1. The prophet foretold of the ministry of John the baptizer, who was born a few months before Christ.
2. Which Old Testament woman had the Hebrew version of the virgin mother's name?
3. Matthew tells us that when Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus returned from their flight to Egypt right after Jesus' birth, they lived in Nazareth:
A. so that the prophecy would be fulfilled that the Christ would be called a Nazarene. B. but this was written at that time to protect the Child from Herod; Joseph and his family really returned to Bethlehem. C. because like Samson and others in the Old Testament, Jesus would be a Nazirite. D. for a short time, and later moved to Capernaum.
4. T or F: Just as He ordered that His death be remembered by the holy supper called the Lord's table, communion, or eucharist, Jesus also told disciples to commemorate His birth.
TRUE FALSE
5. Which festival commemorates the presentation of the eight-day old Christ in the temple?
A. Michaelmas B. Circumcimas C. Candlemas D. Epiphany
6. Previous to his activity connected with Jesus' birth, the angel Gabriel appeared in the Old Testament book of .
7. After their announcement of Christ's birth to the shepherds, the angels:
A. Went away into heaven. B. Appeared to a little boy by the name of Peter who was destined to be an apostle. C. Were sent to tell the magi to follow the star of Bethlehem. D. Entered into warfare with demons seeking to destroy the infant Christ.
8. Which of the following did the announcing angel NOT say to the virgin mother?
A. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. B. You shall call His name Jesus. C. He will be called the Son of the Highest. D. A cross lies before you also.
9. House (or place) of is the meaning of the name Bethlehem.
10. T or F: The origin of the observation of Christmas has been traced to extrabiblical writings of the apostle Thomas to early Christians in eastern Asia.
11. The virgin birth of the Messiah:
A. Has been proven to be biologically possible. B. Was never predicted in the Old Testament. C. Was the result of the immaculate conception. D. Was essential so that, although He is a true Man, He is not covenantally in Adam.
12. The magi presented the Child Jesus with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Myrrh is a kind of:
13. When the days of Mary's purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought the Baby Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"), and to offer a according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." (Each blank is one word.)
14. T or F: Astronomers have demonstrated conclusively that the star of Bethlehem was a comet.
15. The Santa Claus legend is based on:
A. Nicholas, one of the first deacons of the early church B. The life of Tertullian C. A fourth century bishop of the city Myra in Asia Minor D. The imaginations of the fourteenth century merchants who were the first to begin commercializing Christmas.
16. Who said: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against."
17. T or F: No animals are specifically mentioned in the nativity accounts.
18. Your answer to the charge that Christmas should not be celebrated because it has become too worldly, commercial, and devoid of devotion to Christ would be:
A. Was it ever any different? B. Let's reform our ways instead of forsaking it, and keep Christ in Christmas! C. Why not abandon wedding celebrations in that case? D. You're giving me the Jingle Bells Blues
19. Christmas was outlawed for a short time:
A. In WWII London, on account of the bombings. B. By the Church herself, in the sixth century C. In Utah D. By one New England colonial community
20. Purim, a holiday described in the Bible as "...days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor" has its roots in:
A. The overthrow of wicked Queen Athaliah B. The rededication of the temple under the leadership of the Maccabees. C. The victory of brave Queen Esther D. The commemoration of the Exodus
21. T or F: The way dates are designated as B.C. (before Christ) or A.D. (Anno Domini, which mean "year of our Lord" in Latin) accurately reflect the year of Christ's birth.
22. The census requiring Joseph to go to Bethlehem took place while the Roman governor Quirinius ruled in this region:
23. means "God with us." means "anointed one". (Each blank is one word.)
24. Suppose it could be proven that a physical relic of Christ's nativity was genuine, perhaps a plank from the manger or a snippet of the infant Jesus' swaddling clothing. Choose what you believe would be the best response from the Church:
A. Publicizing the find and celebration like that associated with the shroud of Turin. B. Remembering the bronze snake God told Moses to make, which later became known as Nehushtan. (Cf. 2 Kings 18:4) C. To assert that archaeology is an unimportant and unspiritual pursuit. D. To declare that the objects are holy and begin to include images of them in worship.
25. Which of the following statements, all found in the Bible, was uttered by Jesus Christ?
A. Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me! B. You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born. C. May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, 'a male child is conceived.' D. But I was born a citizen.