Matthew 14:25-26
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It's easy to miss that Jesus came walking on the sea with the intention of passing them by. This wasn't an accident or a last-minute decision; he was deliberately moving past them on the water, allowing their distress to reach a peak before revealing himself. This highlights how Jesus often allows trials to continue longer than we expect, not out of indifference, but to deepen our reliance on Him and prepare us for a more profound encounter.
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Jesus miraculously fed thousands with a few loaves and fish, he sent his disciples ahead in a boat across the Sea of Galilee while he went to pray alone on a mountain. The disciples found themselves in a violent storm, struggling against the wind and waves for hours, until Jesus appeared to them in the dark hours before dawn, walking on the sea.
The disciples are battling the waves, and it's the darkest part of the night. Where is Jesus? Sometimes, God's help comes when we feel most abandoned.
The 'fourth watch' refers to the final period of the night, typically between 3 AM and 6 AM. This was the darkest, coldest, and often the most despairing part of the night before dawn.
Jesus had sent His disciples across the lake, and He went up a mountain to pray. While they were struggling in the storm, He was praying. This wasn't a sign of His indifference, but a deliberate act in His mediation. He felt their struggles, but He also had a divine timing for His intervention.
Think about it: they had been battling the storm for hours. Their strength was likely failing, their hope dwindling. The darkness and the raging sea mirrored their internal turmoil. This is often when God allows us to reach our limit, not to crush us, but to prepare us for His powerful rescue.
Jesus doesn't just appear; He walks on the raging sea to get to them. This isn't just a helpful arrival; it's a divine declaration.
Jesus appearing to His disciples on the water is one of the most striking miracles in Scripture. It wasn't just about reaching them; it was about how He reached them.
A Display of Authority
Walking on water directly defies the laws of nature. The ancient Egyptians even used the image of feet walking on water as a hieroglyphic for impossibility! The Scriptures declare that God 'treadeth on the waves of the sea' (Job 9:8), showing this is a unique attribute of the Almighty.
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Jesus' Divine Nature
By walking on the sea, Jesus wasn't just a man performing a feat; He was demonstrating His divine power and authority over creation. He knew their distress, He navigated the storm, and He approached them in a way that could only be divine. This miracle served as a powerful sign to His disciples (and us!) of who He truly is – God Himself, capable of overcoming any storm.
Understand the original words
phylakē · Greek Noun
In the ancient world, the night was divided into four watches. The fourth watch (approximately 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.) was the final period before dawn, representing the time of greatest darkness or trial before deliverance arrives.
thalassa · Greek Noun
The large, restless body of water. In biblical cosmology, the sea often represents chaos, hostility, and the untamable powers of nature that only God has the authority to subdue.
phantasma · Greek Noun
A supernatural being or spirit; in this context, it refers to the disciples' perception of a disembodied spirit rather than a physical person.
phobos · Greek Noun
A state of intense agitation or dread caused by the perception of danger, mystery, or the presence of the divine.
The Roman division of the night into four watches (introduced around the time of Jesus) is significant here, placing Jesus' appearance between 3 and 6 AM. This timing highlights the disciples' prolonged struggle and Jesus' deliberate delay in offering aid, allowing their faith to be tested to its extreme before his miraculous intervention.
Evening
Jesus sends disciples across the lake
After miraculously feeding the five thousand, Jesus directs his disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while he dismisses the crowds.
Evening to night
Jesus prays alone on the mountain
Jesus withdraws to a mountain to pray alone after sending the disciples away, spending a significant amount of time in solitary communion.
Night
Disciples battle a contrary wind
The disciples' boat is in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, being tossed by strong waves because the wind is blowing against them, causing them great difficulty.
Fourth watch of the night (3 AM - 6 AM)— this verse
Jesus walks on the sea
Jesus comes to his disciples by walking on the surface of the stormy sea, an act that terrifies them as they mistake him for a ghost.
Fourth watch of the night
Peter walks on water
At Jesus' command, Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water but begins to sink when he focuses on the storm and doubts.
Fourth watch of the night
Jesus calms the storm
Jesus calms the wind and waves immediately after entering the boat, leading the disciples to worship him as the Son of God.
This passage directly links the ability to walk on the sea to God's unique power, highlighting Jesus' divine nature as He performs this very act.
Exodus 14:24This Old Testament event describes God intervening in the early morning watch (the 'morning watch' often being the fourth watch) to deliver His people, mirroring Jesus' timely appearance to His disciples in distress during the night's final watch.
Psalm 89:9This psalm speaks of God's dominion over the stormy seas, a truth powerfully demonstrated when Jesus, in Matthew 14, calms the tempest and walks on the water, showing His authority over the elements.
John 6:19John's Gospel provides further detail on this event, explaining that the disciples were a significant distance from shore when Jesus appeared, emphasizing the miraculous nature of His approach and their struggle against the wind.
calvinMatthew 14:22-33: "And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away."
- And immediately Jesus constrained his disciples to embark, and to go before him to the opposite bank, till he had sent away the multitudes. 23. And when he had sent away the multitudes, he went up into a mountain alone to pray; and when the evening came, he was there alone. 24. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tosse…
barnesMatthew 14:25: "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."
And in the fourth watch of the night - The Jews anciently divided the night into three parts of four hours each, usually called watches. The first of these watches is mentioned in Lamentations 2:19 , the middle watch in Judges 7:19 , and the morning watch in Exodus 14:24 . In the time of our Saviour they divided the night into four watches, the fourth having been introduced by the Romans. These watch…
It's easy to miss that Jesus came walking on the sea with the intention of passing them by. This wasn't an accident or a last-minute decision; he was deliberately moving past them on the water, allowing their distress to reach a peak before revealing himself. This highlights how Jesus often allows trials to continue longer than we expect, not out of indifference, but to deepen our reliance on Him and prepare us for a more profound encounter.
After Jesus miraculously fed thousands with a few loaves and fish, he sent his disciples ahead in a boat across the Sea of Galilee while he went to pray alone on a mountain. The disciples found themselves in a violent storm, struggling against the wind and waves for hours, until Jesus appeared to them in the dark hours before dawn, walking on the sea.
After Jesus miraculously fed thousands with a few loaves and fish, he sent his disciples ahead in a boat across the Sea of Galilee while he went to pray alone on a mountain. The disciples found themselves in a violent storm, struggling against the wind and waves for hours, until Jesus appeared to them in the dark hours before dawn, walking on the sea.
"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear." — It's easy to miss that Jesus came walking on the sea with the intention of passing them by. This wasn't an accident or a last-minute decision; he was deliberately moving past them on the water, all…
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Last reviewed October 2026
