I have currently been playing a survival map in which I wanted to have a map. I made the map and opened it. Soon I expanded it, but it only showed my player and the mark of the item frame I put it in. I saved and quit to the main screen and reopened the map, but the map was no different. I expanded it again and the same thing happened. So in a quick procedure:
1. Craft and open a map.
2. Place the map into an item frame.
3. Take the map out of the item frame.
4. Expand it.
When you expand the map and look at it, the map should be empty except for showing your position on the map and the item frame's position.
5. Save and quit to title.
6. Re-open the save you had used for the procedure.
When the save finishes loading the map will have not expanded any bigger than it first was.