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About This Quiz
Easter is the story of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, marking the culmination of his 33 years on the Earth and - in Christian theology - the fulfillment of a number of major prophecies concerning the redemption of mankind.
Easter is, in fact, a hybrid of earlier faiths' festivals. It is primarily an evolution of Passover, the Jewish festival marking the Exodus from Egypt as well as the arrival of spring and a hopeful time of rebirth and new opportunity. There are also some pagan elements that go back to festivals concerning the worship of a mother goddess figure (often a virgin) such as Ishtar or Freya, who would be honored with the coming of spring and new life.
Easter also has a variety of traditions associated with it that are gleefully co-opted from a commercial point of view, from bunnies to chocolate eggs to hot cross buns. It also marks the end of Lent, a period of mourning and reflection marked by sacrifice.
Not too much of this is actually in the Biblical story of Easter, though. The story is pretty factual and certainly involves zero chocolate eggs. So let's find out how much of that original story you remember.
What did Jesus wear on his head while carrying the cross?
A hat
A rag
A blindfold
A crown of thorns
The crown of thorns was partly to hurt physically and partly to make fun of the idea that Jesus was king of the Jews.
Who stabbed Jesus while he was on the cross?
Barabbas
Longinus
Longinus was a centurion who stabbed Jesus in the side, thus ending his suffering on the cross.
Andrew
Zebedee
Who was ruling Judea for the Romans?
King Herod
Pontius Pilate
Pilate was in charge of Judea and Herod was merely a vassal king of the Roman province.
Constantine
John the Baptist
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Which apostle denied knowing Jesus?
James
Peter
Thomas
Thomas denied knowing Jesus to get out of trouble by association. He later repented for it.
Philip
How much was Judas paid for betraying the location of Jesus to the Romans?
Ten gold pieces
30 pieces of silver
Thirty pieces of silver was the price on Jesus' head, and is now a byword for a bribe taken by a really bad person doing a really bad thing.
One cow
A house
Who was the first person to see Jesus when he came out of the tomb?
Cleopas
A man named Cleopas saw Jesus first but did not immediately recognize him, which is not surprising as he would have been very dirty!
His friend Mary Magdalene
Thomas
James
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How long was Jesus in the tomb?
One day
One year
Three days
Jesus was in the tomb for three days, blocked in by a big stone - and when people opened it, he was gone.
One week
What were probably Jesus' last words while on the cross?
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
Jesus said this last. People have been very upset that he also said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" as it casts doubt on his divinity, but some say this is merely a sign of his human suffering at that moment.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
I thirst
It is finished
What is the name of the thief who was released as part of Pilate's annual offer of mercy?
Barabbas
Pilate would always release one person to show mercy at Passover. The crowd demanded he release Barabbas, a no-good thief, so he did.
Roger
Brian
Peter
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Who cooked The Last Supper?
No one knows
No one knows who made the meal! We only know who was there and what they ate.
Bartholomew
James
Jesus
Which priest initially wanted Jesus strung up on blasphemy charges?
Caiaphas
Caiaphas wanted to get Jesus on blasphemy charges but needed Roman approval to sentence him to death.
Anias
Herod
Matthew
What was The Last Supper celebrating?
Converting Pilate
Converting Herod
Escaping Herod
Pesach
The Last Supper was Pesach or Passover, a Jewish festival that is celebrated around the time of Easter and marks the Exodus.
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Who first discovered that Jesus was missing from the tomb?
Mary Magdalene
In some non-canonical tellings, Mary Magdalene was a noblewoman who was also a disciple of Jesus.
Joseph
Virgin Mary
Peter
When did Jesus and the disciples go to the Mount of Olives?
After the Last Supper
After the supper, Jesus and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives to check out the natural beauty of the site. This is where Jesus predicted one of them would deny him.
For the Last Supper
Before the Last Supper
A day before the Last Supper
Who helped to carry Jesus' cross for a little while?
Simon
Jesus was too weak after being mistreated by the Romans, so Simon the Cyrene came to the rescue by carrying the cross for him.
John
Peter
Paul
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Two people took Jesus' body down from the cross. One was Joseph of Arimathea. Who was the other?
Nicodemus
These two good guys asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus down so they could bury him. It's very important in Jewish law not to wait around to bury a body, as it is not hygienic.
John the Divine
Virgin Mary
Mary Magdalene
How was Jesus attached to the cross?
He was tied on
He was nailed on
Jesus was nailed to the cross, through his hands and feet.
He was forced to stand on a platform
He was chained on
After Jesus came back from the dead, how long was it before he was taken up to heaven?
Ten days
40 days
Jesus came back for 40 days, which is a nice round Biblical number!
100 days
One year
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What was eaten at the Last Supper?
Bread and lamb
There was bread at the Last Supper which Jesus gave to the disciples saying it was his body. There was also lamb, which is the traditional meal at Passover.
Beef and potatoes
Pork and rice
Bread and fish
What did they drink at the Last Supper?
Wine
They drank wine which Jesus said symbolized his blood, and through the miracle of transubstantiation, became it.
Water
Beer
Milk
How many people were at the Last Supper?
13 or more
Twelve apostles plus Jesus makes 13, which is why 13 is considered unlucky. It's possible some women were also there, so it might be more than 13.
12
15
22
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Where was Jesus arrested?
Bethlehem
The Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, though he had recently been in Bethany.
Jerusalem's main square
The palace of Pilate
How did Judas tell the authorities who to arrest?
He said, "That's him."
He painted a blue cross on him
He identified Jesus with a kiss
The authorities wanted to pounce on Jesus rather than risk his followers defending him, so they had Judas signal which one he was.
He shoved him
Where was the crucifixion?
The Western Wall
Gethsemane
Golgotha
The name means "place of the skull." It's also known as Calvary.
Bethlehem
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How long was Jesus on the cross?
Two hours
Six hours
Jesus was on the cross for six hours. Crucifixion is a lot more painful than people often realize and gets more so the longer it takes - which can be up to three days.
Three days
Ten hours
With what did Longinus stab Jesus?
Spear
Longinus is a curious figure as he not only stabbed Jesus, some believe that he drank the blood from the wound, making him the first vampire in some tellings (though not in the Bible).
Dagger
Sword
Harpoon
What road did Jesus take to the crucifixion?
Via Dolorosa
This is a street that is still in the old city in Jerusalem.
The main street
Via Puellae
Via Herod
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How many statements did Jesus make from the cross, if all the accounts in the Bible are correct?
one
four
five
seven
Jesus said a total of seven possible statements on the cross, though the gospels disagree on exactly which are correct.
How old was Jesus at the time of the crucifixion?
19
28
33
Jesus was 33 which was considered old enough to have your own ministry and be a teacher.
41
What supernatural event occurred while Jesus was on the cross?
Darkness during daytime
Some gospels disagree but there are accounts that it turned dark while Jesus was on the cross.
Birds spoke
It rained blood
Fire in the sky
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Why does the crucifixion matter?
It is the end of the story
It shows what Jesus was willing to do
It shows that no good deed goes unpunished
It is the key to salvation
The crucifixion is not the end of the story but it is the key moment as it is when Jesus substituted his death for ours, thus enabling human redemption.
There were two other men crucified on​ either side of Jesus. What crime did they commit?
Murder
Theft
There were two thieves at either side of Jesus, but only one was repentant.
Rape
Blasphemy
What is the story of Easter also known as?
Death and Resurrection
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion refers to the final days of Jesus' life as he came to Jerusalem ahead of Passover and was soon arrested and crucified - the emotional highlight of his tale.
The Climax
The Crucifixion of the Son
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Why is Jesus' suffering more significant than that of a regular person?
Because as a God, he's not ready for it, and his comprehension of suffering is different
The suffering of Jesus is a more profound suffering than that of regular people as he is perfect according to theology, thus any suffering is infinitely worse for him.
Because he took on all our sins at once
Because it was more painful
Because he knew it was coming but not exactly when, so it was a shock
You Got:
/35
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