Easter I.Q. Test
40 Questions for the 40 Day of Lent
Instructions
In the spaces provided on the left, mark the correct answers. Most of the questions are multiplechoice; a few are true/false; and a couple are fill-in.
_____ 1. As long as Easter has been celebrated, it
has been held on the first Sunday after
the date of the first full moon that occurs
on or after March 21. True or False?
_____ 2. Easter was originally a pagan festival.
True or False?
_____ 3. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is
always 40 days before Easter, not
counting?
a) The minister’s day off
b) The Sabbath
c) Sundays
d) Holy Week
e) Ash Wednesday
_____ 4. Jesus grew up in?
a) Bethlehem
b) Jerusalem
c) Nazareth
d) Oberammergau
e) None of these
_____ 5. When Jesus came into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday, he entered by?
a) Walking
b) Limousine
c) Riding a white horse.
d) Walking a donkey.
e) Riding a donkey.
_____ 6. With no room in Jerusalem during Holy
Week, Jesus had to stay in?
a) Bethlehem
b) The Garden of Gethsemane.
c) Bethany
d) The YMCA
e) A stable
_____ 7. When Jesus rose from the grave on Easter
morning, he?
a) Got even with those who crucified him.
b) Saw his shadow and went back inside
for 40 more days of winter.
c) Left the angels in charge of the tomb.
d) Had breakfast with Moses and Elijah on
the Mount of Transfiguration.
e) Went straight to Galilee and appeared
to the disciples.
_____ 8. According to the Gospel of St. Mark, how
many women came to the tomb Sunday
morning?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
e) Five or more.
_____ 9. According to the Gospel of St.John, how
many men came to the tomb Sunday
morning? (write in the correct number)
_____ 10. Who was the first person Jesus talked to
after he arose?
a) The gardener.
b) The soldiers on guard.
c) Mary Magdalene.
d) An Amway distributor.
e) No one.
_____ 11. Easter eggs are a part of Easter
because?
a) Jesus enjoyed eggs for breakfast.
b) Jesus was a good egg.
c) The disciples put all their eggs in one
basket.
d) Eggs are a symbol of new life.
e) Rabbits lay eggs
f) None of these reasons
_____ 12. Why is the Easter Rabbit a part of
Easter?
a) A rabbit’s foot is good luck.
b) Welch rabbit was a favorite dish of
the disciples.
c) The Bunny has nothing to do with
anything.
a) The Easter Rabbit is just another
commercialization of a religious
holiday by Madison Avenue.
b) It’s one of those old German
customs.
_____ 13. Jesus was buried on Friday in?
c) A pauper’s grave.
d) A grave he and the family picked out
before Holy Week.
e) A Borrowed grave.
f) A mausoleum.
_____ 14. Jesus was in the tomb for?
a) Three days.
b) An overnight stay.
c) Between 30 and 35 hours.
d) A much needed rest.
e) An unknown period of time.
_____ 15. Jesus was crucified with two other who
were?
a) Murderers.
b) Thieves.
c) Cutthroats.
d) Blasphemers.
e) Innocent victims like Jesus.
f) Rock musicians.
_____ 16. The Last Supper was held because?
a) Jesus wanted a farewell party.
b) The Jewish Passover was to be
celebrated.
c) Leonardo da Vinci thought it’d make
a great painting.
d) Judas had to be exposed as a traitor.
e) None of these reasons.
_____ 17. The word Easter appears in which version
of the Bible?
a) RSV
b) TEV
c) MTV
d) KJV
e) All of these
_____ 18. Lent is?
a) Something you find under your bed if
you haven’t cleaned in a while.
b) Past tense of loan.
c) A 40-day fast before Easter.
d) Past participle of lental.
e) Something I don’t know because I am
not Jewish.
_____ 19. How much was Judas paid to betray Jesus?
a) $100
b) Two loaves and five fish.
c) 30 silver coins.
d) Some gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
e) 20 Roman coins.
_____ 20. The Joseph who went to Pilate to ask for
the body of Jesus was in fact?
a) Jesus’ father from Nazareth.
b) A rich man from Arimathea.
c) A secret disciple of Jesus.
d) None of these.
e) More than one of these.
_____ 21. Who rolled the stone away from the grave
Easter Morning?
a) The 11 disciples.
b) Two men in white robes.
c) An angel who sat on the stone.
d) Gabriel who blew his horn.
e) St. Peter.
_____
22. How many people did Jesus visit after he
rose from the dead?
a) The 11 disciples.
b) The people of Emmaus.
c) Over 500.
d) I don’t know.
e) I wish I did.
_____ 23. How did Jesus look after he arose?
a) Same as always.
b) Like Moses.
c) Like Elijah.
d) Unrecognizable.
e) I give up.
_____ 24. The risen Jesus made breakfast one
morning?
a) In the upper room for the disciples.
b) On the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
c) At Burger King.
d) At his friends home in Bethany.
e) To start the Easter breakfast
tradition.
_____ 25. In the beginning when God created the
world, God also created the first
computer. How do we know this?
a) Eve took a byte out of the Apple.
b) Adam and Eve were not compatible.
c) God monitored their every move.
d) It’s known as a brain.
_____ 26. One disciple was labeled “Doubting
Thomas” because he?
a) Didn’t believe Jesus rose.
b) Missed the reunion party.
c) Didn’t believe in the Easter Bunny.
d) Was from Missouri.
_____ 27. The date of Easter in the Greek
Orthodox tradition is?
a) 12 days later than ours.
b) The 14th of the Jewish month of
Nisan.
c) One, four, or five weeks later than
ours.
d) The same as ours.
e) The same day as Passover.
f) Who knows?
_____ 28. Where do we find the Easter story in
order to check up on all these ridiculous
questions?
a) Matthew
b) Mark
c) Luke
d) John
e) Only a and c.
f) A, b and d.
g) Only b and d.
_____ 29. The gospel writers devoted how much
of their writings to Holy Week and
Easter?
a) The last chapters of each book.
b) Half of their writings.
c) A third of their writings.
d) A quarter of their writings.
e) None of these.
_____ 30. Easter is designated a holiday because?
a) It always falls on Sunday.
b) The Easter Bunny lobby was successful
in Washington.
c) College kids needed a break so they
could go to Florida.
d) Easter is the focus of Christian theology.
e) It comes four months after Christmas.
a) A large chocolate egg that took three
days to eat in 1967.
_____ 31. One of the most famous Easter eggs was?
b) Given by a Russian Czar to his wife in
1880.
c) Laid by the original Easter Bunny in
1776.
d) Rolled on the White House lawn in 1952.
_____ 32. The custom of exchanging eggs at Easter
comes from?
a) Ancient Egypt.
b) Persia.
c) Medieval Europe.
d) People’s Republic of China.
e) a and b.
f) b and d.
_____ 33. Palm Sunday is associated with what other
Holy days?
a) Pentecost and Ash Wednesday.
b) Good Friday and Maundy Thursday.
c) Christmas and Epiphany.
d) Advent and Transfiguration.
_____ 34. The biblical words “I know that my
redeemer Lives” were spoken by?
a) Job.
b) Peter.
c) Paul.
d) Matthew.
e) The Pope
f) Billy Graham.
_____ 35. True or False. The cross was the most
common instrument of executing criminals
in Roman times.
_____ 36. The cross was?
a) Always made in the shape of a lower
case t.
b) A stumbling block.
c) Used only by pagans and Gentiles.
d) Made with steel supports.
e) Burned after each use.
a) Sorry-I don’t know Hebrew.
_____ 37. Genesis 14:14 has been interpreted as a
prediction of Christ’s death because?
a) Abraham’s kinsmen were taken captive.
b) Dan was a relative of Jesus.
c) Of the 318 servants.
d) It was a mistake.
_____ 38. Jesus was accused by the Jewish leaders
before Pilate of?
a) Tax evasion.
b) Taking over the temple.
c) Feeding the 5000.
d) Being Christian.
e) Selling Amway products.
_____ 39. Easter is?
a) Time for parades.
b) Celebrated every Sunday of the year.
c) An inspiration for Irving Berlin songs.
d) The beginning of a new church year.
e) The time of year to wear your best
clothes.
_____ 40. I think this test was,
a) Unbelievably simple.
b) Enlightening.
c) Thought-provoking.
d) Unnecessary.
e) All of these.