I think the best verse to support the belief that Jesus is God in flesh is this:
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and his name shall be called Emmanuel"
(which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 RSV
Hello Estey and welcome here:
Emmanuel does not mean that the destined Son of God is actually God, the one true Creator at all. One just cannot read the verse as for a modern reader for today. His Father is the source of all this work as he was with and whist his Son was on the earth and the same today in heaven.
Who then is really with the people or 'us,' and then why is he with 'us'? Let me given a short commentary of the word (I)Emmanuel as applied to the Son of God as you quoted Matthew 1:23:
Emmanuel or Immanuel is written down in four places of scripture: Isaiah 7:14, 8:8, 10, and in Matthew 1:23.
From the Hebrew language it means in English, 'God (be)(is) with us. Intended primarily for or to a wide audience of people, not just to a specific person.
In the OT, this expression was a cry to God, usually during war, to intervene on behalf of his people and to destroy their enemies. For God to be and stay with his people to bring victory over their enemies.
In fact, the common salutation or greeting to each other is derived from this expression Immanuel. It was also used for a smaller audience and individuals. The sincere greeting for hope in the assurance that God would be at their side and intervene and protect them from their enemies and against evil.
It is the hope and cry to save or deliver them from despair, fear and death. That YHWH or God shall save them.
Mary's name to be given to her son is more precisely derived from Hebrew, Yahshua, or a close variant of it, and not surprisingly, the name Jesus . Jesus was never intended to be placed into scripture. It is a Latinized Greek word of no scriptural meaning. Joshua would be a valid name, meaning YHWH delivers or saves (to freedom). And he did of course, as his people inhabited the Promised land.
Now there is a direct relationship between Yahshua and Emmanuel.
Yahshua means 'Yah' or God from YHWH and 'Shua' means, to save by bending down low as a helpless and humble servant.
Together then, Yahshua means Yah or God saves by or through his humble lowly servant.
Adding in the meaning of Emmanuel with Yahshua, we get:
Yahshua + Emmanuel = > God shall save his people from death, in and by his humble lowly servant.
Emmanuel thus amplified or provides more detail into the 'called' birth name of Yahshua and his nature.
YHWH was with his people, in his Son, indeed. No one has seen the Father, only the Son. The Father lives in Yahshua, deep in his bosom.
The Son of God executed the will of his Father. He reads and sees the thoughts, expressions and actions of his Father, whilst he was on earth and now n heaven. He is the executioner of his Father's will as the head of the church and soon to be ruler of the earth.
Emmanuel indeed!
Blessings,
APAK