Go Tell It on the Mountain! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Manger

"Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And brought us all salvation
That blessed Christmas morn"

Luke 2:7 KJV tells that Mary "brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn".

Animals were kept at the stable where Jesus was born, and they were fed there as well. A manger is the long box that held their food. In fact, the word originates from the Latin "mandere", which means to chew. So presumably there was a lot of hay in the manger where Christ was laid.

Answer: Manger

The word crib was not used as a child's bed until the 1640s, however, it probably came into use because it is another word for manger, a bin where animal fodder was placed. The Bible translations, such as the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, and the Good New Bible all use the word manger in their version of the Christmas Story.

Answer: Manger

The French word creche dates back to the 1200s, and is used in a variety of ways to depict the Christmas story. It can be used to describe the nativity scene or a representation of the stable, but its original meaning was a manger for the feeding of domestic animals.

Answer: Manger

Another word for manger is feeder - in other words, it is either a place where animals are given nourishment or the person who takes care of feeding them. It is derived from the Old English word "fedan", which means to give food or sustain.

Answer: Jesus

"Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born"

The first verse of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" uses both the name and the title for Jesus - Christ. Using the two names together makes it look like Christ was his last name, but that is not the case. The use of Christ identifies Jesus as "the anointed one".

Answer: Jesus

Luke 2:11 KJV states, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord", specifically naming Jesus as the person who will bring us salvation. John 4, which tells about Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan women, specially states that after he preached among the Samaritans they said, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42 KJV).

Answer: Jesus

In John 10: 11 (KJV) Jesus states, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep". In this sense, all Christians are members of his flock. It is very common in Christian art to see Jesus with a sheep, a symbol that is used to depict love, care, and protection.

Answer: Jesus

The word Christ is derived from the Hebrew word, "mashiah", which means "the Anointed". In Jewish tradition, a Messiah had long been promised (Isaiah 42:1-4), and Christ's disciples clearly thought he was the one, as in (Matthew 16:15-17). "'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God'".

Answer: Angel

"The shepherds feared and trembled
When, lo! Above the Earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth"

The word seraph is taken from the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew "seraphim", which means the burning one. In Christian angelology, it is the highest form of angel. Seraphims are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-8, which describes them as being six-winged creatures that put a hot coal on his mouth.

Answer: Angel

Cherubs are an order of angels, second only to seraphim. The name is derived from the Latin "cherub" and Hebrew "kerubh", for winged angel.

The first mention of cherubs in the Bible is in Genesis 3:24 (KJV), "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life". This is in regard to Adam and Eve being driven from the Garden of Eden.

Answer: Angel

Gabriel appears in both the Old and New Testament to help deliver the word of God. In Daniel 8 he helped to explain Daniel's visions, and his first appearance in the New Testament was to announce the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1). Gabriel was also the angel who appeared to Mary to tell her that she would give birth to Jesus (Luke 1: 26-38).

Answer: Angel

In the Bible, angels are frequently sent as God's messengers. In the Luke 2:9-10 KJV Christmas account, readers are told that an angel visited the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ. "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people".

Answer: Holy light

"While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a Holy light"

The Holy light mentioned in the song is typically called the Star of Bethlehem, or the Christmas Star. It is especially important to the story of the wise men from the East (Matthew 2), who followed the star on their way to visit the infant Jesus.

Answer: Holy light

We know that the announcement of Jesus' birth took place at night, as Luke 2:8 tells us, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night". Nevertheless, the sun is a star because it is neither rock nor metal. It is the product of a massive nuclear reaction like all of the other stars.

Answer: Holy light

The word orb is derived from the Latin "orbem", for circle, ring, or disk. It is an alternative name for any of the celestial spheres, such as the sun, moon or planets. Believe it or not, stars are actually round in form. So why are they drawn with points? That is how our eyes see them!

Answer: Holy light

Ancient astrologers called both the sun and the moon luminaries, sources of light, because they were the brights objects in the sky. As such, they ruled the day and the night. Genesis 1: 16 (KJV) stated, "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also".

This statement is a bit baffling, since we have already learned that the sun is a star; the moon, however, is not a star. It shines like a star, but has never ignited like stars do. It is classified as a natural satellite.