Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mary the mother of Jesus

Luke 1:26-27: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary."

Mary's story opens when the angel Gabriel is sent by God to announce that she will conceive and bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. The message identifies the child as Jesus, heir to David's throne and Son of the Most High. Mary responds with honest questioning, followed by willing submission to God's purpose, marking a decisive moment of faith that begins the incarnation narrative.

Answer: Mary the mother of Jesus

After learning of her relative Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy, Mary travels to Judea to visit her. In response to Elizabeth's blessing, Mary breaks into a hymn of praise traditionally known as the Magnificat. In this song, she rejoices in God's mercy, celebrates the reversal of human pride and power, and recalls God's covenant faithfulness to Israel.

The Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

Answer: Mary the mother of Jesus

Following Jesus' birth, Mary joined Joseph in fleeing to Egypt after a warning that King Herod sought the child's life. Matthew 2:13-15:

"Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod."

This hurried departure protected Jesus from the massacre in Bethlehem and fulfilled Old Testament prophecy concerning God's Son being called out of Egypt. The episode placed Mary within the larger story of God's saving acts, echoing Israel's earlier deliverance while underscoring the vulnerability of the Messiah in His infancy.

Answer: Mary the mother of Jesus

At a wedding in Cana, Mary noticed the hosts' impending embarrassment when the wine runs out and brought the problem to Jesus, saying, "They have no wine" (John 2:3). Though Jesus responds that His hour has not yet come, Mary confidently instructs the servants to follow His directions. This quiet act of trust preceded Jesus' first recorded miracle, where He turned water into wine.

Answer: Mary of Bethany

Luke 10:38-39:

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching."

Mary of Bethany is introduced during a visit when Jesus enters her household, and she chooses to sit at His feet while He teaches. In a scene that contrasts her posture with Martha's busyness, Mary's stillness signals the role of a disciple - listening attentively and prioritizing the word of the Lord. Jesus affirmed her choice as the better portion, highlighting the value of attentive learning over anxious activity.

Answer: Mary of Bethany

Noted in the Gospels of Luke and John, Mary is consistently identified as the sister of Martha and Lazarus, forming a family with whom Jesus shares a close relationship. While the Gospels often depict Martha as active and outspoken, Mary is shown as reflective and emotionally expressive. Together, the sisters frame different responses to Jesus - service and contemplation - both situated within a household loved by Him.

Answer: Mary of Bethany

When Lazarus died, Mary spoke to Jesus in grief and restrained faith: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:32). Her words express confidence in Jesus' power alongside deep sorrow over loss. This encounter moved Jesus profoundly and he proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead, revealing both His compassion and His authority over death.

Answer: Mary of Bethany

Shortly before the Passover, Mary anointed Jesus with a costly ointment: "Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (John 12:3).

The act was both lavish and intimate, drawing criticism for its apparent waste. Jesus defended her, interpreting the anointing as preparation for His burial and recognizing the depth of her devotion at a moment when others failed to understand what lay ahead.

Answer: Mary Magdalene

Luke 8:1-3:

"Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means."

Mary Magdalene's brief but striking introduction emphasized the depth of her former bondage and the completeness of Christ's deliverance. Her restoration became the foundation for a transformed life of discipleship, demonstrating the power of Jesus' ministry to free and renew those deeply afflicted.

Answer: Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was among the women who went to Jesus' tomb early on the first day of the week following the crucifixion and found it unexpectedly empty: "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him" (John 20:1-2).

Her discovery placed her at the center of the resurrection narrative, making her the first witness to the tomb's startling condition.

Answer: Mary Magdalene

After remaining at the tomb in grief, Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus alive, though she initially did not recognize Him, as detailed in John 20:11-15:

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.'"

Then, when He spoke her name, recognition replaced sorrow, and she conversed directly with the risen Lord. Jesus then entrusted her with a message for His disciples, commissioning her to announce His resurrection and signaling the decisive shift from mourning to proclamation.

Answer: Mary Magdalene

John 20:16-17: "Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'"

Upon recognizing her Lord, Mary's exclamation expressed devotion, recognition, and restored relationship all at once. Her response captured the personal nature of the resurrection encounter and underscored the turning point where despair gave way to joy and witness.