25 Details About the Life of Jesus -- 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Just outside Jerusalem

Bethany was a village just outside Jerusalem in Biblical times. According to Scripture it was the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. The eleventh chapter of John tells of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany.

Previous to the ascension, Christ had been put on trial, humiliated, tortured and crucified only to rise from the dead, as reported extensively in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Luke 24:49-53, In the NKJV, tells of the ascension: "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God."

References to the ascension can be also found in Mark 16:19 and Acts 1:9-11.

Answer: Bethlehem

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, although Joseph and his wife Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived in Nazareth, according to Scripture. However, at the time of delivery, they were in Bethlehem to comply with requests to take part in a census.

Tourism is a thriving industry in Bethlehem as Christians from around the world travel to the city to see the place of Christ's birth.

Luke 2:1-7, in the NKJV, tells of the Savior's birth:
"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

"Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

Answer: Turned water into wine

It was at a wedding feast in Cana that Jesus turned water into wine. It was His first miracle according to the Gospel of John. The miracle was performed after the hosts of the feast ran out of wine.

Verses 7 and 8 in the second chapter of John tell of Jesus instructing people to fill a number of jars with water and then to draw some out and give a sample to the master of the banquet. After tasting the liquid, the master expresses surprise at how fine the wine is.

In Verse 10, the master compliments the bridegroom, stating "everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Cana was west of the Sea of Galilee and about ten miles north of Nazareth.

Answer: True

The appointment of the Seventy Disciples is reported in Luke 10:1-24. (In the NIV, it states seventy-two disciples.) In a nutshell, Jesus assigned the seventy to work in teams of two and to travel to "every city and place where He Himself was about to go." None of the disciples are identified.

It's apparent the disciples encountered considerable success. Luke 10:17, in the NKJV, states: "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name." Upon hearing this, Jesus is quoted as saying, "I saw Satan fall from heaven."

Here's how Luke 10:1-12, tells of instructions Christ gave the seventy before they departed on their mission: "After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, 'The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city'."

Answer: Cleopas

The correct answer is Cleopas. The account of a resurrected Jesus appearing before Cleopas and his unnamed friend can be found in Luke 24:13-35. This is the only time Cleopas' name appears in Scripture.

Cleopas and his friend didn't recognize it was Jesus they had met on the road until He had accepted their invitation to stay with them at their house and they were breaking bread and giving thanks. Scripture says their eyes were opened and they recognized Christ and then He disappeared from their sight.

Answer: Mustard seed

The correct answer is mustard seed. In Luke 17:6, a similar statement is made by Jesus: "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

In Matthew, Jesus made the statement about the mustard seed after a father took his epileptic son to Him. The man told Jesus he had taken his son to the disciples "but they could not cure him."

After Jesus cured the man's son, Scripture states the Twelve Disciples met with Jesus in private, wanting to know why they could not bring about a cure.

Jesus responded to the disciples by making reference to a mustard seed.

A mustard seed is extremely small and Jesus was claiming that with even a small amount of faith, amazing things can happen.

The issue, however, is this: Do Christians today have faith that's big enough to even compare to a fraction of the size of the tiny mustard seed?

Answer: A little child

To help emphasize how someone should become great, Jesus "took a little child and set him by Him", according to Luke 9.

Here's how Luke 9:46-48 reads in the NKJV: "Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, 'Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great'."

Being meek and humble like a little child was a recurring theme in Christ's teachings. And this at a time when children were to be seen and not heard. It all brings to mind the passage from Luke 18:15-17 in which the disciples and Jesus are both quoted: "Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it'."

Answer: True

While there are more than 35 miracles of Jesus clearly documented in Scripture, there are passages indicating numerous other miracles were performed. For example, Mark 6:53-56, tells of a large number of people touching Jesus and being made well.

The passage comes on the heels of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee and calming a storm for the terrified disciples. Verses 53-56, in the NKJV, state: "When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well." In other words, there could've been hundreds of people miraculously healed in these three verses alone.

In other words, there is no way of knowing the exact number of miracles Jesus performed by reading Scripture.

As John 21:25 states: "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen."

Answer: God with us

Immanuel means 'God with us,' according to Matthew 1:23. The passage claims Christ's birth fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. According to Isaiah, Immanuel would be born of a virgin, with many Christians believing this is direct reference to the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus.

Isaiah 7:14, in the NKJV: states: "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Immanuel is also spelled as Emmanuel in some versions of the Bible. The name Immanuel can be found in only Isaiah in the Old Testament and Matthew in the New Testament.

Answer: True

True. Jesus actually calmed storms on the Sea of Galilee on two different occasions and fed large gatherings of people with a pittance of food on two different occasions.

In regards to calming storms on the Sea of Galilee, details of the first miracle can be found in Matthew 8, Mark 4 and Luke 8. Details of the second miracle can be found in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. In the first incident, Christ was sleeping in a boat rowed by the disciples when He calmed the storm. In the second incident, the disciples encountered Christ walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee during a storm. In both cases He rebuked the waves and all was placid, Scripture states.

In regards to feeding large gatherings of people with a pittance of food, details of the first miracle can be found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6. Details of the second miracle can be found in Matthew 15 and Mark 8. In the first incident, Christ fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish. In the second incident, He fed 4,000 men with seven loaves and a "few small fish".

Although Scripture says Jesus fed 5,000 men on the first occasion and 4,000 men on the second, many theologians believe He fed a substantially larger number as the figures do not include women and children. As per the custom of the day, woman and children were not included in census figures. As a result, many theologians believe He fed 15,000 people on the first occasion and 12,000 on the second occasion.

Answer: Passed through the midst of them and went on His way.

The correct answer is Christ "simply passed through the midst of them and went on His way." No further details are given. However, it's as if Christ became an apparition and His assailants were unable to put their hands on Him.

Luke 4:16 states Jesus was in Nazareth, his home village, at the time. According to Matthew 13:58, Jesus declined to perform "mighty works" in the area surrounding Nazareth, due to the unbelief of the people.

Answer: 4

The report of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany is perhaps Christ's most famous miracle. Scripture states the man had been dead for four days and in John 11:39, Martha, a sister of Lazarus, was not keen about the stone being rolled away from her brother's tomb because of concern about the "stench" from the body.

In other words, the funeral was over a long time ago and Lazarus was as dead as they come. According to Wikipedia, rigor mortis lasts for about 72 hours, or three days. In this case, the rigor mortis was over and now the body was starting to decay in the hot Mediterranean sun.

Scripture goes on to tell of the stone being rolled away and Christ commanding Lazarus to rise from the tomb -- and he did just that!

Feel free to play a Bible quiz I have on FunTrivia about Lazarus. It's called 'Lazarus -- a Decaying Corpse Rises From the Dead.'

Answer: False

Scripture indicates that while Mary grabbed hold of Jesus in amazement, He basically told her to depart and get on with the job of telling others about His resurrection. In the KJV, Jesus is quoted as telling Mary "touch Me not," while in the NKJV, he is quoted as saying "cling to Me not." (In the NIV, Christ is quoted as saying "do not hold on to Me.")

The 20th chapter of John is the only place in Scripture where Jesus is quoted as talking to Mary and the message is clear: "Touch Me not." In other words, in Scripture there is not even a glimpse of a possibility of a special relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

How some people can see things completely differently and write a bestselling book about it is 'right off the Richter scale' in my opinion.

To put things in context, here's how John 20:16-18, reads in the NKJV: "Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her."

Mark 16:9, as well as Luke 8:2, state Jesus had driven seven demons out of Mary. However, no details are given with the verses simply stating the demons had been driven out previously. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2 make reference to Jesus driving seven demons out of Mary "which would explain her strong devotion to Him."

Feel free to play another quiz I have posted on FunTrivia. It's called 'Facts About Mary Magdalene: True or False?'

Answer: Night

There is considerable conjecture as to why Nicodemus visited Jesus at night. One school of thought has it that Nicodemus didn't want it to be known that as a teacher of the law, he had any interest in Jesus' teachings as He was often surrounded by tax collectors and the dregs of society. Another school of thought has it Nicodemus had no choice but to visit Jesus at night if he wanted a one-on-one meeting because Christ was always surrounded by large crowds.

In John 3:3, Jesus tells Nicodemus no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. Then in verse 16, Jesus makes the famous declaration: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." It's that statement which has become a pillar of the evangelical Christian movement.

Answer: 30

According to Scripture Jesus started His ministry at "about age thirty". Theologians say his ministry lasted three years, meaning Christ was about age thirty-three when He was crucified.

The account about Christ's age at the start of His ministry is found in Luke 3:23. In the NKJV, the verse states: "Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph..."

The number thirty would be repeated once again in Scripture when about three years later, Judas Iscariot would collect thirty pieces of silver for betraying Christ. (Matthew 26:15) After the betrayal, Judas was filled with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver and hanged himself, according to Scripture.

According to Matthew 27:3-10, the actions of Judas was the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Here's how the passage reads in the NKJV: "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is that to us? You see to it!' Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, 'It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.' And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me'."

Answer: All of these

Most theologians agree there were a number of advantages for Jesus using parables in speaking to the people. In fact, notes in the NKJV Study Bible cite four distinct advantages:
1.) Parables are interesting and grab a listener's attention.
2.) Parables are easily remembered.
3.) Parables often contain a hidden truth for those who are spiritually ready to receive it.
4.) They conceal truth from those who oppose Christ's message.
So the correct answer for the question above has to be 'all of these'.

While many of the common people could apparently understand the hidden message in Christ's parables, the high and mighty Pharisees were often baffled.
"Frequently, Jesus' opponents failed to understand because of their own spiritual blindness," the NKJV study notes state.

You might be interested in playing another 25-question alphabetical Bible quiz I have posted on Fun Trivia. The quiz is called 25 Parables of Jesus -- 'A' Through to 'Z'.

Answer: True

True. In many instances he told the people not to tell anyone who He was, but Scripture indicates His fame spread all the more. There are different instances of this in Scripture with the cleansing of a leper in Mark 1:40-45 being a classic example.

According to Scripture, Jesus healed the leper by touching him and saying "be cleansed." Verse 43 states Jesus "strictly warned" the cleansed leper "to say nothing to anyone." Then Verse 45 goes on to state the man "went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction."

There are various theories as to why Jesus told people to remain quiet after He miraculously healed them. Many evangelical Christians, myself included, believe Jesus didn't want people following Him simply because of the miracles He performed. What He really wanted people to focus on was His message: He was the Son of God who was sent into the world to save the world and not condemn it. In other words, Christ wanted people to believe in Him and His message of love and forgiveness and not to be dazzled by mind-boggling miracles.

Answer: More than 500

According to Scripture, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after His resurrection from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:4-8, in the NKJV, states: "...and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time."

The passage was written by Paul and when he makes mention of also seeing Jesus, he is referring to the dramatic encounter he had with Christ on the road to Damascus. That encounter, which resulted in Paul's conversion, is recounted in the ninth chapter of Acts.

Answer: 4

According to Matthew 13:55, Jesus had four brothers -- James, Joses, Simon and Judas. To put things in context, here's how Matthew 13:54-56 reads in the NKJV: "When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, 'Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things'?"

It's interesting to note that on top of the four brothers, Jesus had 'sisters' in the plural sense. In other words, there had to be at least two sisters, possibly more. However, there is no way of knowing the exact number of girls in His family.

Meanwhile, it must be stressed others, including the Roman Catholic Church, interpret the passage about Christ's brothers and sisters differently.

Agony, my most excellent FunTrivia editor, for example, points out the word 'adelphos' does not necessarily mean 'brother' as we use the word in English, but rather something closer to 'brethren' or even 'comrade'.

"It can refer to a blood sibling, or to a cousin or nephew, or even more broadly to one who is united in a cause," Agony states.

Answer: Lazarus

The correct answer is Lazarus. Christ's tears are recorded in one of the shortest verses in the entire Bible. John 11:35 simply states "Jesus wept". Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and he lived in Bethany. The story of his death and Christ raising him from the dead is told in John 11:1-44.

To put Verse 35 in context, here's how Verses 30-35 read in the NKJV: "Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, 'She is going to the tomb to weep there.' Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible offer this interpretation of Christ's tears: "Jesus did not weep aloud in hopeless grief like the others (Verse 33). He knew what He was about to do, but His compassion for their pain moved Him to tears."

Shortly after this, no one was crying. Their tears had been replaced by total joy, and complete amazement, when Christ commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb -- and he did just that!

Answer: Nazareth

Nazareth, his hometown, is the correct answer. Scripture states Jesus did not perform many miracles in Nazareth due to the "unbelief" of the people. (The NIV uses the term 'lack of faith'.)

Matthew 13:53-58 in the NKJV states: "Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, 'Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?' So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.' Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

Answer: The Pharisees

Jesus, similar to John the Baptist, referred to the Pharisees (the church leaders of the day) as a brood of vipers.

The Pharisees were bitterly opposed to Christ and they were bound and determined to stop His ministry at all costs. To this end, they were successful in having Jesus crucified. However, Scripture states three days later Christ was resurrected from the dead, and after appearing to a large number of people, He ascended to Heaven.

Matthew 12:33-35 tells of Jesus issuing His concerns to the Pharisees. The passage, with subhead A Tree Known by Its Fruit in the NKJV, reads: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."

In Matthew 23:32-34, Jesus uses similar language: "Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city."

Meanwhile, in Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist is quoted as calling the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptisms in the Jordan River "a brood of vipers".

Answer: 7

Jesus made seven different I AM statements in the Gospel of John. The seven statements are:
1.) 'I am the bread of life' (6:35, 48).
2.) 'I am the light of the world' (8:12).
3.) 'I am the door' (10:7,9).
4.) 'I am the good shepherd' (10:11,14).
5.) 'I am the resurrection and the life' (11:25).
6.) 'I am the way the truth and the life' (14:6).
7.) 'I am the true vine' (15:1).

Study notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say about the 'I am statements' in the Gospel: "John doesn't take any chances that we might miss what these 'I am' statements suggest. He records certain occasions when Jesus equates Himself with the Old Testament 'I AM' (Yahweh). You can't be more specific than this: 'Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM' (8:58)."

Study notes also have this to say: "The Gospel of John is a persuasive argument for the deity of Jesus. It concentrates on presenting Jesus as the Word, that is God (1:1) who became a man (1:4). Thus John meticulously records the statements and describes the miracles of Jesus that can only be attributed to God Himself."

Answer: 12 years

According to Luke 2:42, Jesus was twelve years old when He participated in an apparently in-depth discussion with the rabbis. Luke 2:46-48, in the NKJV, gives this account of his parents finding Jesus after He had been missing for three days: "Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed..."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible specify that, according to Scripture, Jesus was not lecturing in the temple. Rather, He was engaging the rabbis in theological discussion.

Answer: Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.

Zacchaeus, of course, was the short man who climbed up a sycamore tree in Luke 19 to get a better look at Jesus passing through town. Zacchaeus oversaw all the tax collectors in Jericho, a community northeast of Jerusalem, near the Jordan River. According to Wikipedia, Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

When Jesus spotted the diminutive tax collector up in a tree, he said, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." No doubt the response took Zacchaeus by complete surprise. After all, it's not every day a 'celebrity' passes through a community and states to a person he has never met before that he wants to spend the night at his house.

It's interesting to note Verse 7 tells of the people muttering about Jesus associating with a 'sinner' like Zacchaeus. Tax collectors in Biblical days were seen as traitors working for the Romans. What's more, the tax collectors would often overcharge the people and pocket the difference. Scripture, however, reports Zacchaeus was determined to set everything right -- and then some. Verse 8 to 10, in the NKJV, state: "Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost'."