True or False: answers to our Christmas quiz

Posted on by John Sandeman
  1. Gabriel was the name of the Angel that appeared to Mary.
    True. “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”” Luke 1:26–28
  2. Jesus was born in the year zero.
    False. There was no year zero, the timeline goes from the first year BC to the first year AD. But the Bible also points to a time for Jesus’ birth during Herod’s reign. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.” (Matthew 2:1) Herod the Great died in 4 BC. He had ordered the slaying of boys aged up to two, which places Jesus’ birth between 4 to 6 BC.
  3. He was born in Bethlehem.
    True. “ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2: 4–7 ESV)
  4. The first people to know was the shepherds. 
    False. Mary and Joseph knew.
  5. Jesus was born in a stable.
    False Jesus was born in a Kataluma – a private room for guests. https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/your-seasonal-reminder-jesus-was-not-born-in-a-stable/
  6. And laid in a manger
    True, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7 ESV) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-meaning-of-the-manger
  7. Jesus’ father was Joseph
    False, biologically, “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1 24–25 ESV)
  8. There was a star over the place where Jesus was born.
    True. when the wise men came but that was later, maybe eighteen months later. “Now after Jesus was born in iBethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is he who hasbeen born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose2 and have come tonworship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2 ESV)
  9. Three kings came to worship him.
    Maybe. But the Bible does not give a number. See above.
  10. King Herod was afraid of Jesus.
    True “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; (Matthew 2:1–3 ESV)
  11. Jesus came into the world to save us from our sin
    True! “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from othe wrath of God. (Romans 5:8–9 ESV)