The effect of sentencing Adam to death was to render all of his children subject to death.

Adam went into death, and since then great numbers of his children have likewise died.

We can say, then, that Adam and all those who have died and are in their graves are in the great prison-house of death, and that is what the Prophet of the Lord calls it .-- Isaiah 42:7.
[242]In this picture Charles represents Jesus.

It was God's will that the perfect man Jesus should redeem Adam and his offspring from the prison-house of death.

Jesus was willing to pay Adam's debt and redeem him, but the perfect, righteous, human being Jesus could not accomplish that purpose while living in the flesh, for the same reason that Charles could not use his strength, time, and energy to pay the debt of his brother John, but must first reduce those things to a purchasing value.
Jesus must reduce his perfect humanity to a purchasing value, which we may call merit, and which merit or purchasing value would be sufficient for the payment of Adam's debt and release Adam and his offspring from that judgment.