Incarnation Fast 2 (Western): The Weeks of Advent — How to Create Space for Christ’s Reign
The Spiritual Mysteries of the Divine Calendar: The Weeks of Advent — How to Create Space for Christ’s Reign ~ November 23–29, 2025 ~ The Advent Fast—also called the Incarnation or Nativity Fast—began on November 15, and the first Sunday of Advent is now only a week away. These weeks of Advent are counting down to the most revolutionary event in human history, the moment that reset our calendar.
In Jewish tradition, the calendar counts years from the calculated date of the creation of the world. But with the coming of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, we begin again from year 1—no longer from the creation of the world, but from the beginning of the re-creation of mankind, the making of the new man in Jesus Christ.
No other event in history has ever become the reference point for all that happens. Perhaps the only future event that could challenge AD (Anno Domini, “in the year of our Lord) and BC (Before Christ) is the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Perhaps His return will introduce a new marker: SC—Second Coming?
Last week we entered the second Season of Salvation in the Divine Calendar and began introducing The Incarnation and Its Mysteries. In Week 2 of the Season of the Incarnation, we continue to explore the spiritual mysteries woven into these weeks of Advent and how the Holy Spirit desires to help us create space for Christ’s reign within our souls.
We also just celebrated The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple, a feast that reveals the restoration of glory to mankind and other mysteries bound to this spiritual season.
Who Then Can Be Saved?The major mystery of the Nativity Fast can bring to light—or place in the spotlight—our hidden greatness. Most believers know there is nothing we can do to earn salvation, but how deeply have we allowed Jesus’s words to sink in? In this week’s Sunday Gospel, a disciple asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “With men it is impossible …” (Mark 10:26–27, NKJV).
Our dedication to spiritual practices helps us grow—not because of our own goodness or piety, but through the grace of the Holy Spirit working in us through the spiritual disciplines. We are simply opening ourselves to God so He can form the image of His Son in our inner man (Gal. 4:19). Yet how deeply do we realize that part from God’s grace, salvation is impossible?
Our Impressive Selves
Deep within our souls, we may uncover thoughts telling us that we are quite something—our achievements might even suggest that we impress God. We might find a throne within, bearing our name, ruling through our prestige, reputation, good deeds, self-discipline, ministry, work, and all the other marks of our impresive excellence—even as we consider ourselves humble and kind to others.
This fast invites us to follow the same journey Jesus undertook when He left the Father’s bosom to enter our creation. Part of this journey is realizing that “with men it is impossible [to be saved].” We must see ourselves as dying men, whose salvation depends entirely on the goodness and love of God. Our only hope is complete reliance on His love. We are helplessly helpless, and only Jesus can save us. Salvation is His act, His initiative.
At the same time, we are called to maintain diligence in working “out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12b–13). This diligence reflects a spiritual vision and longing for Christ’s Second Coming (see 1 John 3:2–3).
During the Nativity Fast, the Holy Spirit also seeks to help us let go of the hidden greatness of our ego. He calls us simply to surrender to God’s mercy and love—only He can save us. As John the Beloved writes, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Let us begin to unpack this profound mystery of trading the emptiness of the self for the true greatness found in the Image of God.
The Beginning of Our Salvation
The beginning of Christ’s Incarnation took place with the miraculous conception in the Virgin Mary, revealed nine months later on Christmas day. The Incarnation initiated God’s work to abolish “in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace” (Eph. 2:15). The Evangelist John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14)—an event of infinite mysteries and profound implications.
The creation of the one new man in Jesus Christ was declared complete on the Cross: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). In Christ’s Resurrection, His body proved to be our victory over death—“and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). This new human nature became ours through Jesus’s Ascension and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (we will explore these events in depth in the spring).
God taking on a human body is the beginning of our salvation. Without the Incarnation—without God the Son walking among us as a human being—there would be no Easter. As we studied last week, the Incarnation marks the beginning of Christ’s work of salvation.
Scripture ReferencesThe creation of the first man: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7).The creation of the new man: “He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).The first and the last Adam: “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. […] The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Cor. 15:44–45, 47–49).
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The Key to the Season of the Incarnation FastEach Season of Salvation can pass unnoticed if we do not enter the spiritual atmosphere of the season. How do we enter it? By turning the key.
The key to the first Season of Salvation, the Season of the Kingdom of God, was repentance. By seeking the Holy Spirit to search the depths of our souls, we sought to identify the absence of Christ’s Lordship and the reign of His Majesty, King Ego. We also glimpsed what God desires to establish as our new normal, while become aware of what hinders its fulfillment.
In the upcoming Feasts of the Incarnation, we will receive the very life of the new human nature in Jesus, directly into the area void of Christ’s Lordship. As we repented—the key to the first Season of Salvation—to the best of our ability, we entered the atmosphere of these two colliding kingdoms within our souls.
If that felt difficult, even to comprehend, continue pressing on. “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).
Repentance is a battle, especially with ourselves. If we struggled to experience it in the previous Season, it means we fought—and laid the foundation for the six-week period we entered last week.
Now our repentance takes on a different focus. Previously, it was about identifying the absence of the Kingdom of God within. During the Nativity Fast, repentance is about emptying, as best we can, the lifestyle under the reign of His Majesty, King Ego.
Made Himself of No Reputation
The Apostle Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:5–7). This verse holds the key to the Fast of the Incarnation.
In Greek, “made Himself of no reputation” is kenoo, which means “to make empty.” From this comes the theological term kenosis. This reveals the unfathomable humility of the Son of God. When God became man, Jesus willingly set aside the divine attributes of His glory.
During the Incarnation, Jesus emptied Himself of His radiant splendor and appeared as a beautiful baby boy. Before the Resurrection, He unveiled His divine nature most profoundly in the Transfiguration, when “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). Just as Jesus emptied Himself of His divine radiance to enter our world, so the Holy Spirit calls us to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) by emptying ourselves of personal glory and self-exaltation.
Emptying
The key to entering this season is emptying. What does it mean to empty ourselves of personal glory and self-exaltation? It likely needs little explanation: this is how the reign of His Majesty, King Ego, manifests in our lives. This is not the self-emptying of consciousness described in New Age spirituality or Eastern religions. Here, we are emptied so that we may be filled with Jesus Christ.
In Philippians 2:5, we read, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” The emptying of the Incarnation Fast is a voluntary humbling of ourselves, motivated by our longing to be filled with Jesus’s divine-human nature and to receive the glory that comes from God. As Jesus said in Luke 14:11, “He who humbles himself will be exalted,” and in John 5:44, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”
It is crucial to understand that this is not about ridiculing ourselves before others, but about putting ourselves last and honoring God and others above ourselves. We do not seek attention through acts of self-emptying, “so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:18).
If we cultivate this mind—the mind of Jesus Christ—emptying ourselves of our status, we turn the key and enter the mystical atmosphere of the Incarnation Fast.
The Weeks of Advent: How Can We Do This Practically?
Let us continue from where we left off last week regarding fasting. By voluntarily changing and simplifying our diet for forty days, we automatically turn the key to the Season of the Incarnation Fast.
Voluntary restriction of our desires strengthens both self-control and self-denial and helps us open ourselves to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. One practical way to empty ourselves is to follow the example of Christians who have fasted for centuries during the forty days leading to Christmas.
Why does the culture of the world push the exact opposite during this season? Why has the way the world celebrates Christmas become a materialistic, gluttonous feast? Well, now we understand: the enemy works hard before Christmas to fill mankind—physically and soulishly—drowning out the Holy Spirit’s call to empty ourselves and receive Christ, the King.
The Evangelist John writes, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). We remember that in the Garden of Eden, the serpent led Eve to see “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Gen. 3:6).
But we know the truth, as Jesus said: “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:55–56).
Dethroning of the Self During the Weeks of Advent
Another practical way to enter this fast is through praying—asking God for opportunities to empty ourselves. This is a bold prayer, but if you pray it, God will answer. But He is unfathomably compassionate and, knowing us far better than we know ourselves, allows no temptation to overtake us “except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
God loves these prayers, and we never need to fear.
The practical ways we turn the key and enter the atmosphere of this Fast will vary from person to person. Yet for all of us, the emptying pertains to the area of our soul where His Majesty, King Ego, reigned—and where the grace of Christ will arrive during the Incarnation Feasts.
These six weeks of fasting sharpen our preparation for the dethroning of the self and the extension of Christ’s reign in the soul. In the previous Season of Salvation, we began identifying this area; now we zoom in to empty it, creating space for Christ to come.
The key for the weeks following the fast—the Incarnation Feasts—is the Empty Manger. Our soul is not merely an empty space; it is prepared to receive the divine seed of Jesus’s human nature, the new man.
The Upward Direction of Fasting During the Weeks of Advent
Another way to practice this fast is by slightly increasing our consistent devotion to Jesus. When we fast or perform acts of self-emptying, we restrict the activity of our fallen human nature. These are inward acts.
But there are also upward activities that stir and release our spirit. These become more prominent during these weeks as we read the Word of God, pray, meditate silently on Scriptures, worship, and engage in other spiritual exercises. This upward dimension of fasting balances the inward restrictions of the flesh, for the grace to maintain a healthy fast comes from our devotion to Jesus.
If we increase our efforts in restricting the flesh, we must equally increase our efforts in stirring the spirit. Practically speaking, if we skip breakfast every Wednesday and Friday during this fast, we should not spend that time on social media or homework. Rather, we fast from a meal so we can read, pray, or engage in other forms of worship. When these two directions of fasting work together, we quickly enter the atmosphere of the Incarnation (Nativity) Fast.
Inward and upward activities of fasting aside, we still need to focus on the most important aspect of these six weeks. Let us now turn to the Sunday Gospel.
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Sunday Gospel for the Weeks of Advent: Mark 10:17–31 (NKJV)Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
With God All Things Are Possible23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
You Call Me Good
We read in Mark 10:17–18, “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.’”
Jesus asked the young rich man why he called Him good, because only God is truly good. Of course, Jesus knows He is the Messiah, the Son of God—the only Good One. His question is deliberate and He is essentially saying: “If you call me good, then you are acknowledging My divinity. Do you believe I Am Who I Am?” (Ex. 3:14; John 8:58)
Jesus then directed the man to keep the commandments of God, reminding him of what Moses proclaimed: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life …” (Deut. 32:46–47a).
The young man replied, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth” (Mark 10:20).
In Mark 10:21–22, we read, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
Trust in Riches
Why was the man sorrowful? Because he found this last commandment tremendously painful. Why was it so difficult—and why is it difficult for any of us in our own areas—to obey such a radical call to surrender? Jesus explains in verse 24: “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
The word trust in Greek is peitho, meaning “to rely on” or “to give assent to.” When earthly riches—whether material possessions, social standing, professional position, personal prestige, or anything belonging to “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16)—gain authority over our hearts, we begin to trust in them. And these “riches” can take many forms.
Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). If we pay attention to what we speak about with the most enthusiasm, we often discover the very riches that exercise authority over our hearts. This does not mean everything that excites or energizes us is worldly riches—far from it. Christians are the most alive people on earth, for we have already “died, and [our] life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), and we are called to “declare the works of the Lord” (Ps. 118:17).
Still, let us make mental notes that we can carry into prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the root behind any intense sense of ownership or attachment we feel toward a thing or topic.
The Treasure of Our Heart
Peter said to Jesus in Mark 10:28: “See, we have left all and followed You.”
Jesus replied in verses 29–31: “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Jesus teaches that if no earthly riches hold authority over our hearts, we have already “left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s.” And should the call ever come to leave them literally, our hearts would be free to obey. But why is that?
The issue is not earthly riches themselves—whether possessions, relationships, or professions. If these where fundamentally problematic, why would God promise “a hundredfold now in this time”? Jesus does not ask us to abandon such blessings merely for the sake of abandoning them. Rather, He wants to replace any earthly authority that might reign over our hearts with Himself.
Once Jesus becomes the true treasure of our hearts, He is able to pour a hundredfold of earthly riches upon us, because He knows these gifts will no longer rule us. They will serve us—and we will use them to serve His Kingdom.
Emptied to Be Fulfilled During the Weeks of Advent
Many Christians leave family, country, and work in obedience to their calling. And then, in their new place, they soon find themselves surrounded by father- and mother-figures, brothers and sisters, and homes a hundredfold. There is a tangible reality to this promise.
But those who are called to remain in the place of their upbringing will also experience this hundredfold blessing once Jesus replaces the authority of earthly riches in the heart.
In the Incarnation Fast, we seek to empty ourselves of earthly riches—not because they are bad, but because we seek, not only to be filled, but fulfilled. When our heart catches even a glimpse of the glory of Jesus Christ—when we behold His person, how fascinating, alive, and wholly satisfying He is—we forget earthly riches.
The most important focus during in this season of emptying is therefore fulfillment. Our fragile human frame aches and longs for wholeness, and only Jesus—as the River of Life—can flood our being and transfigure our delicate framework into His glorious image.
Our number-one goal is to stir up a desperate cry to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. Gifts, Christmas trees, and festive meals are all fine—we know Whom we celebrate. Let us long to be fulfilled by Him, the One the angels gather around and cry: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14)
Concluding the Weeks of Advent — How to Create Space for Christ’s ReignThank you for joining this journey through the Season of the Incarnation for another week. It is a privilege that you have taken the time to read these simple insights. I pray the Lord will use them to bless and encourage you in the days ahead.
If you are taking part in the Incarnation (Nativity) Fast from November 15 to December 24, you may find it helpful to review what we discussed last time in What Is Fasting?
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