Written as a melancholic tribute to his late lover Anselmo Feleppa, it was released in January 1996 by Virgin Records as the first single from his third studio album, Older (1996).

"[6] Although "Jesus to a Child" was not officially released until 8 January 1996,[7] Michael unveiled the song in November 1994 during the inaugural MTV Europe Music Awards, where he performed it in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

[citation needed] Barry Walters from The Advocate wrote that on the song, "Michael compares the emotion of a now-deceased lover to that of the Lord, who was, after all, a man.

He noted that the words "are, by turns, melancholic and romantic and are delivered with delicate ease", adding that "musically, Michael layers light, shuffling percussion with mild acoustic guitar lines and sweetly understated strings.

[13] Sarah Davis from Dotmusic remarked that in the context of the album, "Jesus to a Child" "sets the scene for Michael's current direction—brooding, mature, reflective but not so downbeat as to disallow the good times.

The likes of 'Careless Whisper' (1984) and 'A Different Corner' (1986) can now be seen as trial runs for this one, which incorporates every GM hallmark from anguished upward vocal inflections to tasteful acoustic guitar.

[17] Paul Lester from Melody Maker said it is "all bossa nova rhythms and Spanish guitar over which George softly whispers a requiem for his departed lover".

"[18] David Sinclair from The Times opined that "the bittersweet lyric has a certain romantic appeal, but the message of hope comes swathed in layers of introspection and self-pity".

[19] Ed Morales for Vibe felt that "the Sade-style synth chords that rule 'Jesus to a Child' bolster Michael's typically breathy but precise musings.

"[20] But, no matter what is said about George Michel or his song, I and hopefully you, the reader will re-listen to his musical genius of his work and hear him and his heart really sing.

The Daily Vault's Melanie Love described the song as an "ode to his lost lover", adding that it is "haunting in its bareness and sentiment, while the restrained drums and winding synths are a perfect match for Michael's deep, pained voice as he promises, "So the words that you could not say, I'll sing them for you".

A slow-motion flamenco cry, written following the death of his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, 'Jesus to a Child' still remains supernaturally clear-eyed about what it means to love and to lose.

[26] The atmospheric and delicately surreal video features the lithe bodies of male and female ballet dancers, for whom collapsing piles of dust and a swooping pendulum ball signify the passing of time and the loss of love, as well as their own mortality.