With Christmas getting closer,
you're probably scrambling to make a list, do your shopping, fit in baking,
plan the party, clean the house, finish decorating, and stay one step ahead of
the sniffles and sneezing that's plaguing you.
Okay...that's what I'm doing!
You, on the other hand, are probably waaay ahead of the game! =)
Since you have so much time on your
hands, how about testing your Christmas I.Q. with a quiz? Now, before you get too confident in your "I
know everything there is to know about the Christmas story" attitude (mmhmm,
I'm know who you are!), have a look at these basic Christmas questions (and
don't give in to the temptation to scroll down to the answers!).
- There are no records of Joseph
speaking in the Christmas story.
- The wise men were three kings from
the orient.
- The little drummer boy came to the
manger after the other shepherds.
- The star did not appear above the
manger.
- Jesus' ancestors include a prostitute,
an adulterer, a woman who committed incest, and a non-Israelite.
- The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary
first and then he appeared to Joseph.
- Mary rode a donkey from Nazareth to
Bethlehem.
- Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem
because of a decree by Caesar Augustus.
- The wise men followed the star as it
moved from their eastern land to Israel.
- The wise men did not arrive on the
night of Jesus' birth.
- God sent a choir of chubby angels to
announce Jesus' birth to the shepherds.
- Shepherding was considered a very
noble occupation.
- Both Joseph and Mary were told that
the baby was to be named "Jesus".
- When Herod heard about Jesus he
was the only one concerned about this new king.
- The wise men found Jesus lying in a
manager in the town of Bethlehem.
- After the angels announcement the
shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to see Jesus.
- Joseph married Mary immediately after
the angel appeared to him.
- Some of the shepherds doubted and
refused to believe the message they heard from the angels.
TRUE: There
are no records of Joseph speaking in the Christmas story. I'm sure he said
something, but there is absolutely no record of him speaking at all.
FALSE: The wise
men were three kings from the orient. The number of wise men is not mentioned.
They were not kings.
FALSE: The
little drummer boy came to the manger after the other shepherds. What
little drummer boy? There is no mention of a drummer boy in the Bible.
TRUE: The star
did not appear above the manger. It appeared above the house where Joseph's
family was living (Matthew 2:9-11).
TRUE: Jesus'
ancestors include a prostitute, an adulterer, a woman who committed incest, and
a non-Israelite. Rahab was a prostitute, David's (& Uriah's) wife was
an adulterer, Tamar and Judah committed incest, and Ruth was from Moab (Matthew
1:3, 5, 6).
FALSE: The
angel Gabriel appeared to Mary first and then Gabriel appeared to Joseph. Trick
question. Mary was first, but we don't know the name of the angel who appeared
to Joseph (Matthew 1:20).
FALSE: Mary
rode a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. A donkey does not appear anywhere
in the Biblical account. She likely walked.
TRUE: Joseph
and Mary went to Bethlehem because of a decree by Caesar Augustus. Yep (Luke
2:1-5).
FALSE: The wise
men followed the star as it moved from their eastern land to Israel.
Apparently not. The wise men saw the star in the east (Matthew 2:2), but it did
not take them to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem they asked for directions. Once
leaving Jerusalem the star appeared again and led them to the house in
Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9).
TRUE: The wise
men did not arrive on the night of Jesus' birth. The wise men arrived
sometime after Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1). Jesus is called a child, rather
than a baby (Matthew 2:11). He may have been as old as two (Matthew 2:7, 16).
FALSE: God sent
a choir of chubby angels to announce Jesus' birth to the shepherds. Actually
God sent an army of warrior angels (Luke 2:13). "Company" and "host" are
military terms.
FALSE: Shepherding
was considered a very noble occupation. In first century B.C., shepherding
was close to what we would consider garbage collecting. Shepherds were unable
to remain ritually pure according to Pharisaic laws and so were considered
unclean. Yet God chose them for His birth announcement.
TRUE: Both
Joseph and Mary were told that the baby was to be named "Jesus". Yes (Matthew
1:21 and Luke 1:31). Babies were always named by their father. God the Father
gives Jesus His name.
FALSE: When
Herod heard about Jesus he was the only one concerned about this new king.
All Jerusalem was disturbed by this news of a new king (Matthew 2:3).
FALSE: The wise
men found Jesus lying in a manager in the town of Bethlehem. Jesus was in a
house by this time (Matthew 2:11).
TRUE: After
the angels' announcement the shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to see Jesus.
Correct. They were excited! They did not hesitate (Luke 2:15-16).
TRUE: Joseph
married Mary immediately after the angel appeared to him. Yes. His
obedience was quick (Matthew 1:24).
FALSE: Some of
the shepherds doubted and refused to believe the message they heard from the
angels. They went to see the baby right away; they spread the word, and
they praised God for what they had been permitted to see and hear. No doubt there
(Luke 2:15-20).
So... how did you do? Don't worry if you didn't get every question
right. Not many do. During this season of decorating and
gift-giving and celebrating, the most important thing is that you understand
the most important thing...
The message of Christmas is personal.
Individual. Intimate. The amazing love of Almighty God expressed in a
Gift. The Gift of His Son... of salvation... of restoration... of second chances... of hope.
And this Gift has your name on it.
It's yours for the taking.
Won't you take it? (all of Heaven hopes you do)
