men) worship Jesus?
A. Nazareth
B. Bethlehem
C. Jerusalem
D. Capernaum

Answer: B. Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-11)
The magi arrived in Jerusalem asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” King Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem because the chief priests and scribes cited Micah’s prophecy for the location of the Christ’s birth: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” (Micah 5:2)
Micah’s prophecy about the Messiah had a portion that the Jewish leaders did not quote to Herod. It was a clear statement regarding the Messiah’s divinity: “His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2) Only God is pre-existent, eternally alive before conception.
Would King Herod have sought to kill the Baby King if the scribes and chief priests had told Herod the Baby was in fact God? Did they themselves understand this truth from Micah’s prophecy?

10. Who was with Jesus when the magi visited?
A. Angels
B. Mary
C. Joseph
D. Mary and Joseph

Answer: B. Mary (Matthew 2:11)
Matthew only reports that Mary was present with the child Jesus for the magi’s visit.

What is Unusual about this Manger Scene?

 
11. What is BibleScienceGuy’s favorite Christmas animal?
(Hint: Religious sites worldwide feature it. It only occasionally appears on American dinner tables, but it’s a popular Asian food. It figured prominently in the life of Moses, and Jesus pointed to it as a type of Christ.)
A. Lamb
B. Camel
C. Donkey
D. Snake

Answer: D. Snake
The reason the Snake is BibleScienceGuy’s favorite Christmas animal is that the Snake is the key animal explaining the reason for Christmas.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Why did the Son of God come to earth? Why did man need a Savior?
The answer involves the Snake. The Serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, and she ate the fruit God had forbidden. She gave some to Adam who also ate. This sin of disobedience to God’s explicit command, instigated by the Snake, is the root cause of all the turmoil, trouble, and suffering in the world. Jesus came to earth to solve the sin problem by living a sinless life and dying on the cross to atone for His people’s sin.
Christmas celebrates this pivotal historic event when God became man — necessitated by the Snake’s deception in Eden. Christmas celebrates the coming of the One who beat the Snake! (Notice the snake in the manger scene above.)
Jesus pointed to Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness as an illustration of His redemptive work on the cross (John 3:14-15; Numbers 21:4-9).
(See My Favorite Christmas Animal. The linked sequel blog articles cover eating and worshiping snakes around the world.)

12. Who set the date for Christmas to be December 25?
A. Emperor Constantine
B. Pope Benedict I
C. Pope Gregory I
D. Pope Julius I

Answer: D. Pope Julius I
Around 350 AD Pope Julius I declared December 25 as the official date for the birth of Jesus.
But this date had already been in use for quite some time. In the 2nd century AD, Africanus (c. 160 – c. 240) and Hippolytus (165-235) both gave December 25 as Jesus’ birthday. Augustine of Hippo reports a December 25 tradition that existed prior to 312 AD. Cyril of Jerusalem (348-386) accessed Rome’s still-extant census records and reported Jesus’ birth as December 25.
Scripture doesn’t specify Christ’s birthday. The date was not preserved because first-century Christians didn’t celebrate it. They focused on His death and resurrection just as the New Testament does. Jesus Himself at the Last Supper instructed His followers to remember His death. He said nothing about remembering His birthday.
How did early Christians settle on December 25 for Jesus’ birthday?
Two converging arguments led them to this choice.
First, about 200 AD, Tertullian of Carthage reported the calculation that in the year Jesus died, Nisan 14 (Passover) was the equivalent of March 25 on the Roman calendar. At that time Christians believed that a prophet died on his conception date. They believed that if Christ died on March 25, then he would have been conceived on March 25. Nine months after His conception date would give December 25 as His birth date.
Second, John the Baptist’s father Zechariah was in the priestly division of Abijah (Luke 1:5), the eighth of 24 divisions of temple priests. Early church historians knew which priestly division was in the temple in August 70 AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem. Counting backwards they concluded that the Abijah division and hence Zechariah would have been in the Temple in October. His wife Elizabeth conceived John after Zechariah left the Temple the end of October. Since Mary conceived Jesus six months later, the conception would have been around March 25 and the birth around December 25.
These converging arguments influenced early church leaders to settle on December 25 for Christ’s date of birth.
The earliest records of celebrating Jesus’ birth on December 25 go back to before 200 AD, and the tradition was firmly established in the church by 400 AD.
Some in the last few centuries have argued that Christians took over the pagan Saturnalia festival. But the historical evidence disputes this. The first time such a connection is mentioned is in the 12th century, long after the December 25 date for Christmas was well established. The Saturnalia festival idea was popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries when some scholars latched onto the idea simply to provide a secular explanation for the December 25 date for Christmas.
Is December 25 Jesus’ birthday? Nobody knows for sure. December 25 is as good a date as any to celebrate His birth, and it has early historical support.
Read my articles What Day Was Jesus Born? and What Year Was Jesus Born? for more on the date of Christmas.

Permission to Use

In the past, some readers have asked permission to use my quizzes with Sunday Schools, Bible study groups, or other applications. I give permission for such use provided the source website is included. For this quiz, please credit the quiz to the Bible-Science Guy Blog at 2020 Christmas Quiz.

Click Bible-Science Guy Quizzes for a complete list of links to all my quizzes.

See my Christmas Events Harmonization for a harmonization of the Gospel passages reporting the birth of Jesus Christ.

Questions to Ponder

1. What inaccuracies related to Jesus’ birth are often in circulation?
2. How many quiz questions did you get right? Which question did you find hardest? Which was the most interesting?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

For Christ and His Kingdom. Soli Deo Gloria. Alere Flammam Veritatis.

Read the prequels:
2019 Christmas Quiz
2020 Christmas Quiz

Read the sequels:
2021 Christmas Quiz
2022 Christmas Quiz

Click Bible-Science Guy Quizzes for a complete list of links to all my quizzes.

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday December 16, 2020 A.D.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:13-14)

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