Christmas Bible Trivia Questions and Answers

56 original Christmas Bible trivia questions on the nativity story, each answer with its chapter and verse: Gabriel and Mary in Luke, the Magi and King Herod in Matthew, the prophets and church traditions, and an easy For Kids topic for Sunday school.

How to play Christmas Bible Trivia

• Pick a topic (Luke’s Account, Matthew’s Account, Prophets & Traditions, or For Kids) or play All topics, then choose a round of 10 or 20 questions.
• Each question has four possible answers and exactly one is right. The correct answer turns green, a wrong pick turns red, and a short explanation tells you the story behind it.
• A correct answer scores 100 points, and answering several in a row adds a growing streak bonus. Switch on the optional 20-second timer for a speed bonus.
• The game remembers which Christmas Bible questions you have seen on this device and serves new ones first, so you will not get repeats until you have played through the whole topic.
• Hosting a party, a class or a family game? Open the Question list for hosts to read the questions aloud, reveal the answers one by one, or print the whole list.

Controls

• Tap or click an answer, or press 1–4 or A–D on a keyboard.
• Press Enter or Space (or tap Next question) to move on.
• Use the toolbar to change the number of questions, the text size, the optional timer and read-aloud.

Tips

• Shepherds, the manger and the angel choir are in Luke; the star, the Magi and the flight to Egypt are in Matthew. Knowing which Gospel says what wins most rounds.
• Watch for questions about what the Bible does not say: it never counts the wise men or mentions a donkey.
• For a Sunday school class, play the For Kids topic with Read aloud switched on.

Christmas Bible trivia questions for kids

Ten easy nativity questions for Sunday school or a family devotion.

1. What was the name of Jesus’s mother?
   A) Martha   B) Mary   C) Ruth   D) Sarah
   Answer: B) Mary. Luke 1:27 names her as Mary, engaged to Joseph.
2. In which town was Jesus born?
   A) Bethlehem   B) Jerusalem   C) Nazareth   D) Rome
   Answer: A) Bethlehem. Both Luke 2:4–7 and Matthew 2:1 name Bethlehem.
3. What was the name of Mary’s husband?
   A) David   B) John   C) Joseph   D) Peter
   Answer: C) Joseph. Matthew 1:18–24 tells Joseph’s side of the story.
4. What did the wise men follow to find Jesus?
   A) A map   B) A rainbow   C) A river   D) A star
   Answer: D) A star. Matthew 2:9: the star went ahead of them and stopped over the place.
5. Which animals were the shepherds looking after?
   A) Camels   B) Chickens   C) Horses   D) Sheep
   Answer: D) Sheep. Luke 2:8 says they were keeping watch over their flock by night.
6. Where was baby Jesus laid to sleep?
   A) In a bed   B) In a boat   C) In a manger   D) In a tree house
   Answer: C) In a manger. Luke 2:7: there was no room for them in the inn.
7. What did the angel tell the shepherds not to be?
   A) Afraid   B) Hungry   C) Late   D) Noisy
   Answer: A) Afraid. Luke 2:10: "Do not be afraid", or "Fear not" in older translations.
8. What was the name of the angel who visited Mary?
   A) Gabriel   B) Michael   C) Noah   D) Peter
   Answer: A) Gabriel. Luke 1:26: God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth.
9. How many kinds of gifts did the wise men bring?
   A) Five   B) One   C) Ten   D) Three
   Answer: D) Three. Gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
10. What does the name Immanuel mean?
    A) God with us   B) Good news   C) King of kings   D) Little star
    Answer: A) God with us. Matthew 1:23 explains the meaning of the name.

Christmas Bible trivia for adults (multiple choice)

A round from both Gospels for a church party or small group.

1. Which angel told Mary that she would have a son?
   A) Gabriel   B) Michael   C) Raphael   D) Uriel
   Answer: A) Gabriel. Luke 1:26–31: the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Mary.
2. Which Roman emperor ordered the census that sent Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem?
   A) Caesar Augustus   B) Julius Caesar   C) Nero   D) Tiberius
   Answer: A) Caesar Augustus. Luke 2:1: "a decree went out from Caesar Augustus".
3. In Luke’s account, who first heard the news of the birth from an angel?
   A) Fishermen on a lake   B) Priests in the Temple   C) Shepherds in the fields   D) Wise men from the east
   Answer: C) Shepherds in the fields. Luke 2:8–9: shepherds were keeping watch over their flock by night.
4. Which words did the crowd of angels say to the shepherds?
   A) "Blessed are the meek"   B) "Glory to God in the highest"   C) "Hosanna to the Son of David"   D) "Let there be light"
   Answer: B) "Glory to God in the highest". Luke 2:14. "Hosanna" is shouted on Palm Sunday, and "Blessed are the meek" is from the Sermon on the Mount.
5. Which three gifts did the Magi bring?
   A) Bread, wine and oil   B) Gold, frankincense and myrrh   C) Gold, silver and bronze   D) Myrrh, cinnamon and salt
   Answer: B) Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 lists gold, frankincense and myrrh.
6. Which king asked the Magi to report back when they had found the child?
   A) Augustus   B) David   C) Herod   D) Pilate
   Answer: C) Herod. Matthew 2:7–8: Herod said he also wanted to worship the child.
7. To which country did Joseph take Mary and the child to escape Herod?
   A) Egypt   B) Greece   C) Persia   D) Syria
   Answer: A) Egypt. Matthew 2:13–15: they stayed there until Herod died.
8. Which Old Testament prophet foretold that a ruler would come from Bethlehem?
   A) Amos   B) Jonah   C) Micah   D) Obadiah
   Answer: C) Micah. Micah 5:2, which the chief priests quote to Herod in Matthew 2:6.
9. Which two Gospels tell the story of Jesus’s birth?
   A) All four   B) John only   C) Mark and John   D) Matthew and Luke
   Answer: D) Matthew and Luke. Mark begins with John the Baptist, and John begins "In the beginning was the Word".
10. Bethlehem is called the town of which king?
    A) David   B) Herod   C) Saul   D) Solomon
    Answer: A) David. David was born in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16–17), and Luke 2:4 calls it the city of David.

Hard Christmas Bible trivia questions

Names, canticles and details most people miss.

1. Luke names the governor of Syria at the time of the census. Who was he?
   A) Felix   B) Festus   C) Pontius Pilate   D) Quirinius
   Answer: D) Quirinius. Luke 2:2 says the census happened while Quirinius was governing Syria.
2. What offering did Mary and Joseph bring to the Temple in Jerusalem?
   A) A bag of gold coins   B) A lamb and a goat   C) A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons   D) A young bull
   Answer: C) A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Luke 2:24, following the law for families who could not afford a lamb.
3. Which elderly prophetess also spoke about the child in the Temple?
   A) Anna   B) Deborah   C) Elizabeth   D) Miriam
   Answer: A) Anna. Luke 2:36–38: Anna, daughter of Phanuel, was a widow of great age who worshipped in the Temple night and day.
4. How many wise men does Matthew say there were?
   A) Matthew does not give a number   B) Three   C) Twelve   D) Two
   Answer: A) Matthew does not give a number. The tradition of three comes from the three gifts; Matthew 2 never counts the Magi.
5. According to Matthew, where did the Magi find the child with Mary?
   A) In a house   B) In a stable   C) In a tent   D) In the Temple
   Answer: A) In a house. Matthew 2:11 says they came "into the house". Nativity scenes often combine the two Gospel accounts.
6. Which ruler of Judea made Joseph afraid to go back there after Herod died?
   A) Archelaus   B) Caiaphas   C) Herod Antipas   D) Pontius Pilate
   Answer: A) Archelaus. Matthew 2:22: Archelaus ruled Judea in place of his father Herod, so Joseph went to Galilee.
7. Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1 is traditionally called what?
   A) The Benedictus   B) The Magnificat   C) The Nunc Dimittis   D) The Te Deum
   Answer: B) The Magnificat. Luke 1:46–55. It is named from the first word of the Latin text, "My soul magnifies the Lord".
8. Simeon’s prayer when he held the baby is traditionally called what?
   A) The Ave Maria   B) The Benedictus   C) The Magnificat   D) The Nunc Dimittis
   Answer: D) The Nunc Dimittis. Luke 2:29–32, from the Latin "Now you dismiss (your servant)".
9. Which of these is NOT mentioned in the Gospel accounts of the birth?
   A) A donkey   B) A manger   C) A star   D) Shepherds
   Answer: A) A donkey. The donkey is a later tradition. Luke mentions shepherds and a manger, and Matthew the star.
10. In Western churches, the feast of Epiphany on January 6 remembers which event?
    A) The birth of John the Baptist   B) The flight to Egypt   C) The shepherds’ visit   D) The visit of the Magi
    Answer: D) The visit of the Magi. In Eastern churches Epiphany (Theophany) focuses on the baptism of Jesus.

Printable Christmas Bible trivia

Press Question list for hosts above the quiz, pick a topic (or All topics), then Print questions for a quiz sheet with a separate answer key at the end, or Print with answers for a host copy. In the print dialog choose Save as PDF to keep a file. Every one of the 56 nativity questions can go on the sheet.

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FAQ

What are some good Christmas Bible trivia questions?

Try these: Which angel told Mary she would have a son? (Gabriel) Which Roman emperor ordered the census? (Caesar Augustus) Which prophet named Bethlehem as the birthplace of a ruler? (Micah) How many wise men does Matthew say there were? (He does not give a number)

Which books of the Bible tell the Christmas story?

Only two Gospels describe the birth: Luke 1–2 (Gabriel, the census, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna) and Matthew 1–2 (Joseph’s dreams, the Magi, Herod and Egypt). Prophecies quoted at Christmas come from Isaiah and Micah.

Is there Christmas Bible trivia for kids?

Yes. The For Kids topic has simple questions about Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the star, and Read aloud speaks each question for young children.

Can I use these questions for a party or a classroom quiz?

Yes. Open the Question list for hosts: it shows every question with its four options, lets you reveal each answer when you are ready, and can be printed.

Who writes the questions?

Every question and explanation was written for this site and checked against well-established facts.