When my precious wife Lynda passed away on September 18, 2010, something very special happened in those final moments of her life. I told her "I Love You!" and for the first time in three weeks, she opened her eyes wide and smiled - and then formed those same three words, "I Love You", on her lips.

As great as that memory is, something even greater happened. As I continued talking to her about Jesus and heaven, her eyes shifted slightly to my left and to her right. Her eyes opened even wider and the smile on her face was as big as I'd even seen it. I have no doubt she was looking into the face of Jesus.

We should make that the goal of our lives. Our desire each day should be that people will look past us and see Jesus - that they would look past our imperfections, our feeble attempts to live as godly men and women and that they would only see Jesus - in all His splendor and glory.

Jesus said, "If man wants to be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) Most of us don't have trouble taking up the cross daily and following Jesus, but we do have trouble "denying ourselves". We have trouble denying what we think is ours - our "rights", our opinions, our thoughts, our attitudes, our feelings, our own way of doing things and following our own self-directed paths. However, the only way people will ever look beyond us and see Jesus is when we "deny ourselves, take up the cross daily and follow Him."

Today, may the desire of your heart be that everyone you meet would look past you and see Jesus!


David Langerfeld

How well do you know the Christmas story?  Most of you have read it many, many times. However, because we've all seen so many Christmas plays, sometimes we mix the drama with what is actually in the Bible.  Take the quiz.  See how well you do.  Then, challenge your family and friends.  

1. Joseph was originally from...  (Luke 2:3)
    A. Bethlehem
    B. Nazareth
    C. Hebron
    D. Jerusalem
    E. None of the above

2. What does the Bible say that the Innkeeper said to Mary and Joseph? (Luke 2:7)
    A. "There is no room in the inn."
    B. "I have a stable you can use."
    C. "Come back later and I should have some vacancies."
    D. Both A and B
    E. None of the above

3. A manger is a...
    A. Stable for domestic animals
    B. Wooden hay storage bin
    C. Feeding trough or watering trough
    D. Barn

4. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus' birth?
    A. Cows, sheep, goats
    B. Cows, Donkeys, goats
    C. Only Sheep and cows
    D. Miscellaneous barnyard animals
    E. None of the above

5. According to the Bible, who saw the star in the east?
    A. Shepherds
    B. Mary and Joseph
    C. Three Kings
    D. Both A and C
    E. None of the above

6. According to the Bible, how did Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem?
    A. Camel
    B. Donkey
    C. Walked
    D. Joseph walked, Mary rode a donkey
    E. Horse-drawn chariot
    F. The Bible doesn't say

7. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? (Luke 2:10)
    A. One
    B. Three
    C. Multitude
    D. None of the above

8. What did the angels say/sing? (Luke 2:14)
    A. "Glory to God in the highest, etc."
    B. "Alleluia"
    C. "Unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given"
    D. "Joy the world, the Lord is come"

9. What is a heavenly host?
    A. The angel at the gate of heaven
    B. The angel who serves refreshments in heaven
    C. An angel choir
    D. An angel army
    E. None of the above

10. What is Frankincense?
    A. A precious metal
    B. A precious fabric
    C. A precious perfume
    D. None of the above

11. In Matthew, what does "wise men" or "Magi" refer to?
    A. Men of the educated class
    B. Eastern Kings
    C. Astronomers
    D. Sages

12. What is Myrrh?
    A. Middle Eastern Money
    B. A drink
    C. The sound a happy cat makes
    D. A spice used for burying people
    E. None of the above

13. How many wise men does the Bible say came to see Jesus? _____

14. Where did the "magi" find Jesus? (Matthew 2:11)
    A. In a manger
    B. In a stable
    C. In Nazareth
    D. In Egypt
    E. In a house
    F. None of the above

15. When the "magi" found Jesus he was... (Matthew 2:11)
    A. A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes
    B. A young child
    C. A boy in the temple
    D. A grown man

16. The "star in the east" that the wise men followed... (Matthew 2:9)
    A. Stayed in the same place their entire journey
    B. Disappeared and reappeared
    C. Moved ahead of them and stopped over the place where Jesus was
    D. Stayed above the manger the night Jesus was born
    E. None of the above

17. The "magi" stopped in Jerusalem... (Matthew 2:2)
    A. To inform Herod about Jesus
    B. To find out where Jesus was
    C. To ask about the star
    D. To buy presents
    E. None of the above

18. Where do we find the Christmas story?
    A. Matthew
    B. Mark
    C. Luke
    D. John
    E. All of the above
    F. Only A and B
    G. Only A and C
    H. Only A, B, and C

19. When Joseph found Mary was pregnant, what happened?
    A. They got married
    B. Joseph wanted to break the engagement
    C. Mary left town for three months
    D. A and B
    E. B and C

20. Who "told" Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem? (Luke 2:1-5)
    A. The angel chorus
    B. Mary's mother
    C. Herod
    D. The shepherds
    E. Caesar Augustus


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BONUS QUESTIONS:

1. True or False    There was snow in Israel the night Jesus was born.

2. In Israel, at the time of Jesus' birth, a manger was usually made from what type of material?
    A. Plywood
    B. Oak
    C. Cedar
    D. Stone

3. How did the magi from the east (most likely Persians), know to follow a star that would lead them the location of the "King of the Jews"? (Daniel 5:11)

4. What were swaddling clothes? (John 19:40)
    A. Baby-sized cotton bed sheets
    B. Blankets made from the mother's clothes
    C. Linen strips of cloth that were also used to bury the dead.
    D. Large pieces of cloth that were folded over and over again.

5. In the song "Hark the Herald, Angels Sing", what does the phrase "risen with healing in His wings" refer to? (Malachi 4:2)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


THE ANSWERS: (read the scriptures beside the questions first)

1. A.   He worked and currently lived in Nazareth, but he was returning to Bethlehem - "his own city" Everyone had to return to "his own city - the city of his birth" to be registered (See Luke 2:3).

2. E.   In the Bible, the innkeeper didn't "say" anything (See Luke 2:7)

3. C.   Feeding trough or watering trough

4. E.   The Bible doesn't say, we just "assume" that since Jesus was placed in a "manger" (and therefore probably in a place where animals were probably sheltered), that there were various barnyard animals present.  However, since the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks in the fields that night, all the other animals could have been out of the "stable" as well.

5. E.   This is a "trick" question. The "magi" saw the star. However, the Bible doesn't say how many there were and they were not "kings", but astronomers or "star gazers" (see answer 15).

6. F.   Although the modern "pictures" in a Bible will show Mary on a donkey with Joseph beside her, the Bible doesn't say! 

7. A.   Luke 2:10 "The angel of the Lord said unto them..."

8. A.   Luke 2:14

9. D.   The word "host" means "army" - literally thousands. Now, since there was a "multitude" of the heavenly army" (hosts), there could easily have been from 10,000 - 100,000 angels there that night! No wonder the shepherds were "sore afraid"!

10. C.

11. C.   The word "Magi" literally means "star-gazers".

12. D.   Herod was buried with over 150 lbs. of Myrrh wrapped in his burial clothes. Jesus was buried with a 75 pound mixture of myrrh and aloes. (John 19:39)

13. The Bible doesn't give the number. Many people assume that there were three because of the three gifts. However, in ancient times, these men usually traveled in caravans of ten to twelve, along with a full entourage needed for meals. provisions and protection.

14. E.   Matthew 2:11 (see next answer)

15. B.  Matthew 2:11 When the Shepherds found Jesus, he was a "babe" in a manger. The Greek word used in Luke 2 is for a "newborn baby". However, by the time the Magi appeared in Bethlehem, Jesus had been moved from the manger to a house (verse 11) and the Greek word used in Matthew is for "toddler" or "young child". He was probably somewhere between 10-18 months old.

16. C.   Matthew 2:9 Most people miss this question, because there are so many pictures and dramas in which the star remains stationary over the manger. The star did not appear over the manger (the shepherds did not see the star over Bethlehem that night) nor did it stay stationary over the house. This verse makes it clear that the star moved "in front" of the magi and guided them till it "stood over where the young child was". These men lived in "the east".  Which means they were already in the "east" when they saw the star "in the east". (Read Matthew 2:1-2)  So, the star had to first move over them and then to the west toward Bethlehem before they could begin to follow the star!  This explains why it took them so long from the time the star appeared (at his birth) to reach "the young child"

17. B.   Read Matthew 2:2

18. G.   Isn't it amazing how God divinely inspired these two gospel writers to write His exact words, but, yet, He used their interests and professions to recall different aspects of Jesus' birth. Matthew, a tax collector, records the genealogy of Jesus (used for registration and taxation) and the story of the "magi" - men of means from a foreign country. Luke, a physician, records the pregnancy and birth. (Luke 1 and 2)

19. E.   Joseph wanted to "put her away" secretly and Mary left town to see her cousin Elizabeth. (Matthew 1:19 and Luke 1:39, 56)

20. E.   "There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus... everyone into his own city... " (Luke 2:1-5)


Bonus Questions Answers:
1. True!  It's a trick question.  There is always snow on Mt. Hermon, even in summer.  Even though Jesus was most likely born some time in the fall (September-October), and most probably during the Feast of the Tabernacles, there wouldn't have been snow in Bethlehem. But there would have been snow on Mt. Hermon.

2. D.   Interestingly enough, most mangers in New Testament times were made of stone. If you visit Israel today, you can see stone mangers used by Solomon to feed and/or water his horses at Megiddo.

3. Although there is no Biblical record of exactly who these men were or their point of origin, I personally believe that they were descendants of the "wise men" of Babylon. I believe that God, in His great providence, used Daniel (while he was in captivity in Babylon), to teach these men about future events - including the birth of the Savior of the world.   Read Daniel 5:11 and note:  Daniel was put in charge of these men!!!

4. C.   Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth (quite often linen), commonly used in the Middle East and Far East to wrap new-born babies to keep their limbs straight. They were also commonly used to bury people. John 19:40 records that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea "... took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes (strips) with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." People who traveled long distances (such as Joseph and Mary traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem) would quite often wrap some of these strips around their waist or pack them in their supplies to use in case someone died during the long journey. So, quite possibly, the swaddling clothes in which Baby Jesus was wrapped, could have been those same linen strips that Joseph was keeping for a burial!!!

5. Read Malachi 4:2 It was a very common belief during New Testament times that when the Messiah appeared, he would have "healing in his wings". So, what were his "wings"?.

Every orthodox Jew wore a prayer shawl called a tallit. Even today, you will see rabbis and orthodox Jews wearing these prayer shawls - especially in the synagogues, at festivals such as Passover, and especially in Jerusalem and always at the Walling Wall.

On the fringes of the prayer shawl (called a "tallit" or "tallith"), attached at the bottom hem, are "tassels" - which are strings tied into knots (called "tzitzit" in Hebrew), which represent the 613 laws of the Old Testament.

Why did they wear these garments with tassels? Because they were commanded to.  Deuteronomy 22:12 says, "Make fringes (Hebrew: tzitzit) upon the four quarters/corners (Hebrew: kanaph - " wings") of the cloak you wear (Hebrew: tallith)."  (See also Numbers 15:38-40). The translation of the word kanaph, the corner of the prayer shawl that holds the tzitzit, is "Wings". When the true messiah comes, according to Malachi 4:2, he would have 'healing in his wings".

In the New Testament,when the woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years reached out to touch the "hem of his garment" (Luke 8:44), she was reaching out to touch the "tzitzit" in the "kanaph" (the "Wings").

She believed Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy. So, when she touched the hem - the wings (the tzitzit in the kanaph) - healing went out from Jesus and she was healed. That's why Jesus said, "your faith has made you whole".  She believed the prophesy was about Jesus - there was healing in his wings!!!    [Note: Others believed and wanted to touch his "wings". See Mark 6:56]