Many preachers have expounded on the expectation of joy when Jesus appears. I think this is incorrect.

The reaction of the disciples on seeing Jesus was not joy. it was fear and doubt.

Luke 24:

36While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself.

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Mission and Ministry — GAMC.

We attribute to the disciples this sense that they knew what was going to happen. They did not. One of the reasons that Jesus returned was to ensure there was a cloud of witnesses, but I think he had to do some remedical education.

Luke 24

⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When the prophets and apostles — those saints of old saw the glory of the Law their reaction was to realise how small they were and how trifling their righteousness and glory was. This is not taught, and this syolligism is (unfortunately) correct.

The reaction was fear. An expectation to see joy is