Laugh Again

How much do you know about Christmas? Here's a chance to find out. Circle your best guess, check your answers, then impress your friends.

1) Which is the name of one of Santa's reindeer?

A. Rudolph.

B. Olive.

You're right either way. Rudolph is correct. But if you guessed Olive, you must remember singing, "Olive the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names." At least, I think that's how it goes. Don't you wish tests were this easy in high school? Prance on down to question two.

2) According to the Bible, the little drummer boy played for Jesus on his:

A. Bagpipes.

B. Drum.

C. None of the above.

The correct answer is C. The Bible doesn't mention the little drummer boy or a bagpiper. By the way, do you know the difference between bagpipes and onions? No one cries when you cut up the bagpipes.

3) In jolly old England, turkeys were popular for Christmas dinner. To get them to market turkeys were:

A. Shipped by UPS.

B. Taught to fly.

C. Supplied with boots made of leather so they could walk.

It's C again. Yes, turkeys were walked to market in boots that protected their feet from the frozen mud of the road. Now, let's waddle off to question 4.

4. The book of Hezekiah in the Bible foretells the Messiah's coming.

A. True.

B. False.

If you circled True, you are wrong. Hezekiah was a king, not a book. If you circled False, well done.

5. In which Bible book are these words found: "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given... and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"?

A. Matthew?

B. Isaiah?

C. Second Festivus?

Matthew is the first of the Gospels. But seven hundred years before Christ's birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold His coming. Amazing, isn't it? By the way, did you know that Isaiah's parents were entrepreneurs? That's right. They made a little prophet. Sorry, bad joke.

6) Only one woman's age is mentioned in the Bible. Is it:

A. Abraham's wife Sarah?

B. Mary, the mother of Jesus?

If you circled A, well done. Genesis 23:1 says that Sarah lived to the age of 127. We are never told the age of Jesus' mother. But we know something very interesting about her. Before I tell you what it is, how did you do? If you got one right, please do all the dishes on Christmas Day. If you got at least three right, well done. And if you aced the quiz, congratulations. Masterful. Brilliant. Go ahead and tell someone.

One of the phrases about Mary that I always loved comes out of Luke 2:18: "Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often."

Let's do the same today. Turn to Luke 2 and read it. And this Christmas, let's live in awe and wonder at God's gift to us: His Son Jesus.

Phil Callaway is the best-selling author of two dozen books and host of Laugh Again Radio.