Matthew 14:25

‘And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.'

The fourth watch of the night was 3:00 am to 6:00 am (The Roman night watch was divided into four). It was daybreak, after a night of toil. And it was at this stage that He came to them, walking on the Sea.

His people had good cause to remember God's power over the sea (Exodus 15:8; Exodus 15:10; Exodus 15:19), for in the Exodus they had escaped through the Sea which had swallowed up their antagonists (just as it would have swallowed up Peter without Jesus' help). Then they could say of Him ‘Your way was in the sea and Your paths in the great waters' at the time when He ‘led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron' (Psalms 77:19 compare Isaiah 43:16). The sea was always an unknown force, the control of which by God was looked on with awe (Psalms 74:13; Psalms 89:9). Thus Jesus may well here have expected them to remember the Exodus experience, especially when Peter was almost overwhelmed by the Sea, and would have been without His assistance.