In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the lake.
“The fourth watch of the night” corresponds to the time period from three to six in the morning, the darkest watch, when a person is in a very exhausted state. The disciples had already been in the storm for many hours, when suddenly Jesus begins to walk toward them on the surface of the sea. This is a miracle, but also a message. Jesus appears not at the beginning, but at the time when a person’s strength and hope are spent. He has not forgotten his disciples, but comes at the right time, walking on the very thing that was threatening them. This verse reminds us that in the Bible, deliverance often comes “in the fourth watch of the night,” at the moment when darkness and danger have reached their peak, and it is precisely then that the power of God begins to act.